Seven years after Netflix pulled the plug on the original “Daredevil” series, “Daredevil: Born Again” marks the long-awaited return of the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. Although officially labeled as a “Season 1,” this revival functions more like a spiritual fourth season, continuing the gritty legacy fans have held onto since its abrupt cancellation. This might be Marvel Studios’ most brutal outing yet, delivering intense violence alongside compelling narratives of loss, abandonment and inner conflict. Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio slip seamlessly back into their iconic roles as Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk, commanding every scene they’re in. At its best, this season reaches the heights of the original run, giving longtime fans the payoff they’ve been waiting for. Still, it’s not without flaws. Its biggest struggle is a clear identity crisis over whether to embrace the past three seasons or leave them behind entirely.
It is impossible to discuss this show without acknowledging the course correction ordered by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige during mid-production in late September 2023. Head writers Chris Ord and Matt Corman, along with the directors for the remainder of the season, were let go as part of a significant creative reboot of the series. This decision became the backdrop for the entire season, with around four episodes already filmed by the previous creative team. This creative overhaul ended up being both the worst thing to happen to this season and, simultaneously, the best thing that’s ever happened to the show.
The show opens with a gut punch that becomes the catalyst for almost every character moving forward: the shocking death of Elden Henson’s Foggy Nelson, arguably the heart and soul of “Daredevil.” It’s a risky move, no doubt, but one that, for the most part, pays off. Without the other half of Nelson & Murdock, the show leans heavily into Matt’s internal struggle and isolation, and it works. His near season-long conflict over whether to hang up the mask feels fully earned. The moral tug-of-war has always been a key theme in “Daredevil,” but here, it’s more intimate and raw. As the season progresses, so does Matt’s slow and painful path back to Daredevil. Although there are still a few scenes depicting it, it is regrettable that Matt’s Catholicism is put somewhat on the back burner. His journey back to the suit is a slow burn – at times too slow, dragging the pacing – but rushing it would’ve undercut the emotional payoff. It’s a tough balance, and while it stumbles slightly, the arc still lands.
The show’s other lead, Wilson Fisk, has a parallel arc centered around his inevitable return to the role of the Kingpin. His rise to the mayor of New York City gives him the most legitimate power he’s ever had across all four seasons – yet, ironically, he’s never felt more powerless. All throughout the season, he is overruled and forced into political nonsense that Fisk simply couldn’t care less about. The build-up to his return to Kingpin is a little more blurred than Matt’s return to Daredevil, but nonetheless ends up being just as interesting, culminating in the single most violent scene Marvel has ever put out.
One of the season’s biggest problems stems directly from the creative overhaul: almost every single new character falls flat. In the original team’s desperate attempt to distance themselves from everything that came before, we’re left with a roster of underdeveloped characters you just don’t care about. Matt’s girlfriend and Wilson Fisk’s therapist, Heather Glenn, along with the new vigilante, White Tiger (Hector Ayala), are average at best. Characters like Cherry and Kirsten McDuffie barely get enough screen time or purpose for the audience to invest in them.
The most egregious example, though, is the so-called “main villain,” Muse. His arc gets completely butchered by the overhaul. Every time he’s on screen, he’s a chilling, commanding presence. His look is spot-on, ripped straight from the comics. The issue is timing: he doesn’t appear until nearly halfway through the season, and just an episode and a half later, his story is abruptly wrapped up.
On the flip side, the new creative team brings back nearly every beloved character from the previous seasons fantastically. Jon Bernthal’s Punisher is phenomenal – just as furious, brutal and unrelenting as ever – delivering some of the most bone-shattering action scenes in the series. Wilson Bethel’s Benjamin Poindexter, aka Bullseye, returns to continue his layered struggle with mental health. He delivers some of the most intense, badass moments the show has to offer. And just when Heather Glenn tries to fill an emotional void, Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) reappears and instantly reminds the audience why she’s such a phenomenal character, effortlessly picking up right where she left off.
One of the standout stars of the season is Vanessa Fisk (Ayelet Zurer), who gets more character development than anyone else, and it works on every level. Every choice she makes, every move she pulls, feels perfectly calculated, and by the end, she fully emerges as the true main villain of the season. I’d be remiss not to highlight the brilliant job Zurer does bringing her to life. She’s a total scene-stealer, through and through.
By the end of the season, the new creative team had fully taken the reins, closing things out on a resounding high note and cementing this as a definitive fourth season and a worthy continuation of what came before. You can feel the tension between the two creative visions: one trying to abandon the past, the other scrambling to steer things back toward the tone and quality that made the original series so beloved.
By the time the final episode ends, it all comes together. What we’re left with is a tightly woven story with a clear direction for the future, leaving you genuinely excited for what’s next. The fact that the new team was able to stitch together such a cohesive season from two clashing visions is nothing short of remarkable. While there are some rough patches, the result is a strong, compelling season of television that proves “Daredevil” still has plenty of fight left.
