Arriving on Disney+ on March 11 with the first episode of its second season (with the remaining seven arriving weekly) is ‘Daredevil: Born Again’, which brings back lawyer Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) has he battles the powerful Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), who is ruling New York as mayor with an iron fist.
The first season of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ was a largely successful attempt to fully incorporate Daredevil and his nemesis Wilson Fisk into the MCU with their own storyline. Though it suffered from some very apparent seams as the behind-the-scenes team attempted to rescue an unsuccessful first effort with new material, it still provided some superior entertainment.
The second season doesn’t have the same collision of creative vision, but it does have its own challenges.
Dario Scardapane takes full control of the season this year, and is clearly happy to be unleashed. The action is brutal in places, the dialogue often crackles and the storyline is much smoother.
Still, there are issues: at times the momentum lags, and not every plotline outside of the main clash between our central hero and villain works.
Directorially, with Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead leading the team, the show still looks great, with moody scenes, excellent fights and some inventive connective tissue (such as a series of videos mocking Fisk).
Cox and D’Onofrio know exactly what they’re doing at this point, and if the script doesn’t always keep up with them, they make the most of their material.
Outside of them, the likes of Deborah Ann Woll, Genneya Walton and particularly new guest star Matthew Lillard are all strong, Lillard in particular excellent as the mysterious Mr. Charles, who is by turns funny and threatening.
The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen may not have worked out all of his issues, but the second run of ‘Born Again’ certainly offers enough to please fans of the character. And with Season 3 already shooting, we know more will be on the way.
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2 receives 72 out of 100.
What’s the plot of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 2?
Mayor Wilson Fisk crushes New York City underfoot as he hunts down public enemy number one, the Hell’s Kitchen vigilante known as Daredevil.
But, beneath the horned mask, Matt Murdock will try to fight back from the shadows to tear down the Kingpin’s corrupt empire and redeem his home. Resist. Rebel. Rebuild.
Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa / Black Panther in 2018’s ‘Black Panther.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.
Preview:
Marvel Comics has revealed a new Black Panther named Ketema, who is T’Challa’s son and caucasian.
The story should not be adapted for the big screen for several reasons.
Ryan Gosling has been fan-cast, but he can (and should) play someone else in the MCU.
When Chadwick Boseman passed away, he left a hole in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that, let’s be honest, likely no one will be able to fill. He perfectly embodied T’Challa in ‘Black Panther‘. He knew how to light up a room with his smile and laugh.
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There has been a lot of debate about whether the role should ever be recast or if there should be a new Black Panther altogether. For now, Shuri (Letitia Wright) has taken up the mantle, as fans saw in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘. She fit seamlessly into the story, and it makes all the sense in the world for her to continue representing Wakanda.
While many have been calling for a new Black Panther to step into the MCU, the recent Marvel Comics’ storyline is not the way to do it. Here’s why.
New Black Panther In Marvel Comics Explained
T’Challa’s son, Ketema. Photo: Marvel Comics.
In ‘Marvel Knights: The World To Come #1’ fans were introduced to a new Black Panther. Ketema is the son of T’Challa and Monica Lynne, or so it appears with panels flashing back to images of a pregnant Monica.
In the comic, T’Challa and Ketema engage in a tribal challenge, during which Ketema gets the upper hand on his father. When he takes off his mask, it is revealed that he is caucasian with blond hair. Both T’Challa and Monica are Black, leading readers to believe this cannot be the same child that Monica was pregnant with while married to T’Challa.
Is Ketema T’Challa’s biological son? Is he a son from a previous relationship with Nicole Adams, a caucasian woman T’Challa was involved with? There are a lot of questions, but not a lot of answers, as the limited series comic book run is just getting started. Over the next few month those answers will come, but in the meantime, this story does not come across as one that should be adapted for the big screen.
Why This Story Would Not Translate Well To The MCU
The first reason Marvel should choose not to adapt this storyline is probably the most obvious one. We already have a Black Panther in Shuri. Letitia Wright is confirmed to reprise her role as Shuri in ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘ so it makes no sense for Marvel to replace her and bring in a new Black Panther. At least not yet. She has a lot more to give us.
