The first trailer forDaredevil: Born Againwas released today, giving fans their best look yet at the hotly anticipated Disney+ series. The trailer focuses mainly on the new, more complicated dynamic between lawyer and superhero Matthew “Matt” Murdock/Daredevil (Charlie Cox) and his archenemy Wilson Fisk, AKA the Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio), while briefly highlighting other cast members returning from the original NetflixDaredevilseries. However, a few new faces are also briefly teased. Let’s break downthe biggest moments and takeawaysfrom theDaredevil: Born Againtrailer.
Keep Your Enemies Closer
The trailer begins with and is framed by a tense, darkly comedic scene of Matt and Fisk reuniting, feigning civility while sharing a meal — or, at least, coffee — at a diner. Their dialogue narrates the trailer, introducing the series’ new status quo, withFisk now serving as mayor of New York City.
This follows up on the mid-credits scene of the earlier Marvel Cinematic Universe seriesEcho, in which Fisk took an obvious interest in a news report about the city’s mayoral race, and references a period in recent Marvel Comics in which the crime boss also took the gig as mayor, culminating in a crossover storyline titled Devil’s Reign, in which Matt leads the superheroes of New York against Fisk’s increasingly fascist administration. Although much of the civility Matt and Fisk show in this scene is obviously fake, a particularly amusing line has Fisk saying that“It’s not entirely unpleasant to see you,”which comes across as a somewhat self-aware reference to the friendship and professional respect the actors share off-screen, contrasting sharply with their characters’ usual dynamic.
Nelson, Murdock, and Page No More?
In addition to Fisk’s new position, the pair’s conversation also reveals thatMatt is no longer actively fighting crime as a vigilante. As an explanation for why this is, he simply notes that, “A line was crossed.” There is brief footage of Matt’s Daredevil mask falling off a building, as well him carrying an injured person, and a few glimpses of his friends and colleagues Franklin “Foggy” Nelson (Elden Henson) and Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), all of which are likely to exacerbate existing speculation thatone or both of the fan-favorite characters will be killed offin the new series. That being said, Karen is also shown in a different setting in a later shot, suggesting that her chances of survival may be higher.
The ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Trailer Introduces More Familiar Faces
Throughout the production ofBorn Again, much of fans’ speculation has focused on Foggy and Karen’s fates, butseveral other members of the originalDaredevilsupporting cast are also returningfor the new series.Ayelet Zurerreprises the role of Vanessa Marianna, Fisk’s wife, who seems to be enjoying her family’s return to power, shown smiling and sharing her own meal with Wilson. FBI agent turned assassinBen “Dex” Poindexter (Wilson Bethel), who ended the first series as an enemy of both Matt and Fisk, is depicted under heavy restraint in prison.
The trailer pays the most attention to Matt’s reunion with fellow vigilante Frank Castle, AKA the Punisher (Jon Bernthal), who slams Matt against a locker without realizing who he is. When Frank recognizes the other crime fighter, he releases him, with Matt asking if he would mind also putting down the hatchet he’s brandishing as a weapon. Frank does so by putting the hatchet in the wall next to Matt’s head, suggesting thattheir dynamic will feature just as much frictionas it did in the original series. AlthoughKaren appeared in Frank’s spin-off series,The Punisher,Born Againwill mark the first time he and Matt have shared the screen sinceDaredevilSeason 2, which was released in 2016.
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Connects to the Wider MCU
The series' supporting characters have not been seen sinceDaredevil’s third and final season in 2018 (or in Frank and Karen’s case,The Punisher’s second the following year), butMatt and Fisk have appeared in a few more recent Marvel projectsin addition toEchothat build up to the new series. During these appearances they respectively encountered other MCU heroes such as Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), his cousin Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany), Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), and Kate Bishop/Hawkeye (Hailee Steinfeld), who are more outlandishly powerful and/or lighthearted in nature than the other vigilantes Matt and Fisk appeared alongside in the Netflix series.
Born Againis expected to maintain this more tangible connection to the less grounded parts of the franchise, and a shot of Fisk addressing the Times Square New Year’s party in the trailer emphasizes this. Prominent alongside the screens showing Fisk’s message is a billboard advertisingRogers: The Musical, the fictional play depicting the in-universe history of the Avengers that was first revealed inHawkeye. Also visible are ads for the Pym van Dyne Foundation, run by superhero Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), the fictional soda brand Pingo Doce introduced inThe Incredible Hulk, and the nightclub Harlem’s Paradise. The reference to the latter is perhaps the most telling, as Harlem’s Paradise was a prominent location in the Netflix seriesLuke Cage, with the Easter egg likely to increase fans’ hopes thatcharacters from Netflix series other thanDaredevilandThe Punishermay also return.
Meet the New Cast of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’
Along with the returning favorites, the trailer also offers brief looks at some of the new characters involved inBorn Again. In the series, Matt and Frank will be joined by a new crime fighter, Hector Ayala/White Tiger (Kamar de los Reyes), shown donning his white superhero costume and fighting a gang of attackers in street clothes. Also wearing a white costume isMuse, the superhuman serial killerjoining the ranks of the series’ villains. Despite appearing in only a handful of issues, Muse has made an impression as one of Daredevil’s most disturbing villains in the comics, arranging the blood and remains of his victims in ways he believes are artistic.
Matt is shown dancing and having sex with a woman who appears to be Heather Glenn (Margarita Levieva), one of his many ill-fated love interests from the comics. There is a single shot of a man, likely police officer Cole North (Jeremy Earl), entering a room with a gun drawn. North develops a complicated, sometimes antagonistic, sometimes supportive relationship with Matt over the course of the acclaimedDaredevilrun written byChip Zdarsky, which also included Devil’s Reign. Lastly, there is a shot ofMichael Gandolfini. Some materials have credited the actor with playing an unknown character named “Daniel Blade,” butfans have speculated that he may in truth be portraying one of Fisk’s sonsfrom the comics, given that Gandolfini is known for portraying a younger version of mobster Tony Soprano, originally and famously played by his father James inThe Sopranos,in the prequel filmThe Many Saints of Newark.
Matt Lets the Devil Out
The trailer concludes by hinting that Matt’s Catholic faith will continue to be explored in the new series, which is promising given that the religious themes ofDaredevilwere one of several aspects that made it unique to the superhero genre. While considering whether Fisk could have actually reformed in his new role, Matt tells the older man,“I was raised to believe in grace. But I was also raised to believe in retribution.”
After this, footage from several fight scenes, some with Matt in superhero costume and others not, is shown in quick succession, demonstrating thatwhile the series appears to start with him having given up his Daredevil identity, he will inevitably don the mask againto bring justice back to New York — and when he does, he will engage in battles of similar violent intensity tothose that the original show was famous for.
Daredevil: Born Againpremieres March 4 on Disney+
Daredevil: Born Again
After Charlie Cox’s cameo appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home and supporting role in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Daredevil: Born Again gives Matt Murdock his first show set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Daredevil: Born Again continues the story that started in Netflix’s three-season Daredevil series and sees Wilson Fisk ascend to mayor of New York City.
