Daredevil: Born Again brings the fan favourite superhero back to the small screen in all the dark, brutal and bloody glory of its predecessor, that when combined with its incredible writing that creates compelling characters arc for both Matt Murdoch and Wilson Fisk as their rivalry prepares for its next chapter, results in the greatest Marvel Cinematic Universe television series to date!

 

Back in 2015, Daredevil made his small screen debut in the first Marvel Netflix series: Daredevil. Praised for its darker tone compared to other entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, phenomenal action sequences, and compelling storylines, Daredevil became the launching point for a series of interconnected, more mature Marvel stories set within New York City that saw the debut of other beloved characters like The Punisher, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist and Luke Cage. Despite their great critical and fan reception, all of these series were all cancelled by the beginning of 2019, leaving these characters and their futures within the Marvel Cinematic Universe with great uncertainty. But, they found new life when Marvel and Disney+ announced Daredevil: Born Again after Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdoch and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Hawkeye respectively, providing a new home for this group of heroes and the continuation of their stories. And the long seven year wait to see Matt Murdoch/Daredevil’s story continue, it more than pays off with a fantastic season of television that not only captures what made the Netflix series so great, but fully embraces its episodic storytelling format unlike any other Marvel Cinematic Universe series to date, making for an outstanding season of television that fans are going to devour! 

 

Much like its predecessor, Daredevil: Born Again excels thanks to its rich narrative and thematic material. Acting as both a sequel and soft reboot to the Netflix series, the events of the season are sparked with Matt crossing a line and wrestling with the guilt of his actions, as he navigates finding justice in the courtroom as a lawyer within the confines of the law versus his vigilante activities as Daredevil which goes to places the law cannot. Matt’s Catholicism is not as explicit as in the Netflix series (with less imagery and conversations with priests), but it is undoubtedly crucial to Matt’s arc over the season as he grapples with his guilt, his strive to help others through the law, and his vigilante activities as Daredevil. While this internal struggle plays out with Matt, Wilson Fisk’s arc mirrors the beats of Matt as he struggles to hide his true nature in his new political position. But as Matt is forced to accept that the city needs Daredevil, Fisk is unable to hide the monster within, setting Matt and Fisk on an unavoidable collision course. It provides a chilling symmetry in the trajectory of their stories, differentiated by Matt's integrity and Fisk’s rage, setting the stage not only for the events of the second season, but also one unforgettable synchronized fight sequence in the season’s sixth episode which is an absolute standout. To say the least, the entire season is a riveting character drama driven by ideologies and beliefs within the confines of a legal crime drama that creates one addictive watch from start to finish.

 

While they have both had brief appearances in previous Marvel Cinematic Universe projects in recent years, Cox and D’Onofrio are back in the spotlight as Matt and Fisk respectively, and the two of them are outstanding in every scene of the series. Cox internalization of Matt’s pain and suffering is heartbreaking as he grapples with Matt’s, while Matt’s determination for justice has never been more powerful with the arc that Cox has to work with. At the same time, Cox effortlessly captures the altruistic, wise and comedic nature of Matt as required by the script, instantly reminding viewers why his portrayal of Matt is one of the best castings of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. D’Onofrio, ever menacing as the villainous Fisk, does a wonderful job of controlling his character’s madness and uncontrollable rage, letting it simmer just below the surface for the first half of the season, giving the appearance of a changed man, but one that is unable to escape his true nature as the audience sees the cracks in Fisk’s outward appearance. But, it's when Cox and D’Onofrio share the screen and go head to head with their character’s ideologies that they both truly shine in their performances. From that first scene together in the first episode as they draw the line in the sand for each other in their tense first meeting since the events of previous series, Cox and D’Onofrio’s verbal jousting is intoxicating, creating the struggle between the two characters that only intensifies with each shared interaction over the course of the season.

 

Though the performances of Cox and D’Onofrio tower over the entire season, the supporting cast is just as brilliant as the two of them. Seeing Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson back on screen as Karen and Foggy is an absolute treat, Jon Bernthal has not lost his darkness for a single second as The Punisher, while Ayelet Zurer is stellar and shines brightly alongside D’Onofrio as Vanessa, proving that she can be just as wicked and ruthless as the Kingpin himself. Margarita Levieva is an excellent addition to the world of Daredevil as Heather Glenn, Matt’s love interest for the season who perfectly challenges his character to help make his character arc more impactful, while Michael Gandolfini is exceptional as Daniel Blake, the newest member of Team Kingpin, as he echoes the darkness of D’Onofrio in a chilling manner as you can see his character’s moral corruption slowly come to the surface.