We also already have another Black Panther lined up to take her place, when the time comes. In the post-credit scene for ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ it is revealed that T’Challa had a son with Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o). He is named Toussaint and he is being raised outside of Wakanda.
For Marvel to set a storyline up in a post-credit scene and then completely abandon it is not unheard of, but it would be particularly frustrating this time around. They cannot get away with never talking about him again, and if they do decide to retcon his part of the story, fans will likely be outraged. Rightfully so.
Realistically the studio can do whatever they want and claim that it works within the story because of how they have set themselves up. With the multiverse blown wide open, there is no reason they can’t have a new Black Panther step through a portal from another universe and try to take up the mantle.
That said, to do so would be extremely lazy writing. Even with the multiverse established, Marvel needs to stop relying on it to explain away situations. Viewers are getting sick of it, and for good reason. Surely this is how The Fantastic Four is going to enter the MCU. ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is probably going to use that explination a lot, and honestly, that should be the last time Marvel leans on the multiverse for help.
Ryan Gosling Might Not Be The Next Black Panther, But He Should Join The MCU
‘Star Wars: Starfighter’s Ryan Gosling at Star Wars Celebration 2025. Photo: Lucasfilm.
With the reveal of the new Black Panther to be white, fans immediately started choosing their dream cast. Ryan Gosling ended up at the top of the list, unsurprisingly. Years ago there was a meme of him as Black Panther, now fans are hoping it will become a reality.
Rumors of Ryan Gosling joining the ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ cast had already been circulating, making this casting even more likely. While he is an incredibly talented actor, and should absolutely join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there are plenty of other roles he could take on.
Prior to Marvel Comics releasing this issue, many thought he had been offered the role of Ghost Rider. Not only does this seem like a much better fit for him, it would ensure that he could stick around for a while longer. If Marvel decides to adapt this version of Black Panther, the odds of that character continuing on the mantle for long is highly unlikely.
Nicolas Cage in 2007’s ‘Ghost Rider’. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.
As we said above, T’Challa’s son and heir to the throne has already been teased. Shuri is currently protecting Wakanda and does not appear to be stepping down any time soon. If Ketema was to come to the big screen, it would likely be as an antagonist for a third Black Panther film. Ryan Gosling would be such a great get for the MCU that it would be unlikely for them to use him in this way.
While there are many Marvel characters he would be great at playing, Ghost Rider is the perfect choice. Not only has he expressed interest in portraying the character, Ryan Gosling would be instantly believable as someone who is vengeful but just and often finds himself displaying empathy, despite his terrifying exterior.
Marvel says Sam Wilson will assemble his Avengers team off screen before ‘Avengers: Doomsday’
Who will Sam Wilson recruit for his new team?
SPOILER ALERT: Some spoilers for ‘Thunderbolts*’ and possibly ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ below.
Back in April, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced at CinemaCon that the upcoming ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ “will focus on The Avengers, Wakandans, Fantastic Four, Thunderbolts and original X-Men all fighting Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.).”
That’s quite a promise! But now that ‘Thunderbolts*’ has been released in theaters, fans have learned that they are really the New Avengers, and the movie’s end-credit scene reveals that Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) has filed a copyright claim against the team for the rights to the name and is putting together his own group of Avengers.
Marvel has recently announced that Wilson will assemble his Avengers off screen, so the real question is who will be on his team in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’? Luckily, Marvel has also released many of the names of ‘Doomsday’s cast in a recent video stunt, which could, by process of elimination, give us a basic idea of who will be on Wilson’s team.
With other new and returning cast members yet to be announced, Moviefone is breaking down the cast list to guess who could be on Sam Wilson’s Avengers team.
‘Thunderbolts*’ is now titled ‘The New Avengers’ and is currently playing in theaters. Photo: Marvel Studios.
The end of the ‘Thunderbolts*’ sees Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine saving public face by holding a press conference and announcing that Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour) and Bob Reynolds/Sentry (Lewis Pullman) are the New Avengers.
