The much-anticipated Disney+ revival, Daredevil: Born Again, has wrapped its first season on the streaming service and Ol’ Hornhead is in trouble. It was a season of highs and lows, but the nine-episode season stuck the landing and left fans with a wicked cliffhanger and begging for more. Let’s dive in…
Right from the start, the season grabs your attention with a stunning 15-minute opening, culminating in a signature, drawn-out fight scene – because what’s Daredevil without one? Once the initial chaos subsides, the narrative shifts forward, focusing on Matt Murdock/Daredevil (Charlie Cox) and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) as they embark on fresh paths, all while subtly orbiting one another, each waiting to discover if the other has genuinely evolved.
Following the shocking opener, the episodes struggle to find their identity with Matt and Fisk in their respective corners. Matt is being “a really good lawyer” for Marvel hero Hector Ayala (Kamar de los Reyes), aka White Tiger, in the more compelling of the two story arcs. It all comes to a heartbreaking conclusion with Hector being exonerated and then immediately murdered by a crooked cop wearing The Punisher’s (Jon Bernthal) signature skull. Elsewhere, Fisk is trying to get his feet wet as the newly elected mayor, but even the great D’Onofrio struggles to make his early material interesting.
On the topic of Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, the proceedings get a shot in the arm (and a few other places) with the return of the brutal anti-hero. Cox and Bernthal have fantastic chemistry in their twisted versions of buddy cop adventures. Bernthal continues to excel in the role and, in this, finally gets the chance for Frank to address the real-life issue of people adopting his skull for the wrong purposes. While Frank immediately disappears after his early episode, his role in the finale brings yet another terrific Daredevil confined space fight scene in Matt’s apartment.
While the original Netflix Daredevil series, despite its MCU setting, largely existed in its own shadowy corner, Daredevil: Born Again pulses with the vibrant energy of a New York teeming with both familiar and fresh vigilantes and heroes. Gone is the gritty, almost claustrophobic depiction of Hell’s Kitchen; instead, the series showcases a brighter, more polished cityscape, reminiscent of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man stomping grounds. Although some may yearn for the previous aesthetic’s dark intensity, Daredevil: Born Again‘s updated feel seems to complement the show’s narrative and its integration within the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Daredevil: Born Again enlists fresh villains as well, including serial killer Muse for a creepy mini-boss to keep Matt busy for the middle stretch of episodes. Despite some unnerving visuals and Silence of the Lambs vibes, it’s all a little underwhelming and thankfully not used in place of the big finale that’s on deck.
The surviving gang is back together, Matt, Frank, and Karen (Deborah Ann Woll), as all hell breaks loose in NYC when the season draws to its conclusion. The showrunners made it pretty clear they planned on a second season with the Empire Strikes Back style cliffhanger, featuring Fisk firmly in charge of New York City after enacting martial law. Our hero Daredevil is left in hiding, gathering his allies to recruit for the coming war. It’s a strong ending to a solid episode and sends Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 out on a high note.
Score: 3.5 out of 5