All photos provided by Disney/Marvel PR for this review.
Check out our thoughts on Daredevil Born Again Season 2!
Hey All!
Daredevil Born Again returns to Disney Plus March 24th and its continuation from the events of the episodes released in 2025 have me considering this as more Season One Part 2 rather than just Season 2. The characters, aesthetic style, and tone are all the same here and by the final episode I would say there is a resolution, albeit not a conclusion, that was not really present at the end of the first nine episodes.
The cast in this includes only one newcomer in the form of Matthew Lillard (Scream, Five Nights at Freddy’s, and the live action Scooby Doo films from the early 2000s). His character of Mr. Charles is a cocky and very connected implied CIA operative. How connected is he? Well at one point he takes a phone call from a very high-ranking character in the US Government who has previously appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe; be sure to be listening for their name.
Returning cast is almost everyone. The obvious and most important ones are of course Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio as Matt Murdock/Daredevil and Wilson Fisk/Kingpin respectively. Other obvious returns include Ayelet Zurer as Vanessa Fisk, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, and Wilson Bethel as Dexter/Bullseye, and each one of them gets more screentime, more to do, and have a much greater impact on the story in the show. It is in providing these key characters and their talented actors who embody them which really mark the elevation in Daredevil Born Again’s return.
In particular, I really enjoyed every moment that Wilson Bethel was on the screen. Bethel manages to deliver the perfect balance of fun and psychotic through Bullseye trying to “do the right thing” and thinking he is “doing the right thing” with his chosen acts of violence. In a season which is devoid of Jon Bernthal’s Punisher, Bullseye fills the slot as the person racking up the body count. There is a diner scene in the middle of the season which will become a moment for me to watch over and over with demented glee.
Cast introduced for Born Again who are returning include Genneya Walton (Candy Cane Lane) as B.B. Urich, Margarita Levieva (The Lincoln Lawyer, The Acolyte) as Heather Glenn, Clark Johnson (Homicide: Life on the Street) as Cherry, and Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints of New York, The Deuce). Of these returning cast, it is Gandolfini’s Daniel and Levieva’s Heather Glenn who get the most evolution in their stories and characters.
Also returning, although in less noticeable volume after episode 3, is the use of changing aspect ratio, exaggerated lighting and filters, and the “man on the street” interview inserts provided by the BB Report which was introduced when Daredevil Born Again began. A counter “viral video” called “City Without Fear” is also introduced and inserted randomly in the same way. These moments continue to provide a definite aesthetic split from the original Netflix Daredevil show and that does impact the pacing and audience patience depending on individual interest. I think the use of these tricks is cool but overall have not added anything to enhance the show.
In its return, Daredevil Born Again levels up in both the quality and quantity of action and violence. Both including more sequences of choregraphed fight scenes and the violence inflicted by Wilson Fisk’s Gestapo-like Anti Vigilante Officers. The blending of real-life violence and impacts against the super natural violence really hammers home the idea that the characters performing the supernatural feats in these action sequences are meant to be more symbolic.
Though the action and violence has been increased, it is mainly in the scenes with the main characters of Matt, Fisk, Vanessa, Karen, and Bullseye where the show is at its best. These are seasoned actors who know their characters and love to make them shine. The energy in their conversations and arguments are the same quality and dynamism you would see on any prestige dramatic show.
For anyone curious, though The Punisher is not present, we do get two characters that return from the “Marvel Netflix” world. It has already been revealed that Kristin Ritter’s Jessica Jones is back, albeit in only a few scenes, but there is another character who returns in the final episode who really adds to the signal that Marvel Live Action is looking to capture more of what they had and explored in their previous “Marvel Netflix” shows. The impact these characters have on the show is about the same that The Punisher had in the beginning half of Daredevil Born Again.
Overall, Daredevil Born Again’s return is satisfying and relatable enough to hold audiences over until these beloved characters reappear in the next season. Daredevil Born Again is not the family friendly Marvel Cinematic Universe of The Avengers, so please consider that before watching with younger audiences.
This explosive new season debuts exclusively on Disney+ tonight at 6pm PT!