With Pugh, Stan, Russell, John-Kamen, Harbour, and Pullman all confirmed to return for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, it is now clear that they will be referred to as the New Avengers and not the Thunderbolts, nor will they be members of the team Sam Wilson is recruiting. In fact, it was also recently revealed that the ‘Thunderbolts*’ end-credit scene setting up the Fantastic Four’s MCU arrival was shot on the set of the ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ by directors Anthony and Joe Russo.
Which ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ characters could be on Sam Wilson’s Avengers team?
Chris Hemsworth in ‘Thor: The Dark World’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Now that we know the Thunderbolts are the New Avengers, and assuming none of them will crossover to Sam’s new team, it’s not hard to have an idea who might be recruited by the new Captain America for his Avengers team.
We can also eliminate the cast of ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ and the returning ‘X-Men’ actors, as one would assume that they will be on their own teams and not Sam’s. It is possible that Channing Tatum‘s Gambit could crossover, since he was not an “original” X-men from the previous films, but I think he will most likely be on the Mutants’ side, especially because the character has no ties to the Avengers in the comics.
As a founding member of the original Avengers, it makes sense that Chris Hemsworth’s Thor would be a member of Sam’s new team. Sam partied with him at Avengers Tower in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’, and even fought side by side against Thanos with Thor in Wakanda during ‘Infinity War’. We also know that Danny Ramirez’s Joaquin Torres/Falcon was asked to join the team by Sam during the events of ‘Captain America: Brave New World’, so it’s safe to say that you can expect to see him fighting as a member of Sam’s new team in ‘Doomsday’.
Besides Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Bucky Barnes, Paul Rudd‘s Scott Lang/Ant-Man is probably the Avenger that Sam is closest to in the MCU having appeared in 2015’s ‘Ant-Man’ and helping to recruit him for Captain America’s team in ‘Captain America: Civil War’. So, it would also make sense for Scott to join Sam’s team. Sam also has close ties to Wakanda, with Shuri (Letitia Wright) helping to create his Captain America suit and wings. Now that she is the new Black Panther, I also assume she will be on the new team as well.
Actor Winston Duke has been confirmed to return for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ as M’Baku, and while it is possible for him to be recruited for Sam’s team along with Shuri, Feige’s CinemaCon comment mentions “Wakandans fighting against Doctor Doom”, which makes me think he will be leading the Wakandans and not joining Sam’s team.
Having been introduced in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’, and having a close connection to Shuri, I would also bet that Tenoch Huerta Mejia’s Namor will appear on Sam’s new team. Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi, who was introduced in his own 2021 movie will most likely join the team as well. The end-credit scene for that movie saw the character being recruited for the Avengers by Wong (Benedict Wong), Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), making his inclusion almost a forgone conclusion.
Of the announced cast, that just leaves Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, but given how his character’s arc ends in season 2 of Disney+’s ‘Loki’, I’m guessing he won’t be a member of Sam’s team and instead saved for a different role in the movie.
Who could be on Sam Wilson’s Avengers team that has not been announced yet for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’?
(L to R) Charlize Theron and Benedict Cumberbatch in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.’ Photo: Marvel Studios.
There have been rumors that Wong, who is now the Sorcerer Supreme in Doctor Strange’s absence, could appear in the movie. Rumors have also swirled around the eventual return of Captain Marvel and Bruce Banner/Hulk, and with their inclusion in the ‘Shang-Chi’ end credit scene, if they are added to the cast, all three characters could align themselves with Sam Wilson and his new team of Avengers.
There have also been rumors of Benedict Cumberbatch and Charlize Theron returning as Doctor Strange and Clea, respectively, both last seen in 2022’s ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’. But, with Wong being the new Sorcerer Supreme, I doubt Strange and Clea will join Sam’s team, and more likely, just like Loki, would have a different role in the plot of the film.
Finally, there have also been rumors about Jeremy Renner’s return as Hawkeye, and Tom Holland’s return as Spider-Man. But we’ve also heard that Holland’s character may sit out ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, next appearing in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ before returning for ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’.
And with Renner’s recent admission that he declined returning for ‘Hawkeye’ season 2 due to having his salary cut in half by Marvel, his return to the franchise is completely up in the air. Even if he does return, Renner could be playing a multiverse version of his character and therefore not be joining Sam’s new team.
