10 Things to Know Before 'Daredevil: Born Again'

Welcome back to Hell’s Kitchen.

Marvel Television’s highly anticipated new series Daredevil: Born Again is almost here, reuniting Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk for a high-stakes showdown. The new show picks up after the events of the original Daredevil TV series, following blind lawyer Murdock (Charlie Cox) as he faces new threats and fights for justice in the courtroom. Meanwhile, former mob boss Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) is pursuing his own political endeavors, running for mayor of New York City. Both men are eager to leave their past confrontations behind — only to find themselves on an inevitable collision course.

Here, we break down 10 things to know before Daredevil: Born Again premieres March 4 on Disney+.

1. Original stars Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio are back.

It’s been nearly a decade since Cox and D’Onofrio made their debut as Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk, facing off throughout the original Daredevil TV series (2015–2018). Since then, the two actors have reprised their roles multiple times, popping up in other corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (Cox appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and Echo, while D’Onofrio appeared in Hawkeye and Echo.)

Executive producer and head of Marvel Television Brad Winderbaum says there could be no Daredevil: Born Again without Cox and D’Onofrio’s character-defining performances, and he can’t wait for fans to witness their showdown.

 “Nobody understands those characters better than the actors playing them,” Winderbaum says. “It’s some of the best casting in Marvel history. I would put Charlie Cox playing Matt Murdock and Vincent D’Onofrio playing Wilson Fisk up there with [Robert Downey Jr.] playing Tony Stark. They have become those icons.”   

2. Some familiar faces also return.

In addition to Cox and D’Onofrio, Daredevil: Born Again also brings back some key characters from the original series. Matt reunites with his oldest friends and allies, Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) and Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll).  

Also returning are Ayelet Zurer as Wilson’s wife Vanessa Fisk, Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/The Punisher, and Wilson Bethel as Benjamin Poindexter/Bullseye (more on them in a minute).

3. Fisk seeks new power as mayor of New York City.

Wilson Fisk may have built his criminal empire in the shadows, but in Daredevil: Born Again, the Kingpin steps into the spotlight, running for mayor of New York City. It’s a plot inspired by Charles Soule and Stefano Landini’s influential “Mayor Fisk” storyline from the comics, beginning with DAREDEVIL (2015) #595. (In fact, Soule’s entire run was a major influence on Born Again. Executive producer Sana Amanat first launched her career as an editor with Marvel Comics, and she worked on Soule’s DAREDEVIL run beginning in 2015.)  

D’Onofrio says he jumped at the chance to investigate Fisk’s mayoral side on screen, exploring how the one-time Kingpin of Crime has to adapt to succeed in politics.

“The metaphor would be a vampire trying to live in the daylight,” D’Onofrio teases. “It’s a struggle. To become mayor and have a campaign, he has to live in the daylight, and it’s uncomfortable for him. But he has to do it because he has a plan to expand his reach of control. And he’s going to get it — no matter what.”

4. Daredevil: Born Again pays tribute to classic Marvel comics.

Matt Murdock’s comic history spans decades, stretching all the way back to his debut in 1964. The new TV series takes inspiration from some of the most iconic Daredevil stories ever told, and the title is a nod to Frank Miller's incredible legacy with the character, referring to his and David Mazzucchelli’s seminal storyline “Born Again."

“There’s certainly many creators that we drew inspiration from, but we kept returning to Frank Miller’s work,” Winderbaum says. “He had a way of telling Matt’s story that really broke him down to his bare essence.”

To prepare for filming Born Again, Cox says he read (and reread) some of his favorite Daredevil comics, finding inspiration in creators like Miller, Soule, Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev, Joe Quesada, and Chip Zdarsky.

“I was reading a lot of Charles Soule when we were getting ready for this and really enjoyed that,” Cox adds. “And before every season we’ve shot of this show, I always go back and read the Bendis and Maleev stuff. It’s just a great template tonally. It really speaks to me in terms of who these characters are, what they look like, and how the show should feel.”

5. Showrunner Dario Scardapane has a long history with these characters.

Dario Scardapane serves as executive producer and showrunner of Daredevil: Born Again, but this isn’t his first time working in Hell’s Kitchen. He previously worked as executive producer and writer of The Punisher TV series, where he helped shape that show’s gritty tone.

“Dario is a really muscular storyteller,” Winderbaum says. “He delivers real pathos, and he understands pain. You can see it in his work on the original Punisher series. He really pushed these characters to their absolute limit.”

6. The Punisher is back!

Speaking of The Punisher, Daredevil: Born Again also reunites Matt with Frank Castle, played by a returning Jon Bernthal. Matt and Frank first crossed paths on screen in Daredevil Season 2, and they initially faced off as enemies, before forming an uneasy alliance.

The pair have an even longer history in Marvel Comics, and their first meeting came in 1982 with DAREDEVIL (1964) #183 and #184, courtesy of Roger McKenzie, Miller, and Klaus Janson. Another Punisher/Daredevil highlight is Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark’s acclaimed storyline “Devil in Cell Block D” (DAREDEVIL (1998) #82–#87), which finds Punisher and Daredevil fighting to survive after they’re both imprisoned together.

7. Meet Muse, the deadly artist.

Daredevil: Born Again also introduces a killer antagonist, straight from the pages of Marvel Comics. Muse is an unhinged murderer and graffiti artist, who uses his victims’ blood to paint disturbing street murals.

The character first appeared in DAREDEVIL (2015) #11, written by Soule with art by Ron Garney, and he makes his on-screen debut in Born Again, as Matt races to thwart the masked murderer.

8. One of Daredevil’s oldest nemeses returns to haunt him.

Born Again also sees the return of Benjamin Poindexter, AKA Bullseye, the lethal assassin who can turn anything into a weapon. The killer marksman made his comics debut in 1976 with DAREDEVIL #131, written by Marv Wolfman and penciled by Bob Brown, and he’s since become one of Daredevil’s most iconic foes. (You can read some of Bullseye’s greatest hits here — from his deadly debut to his tragic turn in DAREDEVIL (1998), murdering Karen Page after she dove in front of a billy club intended for Matt.)

9. Born Again brings the action.

Jaw-dropping stunts and fight scenes have always been a major part of Daredevil’s DNA, and Born Again continues that tradition. Legendary stunt coordinator Philip J. Silvera worked on the original TV series, developing the show’s signature bone-crunching action, and he returns to Born Again as stunt coordinator and second unit director.  

“We really wanted to honor not just the original series but the comics,” Winderbaum says of the show’s graphic, visceral action scenes. “The thing about violence in Matt’s world is that it always comes with a cost. It’s not done arbitrarily. The violence in this show is filled with a lot of pain, and it drives the characters forward. So, there’s not a single action set piece in this series that’s just action for action’s sake. It is designed to progress the story, to impact the characters, and, at the end of the day, to force them into some true ethical decisions.”

10. Season 2 is already in the works.

Daredevil: Born Again premieres with two episodes March 4 on Disney+, but Scardapane, Winderbaum, and Amanat are already looking ahead to the next chapter. Season 2 is now in development, with production starting soon.

As for what the future might hold for Matt Murdock and friends? The filmmakers are remaining tight-lipped. But Scardapane does offer one intriguing tease: “The opening image of Season 2 is ripped straight from a comic book.”

Daredevil: Born Again premieres March 4 on Disney+ at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET.