The following reveals spoilers for the first two episodes of Daredevil: Born Again, now streaming on Disney+.
Few projects on the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s current schedule are as hotly anticipated as Daredevil: Born Again, riding a tsunami of goodwill from the acclaimed Daredevil Netflix series and subsequent integration into the MCU. Charlie Cox’s portrayal of the blind superhero has rapidly become definitive, and with Vincent D’Onofrio returning as his perennial nemesis The Kingpin, the stage is set for a glorious outing, just when the MCU could use one.
Fans of Netflix’s hard-edged take have expressed concerns that Disney might tone things down to better match its family-friendly image. Now that the first two episodes have arrived, those fears can be set aside. Daredevil: Born Again is every bit the bone-crunching fight-fest that Matt Murdock supporters expect, with three one-shot throwdowns in the new series’ first two episodes. They have some big shoes to fill on the brutality front, with several sequences from the Netflix series setting a high bar for hard action.
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The White Tiger is a Peaceful Warrior
Hector Ayala Fills in the Vacuum Left by Daredevil
Dirty cops play a big part in Daredevil: Born Again, with Wilson Fisk running for mayor in part on a police reform ticket. For Matt, corrupt police present a far thornier issue, tempting him to take up the mantle of Daredevil again despite his earnest promise to leave it all behind. Unfortunately for him, the problem doesn’t just vanish, and without Daredevil, others will take up the mantle. First among those is White Tiger, adapted here from the comics as a new vigilante inspired by The Man Without Fear.
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In the opening of Episode 2, he comes across a pair of corrupt cops shaking down an accomplice. He’s not interested in who they are, he only sees angry men hurting someone who can’t fight back. He steps in, and the audience gets a crash course in why he’s a worthy successor to Daredevil’s legacy. The late Kamar de los Reyes plays Hector as a protective warrior, working to end the fight nonviolently. Only a piece of happenstance causes it to end in tragedy, leading to his being charged with murder. The fight itself is gritty and down-to-earth, demonstrating the character’s careful use of force and respect for human life. He’s the stuff that heroes are made of.
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Matt Murdock Takes a Beating, Then Dishes One Out
Despite Giving Up Daredevil, Matt Still Fights to Protect a Witness
Matt seems very serious about leaving Daredevil behind, even when faced with temptation from the outside. That comes full circle at the end of Episode 2 when a pair of dirty cops target him for defending Hector Ayala. It’s a clarifying moment for Murdock, who has been trying to investigate the case through legal means, only to realize that legal means may not be enough. In this instance, it takes someone trying to shoot Matt in the head before he acknowledges that reality. It also highlights the fact that Matt Murdock can’t escape Daredevil no matter how hard he tries. The fight acts largely as a test of resolve, slowly escalating until Matt has to act in his own self-defense.
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After finding the witness who can clear Hector’s name, he urges the man to flee, then waits for the two policemen who have come to kill him. He takes a serious beating while refusing to fight back, happy to add their assault to the list of charges on the other end of it all. When one of them points a gun at him, Matt pleads with him not to do it, not out of fear for his safety, but what that will unleash in him. They don’t listen, and Matt breaks the gunman’s arm before beating both of them unconscious. The episode ends before ascertaining whether they’re still alive, and the answer may very well be “no.” No one’s apt to cry for them, as they arrived with murder on their minds. Unfortunately, the cost to Matt may be incalculable. His howl of rage as they lie crumpled at his feet speaks to his anguish at returning to vigilante violence.
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The Bullseye Rematch Pulls No Punches
Daredevil: Born Again Kicks Off with a Shocking Murder
Daredevil: Born Again doesn’t pull punches, kicking things off with Foggy Nelson’s brutal murder at the hands of Bullseye in the season premiere. The set-up advertises what’s to come beautifully, as the villain announces his identity to the audience by pinning a fly to the wall with a paperclip. He then shoots Foggy and unleashes mayhem at the policeman’s bar where they had all been enjoying a drink just a few minutes earlier. Daredevil arrives just in time to save Karen, and the rumble is on.
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The scene serves mostly as an appetizer for what’s to come, though it definitely packs a wallop. It loosely follows the format of the famous “Cut Man” hallway fight from the Netflix Daredevil, seemingly taking place in one unbroken shot. It starts with the two battling in the bar as innocent bystanders try madly to escape, then swings back to Karen and a dying Foggy before following the increasingly exhausted combatants up the stairs to the roof. Bullseye periodically targets any convenient civilian in range, with Daredevil trying — and sometimes failing — to stop him. All the while, Matt can hear his horrified friends outside, driving him to the point of murder and beyond. It’s a statement of purpose, announcing to fans that the soul of the Netflix series is very much alive in the new one.
Daredevil: Born Again is now streaming on Disney+
Daredevil: Born Again
- Release Date
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March 4, 2025
- Showrunner
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Chris Ord
- Directors
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Michael Cuesta, Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Jeffrey Nachmanoff
- Writers
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Chris Ord
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Charlie Cox
Matt Murdock / Daredevil
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Vincent D’Onofrio
Wilson Fisk / Kingpin