Marvel is planning to have ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ on screens on May 1st, 2026, followed by ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ on May 7th, 2027.
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What is the plot of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’?
Fourteen months after the events of ‘Thunderbolts*’, the Avengers, Wakandans, Fantastic Four, New Avengers, and the “original” X-Men team up to face Doctor Doom.
While Marvel usually prefers to keep its secrets close (at least, closer than the current government seems to manage), there is also the conflicting compulsion to promote the next movie in its sprawling cinematic universe, ‘Avengers: Doomsday‘.
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We’ve known for a while that the Avengers will be back to face the threat of Victor Von Doom (Robert Downey Jr.), but the rest of the cast was largely in the realm of speculation, even for those who have been part of the MCU family for years.
The company used a livestream to confirm who will show up in the new movie, consisting of footage of the backs of director’s chairs featuring the cast names.
We’re happy to see Simu Liu will return as Shang-Chi, a character who really has deserved a sequel before now. And Danny Ramirez, who was introduced as Joaquim Torres in ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ and reprised the role in February’s ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ will show up as the new Falcon.
Any surprises? We’re not sure we predicted Tenoch Huerta Mejia –– who played Namor in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ coming back, but his chair is among the others (not dripping with water –– missed joke opportunity there!).
(L to R) Lashana Lynch and Kelsey Grammer in ‘The Marvels’. Photo: Marvel Studios.
Lewis Pullman, who is introduced as a character called “Bob” (but who has since been revealed to be powerful character Sentry) in ‘Thunderbolts*’ is also listed. So we’re guessing his character –– who also appears to be an antagonist in the movie given the new trailer –– factors in somehow.
Last, but by no means least, the doors to the cavernous soundstage holding all the chairs opens up, and in strides Downey Jr., who sits in his own named chair and puts his finger to his lips. It’s over!
We’re sure there will be other announcements to come –– the company loves to hold back cameos and other roles, so we’ll have to wait and see if Tom Holland or Mark Ruffalo spoil the appearances or if an official press release arrives in due time.
If you’re desperate to see the Livestream, please click on the video player at the top of the page.
The new movie is now kicking off shooting in London, with Marvel veteran directors Joe and Anthony Russo –– who count the giant two previous Avengers outings ‘Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame’ on their shared resume –– back marshalling the chaos that is a team-up movie on this scale.
“We’re very close with Kevin [Feige] and Lou [D’Esposito, Marvel Studios’ Co-President] and the entire Marvel team and we’ve had conversations through the years. We’ve talked about a lot of ideas. Really what happened was, we ended up stumbling upon a [‘Secret Wars’] idea that activated all of us, you couldn’t see it coming until it came, and once it came it was like, ‘Well, that’s a story we need to tell.’”
And that creative spark extended to regular collaborator Stephen McFeely, who is also back writing the new movies.
While other co-writer Christopher Markus is so far sticking with the Russos’ AGBO company to keep it running, McFeely was tempted back into the MCU machine.
Here’s what Joe told Empire:
“There were ideas that we were trying to wrap our heads around that preceded this one, and we just never found the story. I remember calling Steve and said, ‘Hey, crazy idea. What do you think if we all go back and do Secret Wars?’ He was like, ‘F*** no. Absolutely not.’ And then he hung up. And the next morning at 7.30 he called and were like, ‘Alright, I have an idea…’ ”
‘Avengers: Doomsday’: The Russos talk Robert Downey Jr.
Of course, one of the biggest plot elements for the new movies has already been revealed on Marvel’s terms, with Robert Downey Jr. taking the stage at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con to confirm he’s playing Victor Von Doom.
And according to the directors he’s very involved in helping to shape the character.
“It’s a very intense process developing the character. He’s so immersed in it. He is so dialed in. That’s the kind of artist he is. That’s the kind of actor he is. He just loves really rich three-dimensional characters and I think he sees a real opportunity here with that character.”
