With Marvel Studios latest entry in
the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Daredevil: Born Again Season
One fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to take a quick break from
my usual content and make a guide for anyone wanting to catch up or refresh
before it hits theatres. Here’s What to Watch Before Daredevil: Born
Again.
The best place to start is with Daredevil’s Marvel
Cinematic Universe debut, the first season of Daredevil which was
initially produced for Netflix but which can now be seen on Disney+.
This first season introduced Charlie Cox as lawyer and vigilante Matt
Murdock aka Daredevil, Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk
aka The Kingpin along with Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page,
Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson and Aylet Zurer as Vanessa
Marianna along with numerous other characters who would go on to appear in
the various other MCU-related shows from Netflix.
Next up, Daredevil Season 2 introduced other key
characters including Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle aka The
Punisher, Matt’s former mentor Stick, played by Scott Glenn
along with his former lover and trained killer Elektra Natchios as
portrayed by Élodie Yung as a war with the criminal organisation The
Hand escalates. It’s confirmed that Jon Bernthal will reprise his
role in Daredevil: Born Again.
After this we have the crossover event mini-series The
Defenders which sees Matt Murdock meet and team-up with the super strong
private investigator Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), bulletproof
badass Luke Cage (Mike Colter) and Danny Rand aka the Immortal
Iron Fist (Finn Jones) to stop the machinations of The Hand,
led by Alexandra (the stunning Sigourney Weaver). The series ends
with Matt Murdock believed dead in massive building collapse which leads
into…
Daredevil Season 3 opens with a recovering Matt Murdock
and leads to Wilson Fisk being released from prison a free man. Wilson
Bethel portrays Special Agent Benjamin Poindexter (known in the
comics as Bullseye) who is recruited by Fisk to impersonate Daredevil,
framing him for various slayings. The season and series ends with a three-way
battle between Murdock, Fisk and Poindexter. Poindexter
is left paralysed and undergoing surgery, while Kingpin is beaten and
sent back to prison, with he and Daredevil reaching an uneasy agreement
that Fisk will leave Karen and Foggy alone in exchange for
Daredevil not revealing Fisk’s wife Vanessa’s criminal
involvement in events. The Netflix era ends here and we wouldn’t see Charlie
Cox in the role for quite some time.
Perhaps an expected place for Vincent D’Onofrio to
appear as Wilson Fisk and cement the prior series events as ‘canon’ to
the Marvel Cinematic Universe proper, the Disney+ Hawkeye
series reveals The Kingpin to be the big bad behind the show’s events,
having been released from prison once more and using the Tracksuit Mafia
to reclaim his former empire. Notably, Fisk is shown to have a close
relationship with protégé Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox)
until it’s revealed he is responsible for her father’s murder, resulting in her
shooting him in the face.
Released in the same week, Spider-Man: No Way Home
featured Charlie Cox reprising his role as Matt Murdock in a
cameo appearance as Peter Parker’s lawyer. This moment got gasps and
applause in the cinema when I saw it.
Matt Murdock returns in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
in Episode 8, even suiting up in a new Daredevil costume inspired
by his earliest comic appearances and teaming up with fellow lawyer/superhero Jennifer
Walters aka She-Hulk before the pair share a one-night stand. Daredevil
briefly returns for a cameo in the show’s finale Episode 9.
Finally, during a flashback in the Disney+
mini-series Echo, we see Daredevil battle Maya Lopez in Episode
One. The show follows Lopez returning to her home town and reveals Wilson
Fisk survived being shot before culminating in the two facing off. Ultimately,
Fisk returns to New York with his mind set on becoming the Mayor
of New York City, leading into Daredevil: Born Again.
You may choose to skip some of these entries, but I’m sure
watching them all will provide further depth and understanding for Daredevil:
Born Again.
Until I discover how to fight blind, I remain
frogoat