And following ‘Doomsday,’ we’ll see ‘Secret Wars’…
‘Secret Wars’ would draw from (through the usual Marvel movie filter where changes will be made) a pair of 1980s comic book series focused on an all-powerful antagonist known as the Beyonder, who in the first installment pitted Marvel’s heroes and villains against each other on a planet known as Battleworld.
In a 2015 revival by Jonathan Hickman, the resulting conflict left the multiverse collapsed, the survivors living on a single planet ruled by classic villain Doctor Doom.
The Russos have previously talked about their enthusiasm for ‘Secret Wars,’ so this one made sense.
When will the next two ‘Avengers’ movies head to screens?
Marvel is planning to have ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ on screens on May 1st, 2026, followed by ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ on May 7th, 2027.
So too, is there increased focus on the next two ‘Avengers’ movies, which have long been the big tentpole events in Disney and Marvel’s release calendars, also proving to be profitable money spinners.
Making the press rounds for their latest film, Netflix sci-fi title ‘The Electric State,’ the pair have naturally been fielding questions about their plans for the new ‘Avengers’ entries.
“We’re very close with Kevin and Lou [D’Esposito, Marvel Studios’ Co-President] and the entire Marvel team and we’ve had conversations through the years. We’ve talked about a lot of ideas. Really what happened was, we ended up stumbling upon a [‘Secret Wars’] idea that activated all of us, you couldn’t see it coming until it came, and once it came it was like, ‘Well, that’s a story we need to tell.’ ”
And that creative spark extended to regular collaborator Stephen McFeely, who is also back writing the new movies.
While other co-writer Christopher Markus is so far sticking with the Russos’ AGBO company to keep it running, McFeely was tempted back into the MCU machine.
Here’s what Joe told Empire:
“There were ideas that we were trying to wrap our heads around that preceded this one, and we just never found the story. I remember calling Steve and said, ‘Hey, crazy idea. What do you think if we all go back and do Secret Wars?’ He was like, ‘F*** no. Absolutely not.’ And then he hung up. And the next morning at 7.30 he called and were like, ‘Alright, I have an idea…’ ”
What did the Russos say about preserving ‘Avengers’ on-set secrets?
While a lot of both ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and its follow-up, ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ will naturally film inside soundstages (which are much easier in terms of protecting cameos or plot developments), there will be some location based work in the UK where the production is being based.
And according to the Russos, they’re ready to defeat snoopers.
“We’re pretty good about shutting that down. We’ve sort of strategized to hopefully be effective with that. We don’t want people getting photographs, so we are being pretty stringent. The location work we are doing, we have picked those locations with that in mind, as well.”
According to the pair, each of the two new movies will take around six months to shoot, which means their lives are about to be very ‘Avengers’-centric for the next couple of years at least.
‘Avengers: Doomsday’: The Russos talk Robert Downey Jr.
Of course, one of the biggest plot elements for the new movies has already been revealed on Marvel’s terms, with Robert Downey Jr. taking the stage at last year’s San Diego Comic-Con to confirm he’s playing Victor Von Doom.
And according to the directors he’s very involved in helping to shape the character.
“It’s a very intense process developing the character. He’s so immersed in it. He is so dialed in. That’s the kind of artist he is. That’s the kind of actor he is. He just loves really rich three-dimensional characters and I think he sees a real opportunity here with that character.”
Alongside Downey and freshly-introduced ‘Fantastic Four’ cast, rumors have swirled about Chris Evans (whether as Steve Rogers or another character), though he has since denied them, and Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter.
Anthony Mackie is very likely to show up as Cap, and Benedict Cumberbatch has been talked about to return as Doctor Strange. We’ll have to wait and see whether the likes of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man or any of the other stalwarts will be back.
There’s good money on Chris Hemsworth as Thor (since he’s still active) and hopefully the likes of Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes will report for duty.
And following ‘Doomsday,’ of course, will be ‘Avengers: Secret Wars.’
‘Secret Wars’ would draw from (through the usual Marvel movie filter where changes will be made) a pair of 1980s comic book series focused on an all-powerful antagonist known as the Beyonder, who in the first installment pitted Marvel’s heroes and villains against each other on a planet known as Battleworld.
In a 2015 revival by Jonathan Hickman, the resulting conflict left the multiverse collapsed, the survivors living on a single planet ruled by classic villain Doctor Doom.
The Russos have previously talked about their enthusiasm for ‘Secret Wars,’ so this one made sense.
When will the next two ‘Avengers’ movies head to screens?
Marvel is planning to have ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ on screens on May 1st, 2026, followed by ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ on May 7th, 2027.
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ receives 7.5 out of 10 stars.
Landing on Disney+ on March 4th with the first two episodes (before going weekly), ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ finds Disney and Marvel seeking to segue Charlie Cox’s titular vigilante from his slightly cheerier Marvel Cinematic Universe entrance to the darker tones of his days on Netflix.
The big questions the show needs to answer are, can that style of show truly still co-exist within the MCU without sticking out like a sore thumb and what impact did the behind-the-scenes creative overhaul have on the new series?
Related Article: Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio Talk Disney+’s ‘Daredevil: Born Again’
Does ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ do the character justice?
If the new show was looking to emulate the style, feel and success of at least the first season of the Marvel/Netflix ‘Daredevil’ (which you can find on Disney+ these days), then the answer to all three parts is, “mostly.”
With Marvel at least having established the likes of ‘Echo’ as being able to co-exist with other characters while maintaining a much darker feel, there is precedent for ‘Born Again’ to unleash itself. This is no pat, Disney-fied take on Daredevil (a couple of younger characters aside, who in some ways feel forced upon the creative team to up the youth appeal), but instead a show that wears its heart on its sleeve and isn’t afraid to keep the body count high.
Yet if the appearance of Elden Henson’s Foggy Nelson and Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page had you thinking this will directly replicate the original series, be warned: that’s not the case. And if you’ve been itching to see Cox truly back in the suit and the level of fight scenes that the Netflix show established, that’s also something you may have to be patient about. Don’t get us wrong; there is some intense action to be found in the episodes. They’re just primarily, because of the direction the story takes, focused on Matt Murdock rather than his costumed alter ego.
Dario Scardapane, who has experience running Netflix’s ‘The Punisher’ series which spun off Jon Bernthal’s tough-nut character was brought in to take over the show after executives got a look during the production shutdown for the actors’ strike at what had been written and shot by original showrunners Matt Corman and Chris Ord, and decided that it wasn’t working. Scardapane’s version, which retains some legal elements of the series but adds in more of a serialized feel certainly has value and weight, chronicling Matt Murdock’s decision to essentially hang up his horns following a tragedy.
While the new show does follow Murdock the lawyer more than his heroic side, there is plenty of action and drama to be found within, and a fair sprinkling of other Marvel comics characters (including a nod to other MCU shows that are fun easter eggs rather than requiring any homework to make the story work).
A scene early on between Cox’s Murdock and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson “Kingpin” Fisk recalls the diner conversation from ‘Heat’ and there is much mileage to be gotten out of Fisk’s running to be mayor of New York, with plenty of Trumpian parallels.
It doesn’t all completely work –– a lot of Season One here ends up feeling like setup for Season Two, and there are passages that feel less essential than others. But it’s definitely good to have Daredevil back on our screens.
One of the smartest moves for the new show was hiring directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead to take over the visual look during the overhaul. While they may be better known for their weird indie movies and the stylish quirk they brought to MCU Disney+ entries ‘Moon Knight’ and ‘Loki’s second season, here they are operating more in a street-crime mode, yet with a stylish flair that sometimes brings to mind Christopher Nolan’s work on the Batman movies.
Charlie Cox knows how to play Matt Murdock/Daredevil by this point, and the script certainly gives him enough to chew on –– there are several callbacks to the character’s faith and the struggles with it, and a solid arc for him to play.
Yet D’Onofrio might have come off even better; Fisk was always one of the most compelling elements of the original series (and missed in subsequent seasons), and here he’s back to being presented as a more human threat, albeit still a morality-free monster when called upon. The actor’s exchanges with Fisk’s great love, his wife Vanessa (Ayelet Zurer, similarly returning from the Netflix era), now estranged, are great.
Likewise, both are surrounded by solid supporting casts –– Cox has the likes of Margarita Levieva as therapist Heather Glenn, with whom he strikes up a relationship that gives him extra layers, while Nikki M. James makes an impact as fellow legal eagle Kirsten McDuffie.
Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle in Marvel’s ‘The Punisher.’ Photo: Netflix.
Jon Bernthal is also back, and while Frank Castle only gets a couple of scenes (so far; expect more from him next year), the performer is typically great, Kudos also to Michael Gandolfini, who registers well as Daniel Blade an ambitious young man who joins Kingpin’s staff.
If there’s someone who gets shortchanged, it’s Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, who rarely gets to do much as Karen besides worry about Matt. Still, all signs point to more from her also next season.
This is a confident, often impressive return for a character, and certainly hews closer to his Netflix days than even the version we’ve seen in the likes of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’
Still, there are some signs that the need to overhaul the show has left some scars behind, and hopefully those will be more healed by the in-the-works season two.
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What is the plot of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’?
Blind lawyer Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) fights for justice while former crime boss Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) pursues his campaign as the mayor of New York City, causing their past identities to collide.
Matthew Lillard on Prime Video’s ‘Bosch’ season 2. Credit: Aaron Epstein. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
Preview:
Matthew Lillard is joining ‘Daredevil: Born Again.’
His unknown character will first appear in Season 2.
Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio star in the show.
The first season of the latest Disney/Marvel offering for Disney+, ‘Daredevil: Born Again,’ is only just about to launch on the streaming service, yet plans are already in place for Season Two.
In actual fact, a two-season order has been the idea for some time now (more on that below).
And according to Deadline, we now know at least one person who will join the cast when the second season kicks off shooting this week, as Matthew Lillard is aboard the show.
Quite what he’ll be doing in the ‘Daredevil’ universe is a mystery for now –– in keeping with usual behavior, neither Marvel nor Disney would be drawn on who he is playing.
Current speculation is leaning towards some comic book villains, though as ever with the MCU series, there’s a world of possibilities, and chances are even if he plays someone who has popped up in the Marvel pages, the screen version could be quite different.
A continuation of the ‘Daredevil’ series that aired on Netflix from 2015 to 2018, ‘Born Again’ picks up with our hero Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a blind lawyer with heightened abilities, amid a continued fight for justice through his bustling law firm.
At the same time, former mob boss Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) pursues his own political endeavors in New York. When their past identities begin to emerge, both men find themselves on an inevitable collision course.
Woll, Henson, Zurer and Bernthal, are, of course, veterans of the original series, with Woll and Henson playing Matt’s colleagues Karen Page and Foggy Nelson, Zurer as Fisk’s wife Vanessa and Bernthal as Frank Castle, AKA the violent veteran vigilante known as The Punisher.
After seeding the previously Netflix-based characters of Murdock and Fisk into the MCU via the likes of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, ‘Hawkeye’ and ‘She-Hulk’, Marvel was riding high on the reaction to news that the two would be the focus of their own Disney+ series.
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ was supposed to be Marvel triumphantly proving it can take a character that has been brought to TV screens elsewhere and merge them into the wider, more directly canonical comic book-based universe.
Commissioned from writers Chris Ord and Matt Corman, it was set for a mammoth 18-episode shoot and cameras started rolling back in March of 2023.
Yet less than half the episodes had been filmed when the writers’ strike closed down production, and when executives got a look at the footage, they were unimpressed. Ord, Corman and the directors were let go and a new creative team, including Netflix ‘Punisher’ Dario Scardapane as showrunner and ‘Loki’ Season 2 directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, was hired.
We’re finally about to see the fruits of their labors…
Where else can we see Matthew Lillard?
Matthew Lillard in 1996’s ‘Scream’. Photo: Dimension Films.
Even with a healthy and prolific career, Lillard is probably best known for playing two main roles –– that of Stu in ‘Scream’ and Shaggy in various versions of ‘Scooby Doo,’ but most notably the live-action movies.
He’s returning to both roles in the future; he and Scott Foley were announced at the end of January as joining ‘Scream 7’ (though Lillard’s exact capacity is unknown, since Stu has been dead for years at this point, but that hasn’t been a hurdle for other characters). That movie is set for February 27th next year.
Lillard will be heard as Shaggy in a new Scooby TV series which has yet to confirm a date. Also on the small screen, he’s appearing in the second season of Prime Video’s ‘Cross,’ the adaptation of the James Patterson novels.
Besides any of those, he’s reprising the role of William Afton in ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’, the sequel to 2023’s successful Blumhouse adaptation of the video game franchise. It’ll be out on December 5th.
When will ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ be on our screens?
Season One of the show –– AKA the first nine episodes –– kicks off with its first two installments on Disney+ on March 4th.
Season Two, which as mentioned is only now setting its cameras in motion, and consists of the second batch of nine episodes, will likely debut a year from now if Disney keeps to any sort of annual schedule.
Marvel Studios’ ‘Daredevil: Born Again.’
Movies and TV Shows Featuring Characters in ‘Daredevil: Born Again:’
In addition to Cox and D’Onofrio, the series also features the return of Deborah Ann Woll (‘True Blood’) as Karen Page, Elden Henson (‘Killers of the Flower Moon’) as Franklin “Foggy” Nelson, Ayelet Zurer (‘Man of Steel’) as Vanessa Marianna-Fisk, and Jon Bernthal (‘The Accountant’) as Frank Castle / Punisher.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio about their work on ‘Daredevil: Born Again’, returning to the series, how their characters have changed, Fisk’s political aspirations and his estranged relationship with his wife, and keeping the tone of the fight scenes from the original series.
Moviefone: To begin with, Charlie, what has it been like for you to get the chance to return to this character with this new series, and how has Matt changed since the original show?
Charlie Cox: It’s such an honor. I don’t think it can be overstated. In 2018, when the show was canceled, I really thought that that was the end of the road for us, and to be honest, I’m still pinching myself that we’re back here and we’re making this show. We’re about to start season two (of ‘Born Again’) or season five (of the entire series), however you want to look at it. It’s such a great job. It’s such an honor to play this character, and I genuinely love every minute. I think I can speak for Vincent when I say that, as well. There’s a kind of catalyst at the beginning of this new season that changes Matt’s direction quite substantially. I think what we find is a man who is trying desperately to re-find an identity that he can latch onto, and some of the things that he has done to right-size himself ultimately end up being Band-Aids that he must pull off. So, look, it’s still the same Matt from the show that we made over on Netflix all those years ago, but a lot has happened in that time. I think you’re so changed by your experiences that there are some differences to the Matt we remember.
MF: Vincent, what has it been like for you to return to this character and explore his political aspirations with this new series? Do you think Wilson Fisk will be a good mayor?
Vincent D’Onfrio: He’s going to be a great mayor. Well, if I’m going to step outside of it and think about it, he would be a self-serving mayor. But if I’m staying in it, I would say he’s going to do great things for the city. It’s a great character to play. You put this character in circumstances that are different than you’ve seen him before. He becomes more interesting and that whole fish out of water thing, I really like a lot, and it works well with a character like Fisk.
MF: Vincent, can you talk about Fisk’s estranged relationship with his wife Vanessa and where we find them when the series begins?
VD: I mean, they’re a couple that are very much in love. But he disappears for a while, and he must answer for that. It’s part of the ‘Echo’ timeline to our show. So, he’s disappeared for a while. He must explain himself, and then, I don’t want to do any spoilers, but it becomes very exciting.
MF: Finally, Charlie, can you talk about filming the action sequences for ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ and the challenges of retaining the same tone as the original series?
CC: That was always important to us, and one of the first conversations that Vincent and I had back in 2021 and 2022 when they started talking about this show. The identity of the show that we made is, and a large part of the success was the dark, sinister tone that we found. I think it plays well with the source material. Daredevil, on the page, works best when it’s very dark, and gritty, and sinister, and translating that onto screen, I think the fans really appreciated that. Credit to Marvel, this amazing company we work for. They were willing to do that and put that on Disney+. My feeling is I think the fans will be really pleased. There’s a couple of gnarly moments.
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What is the plot of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’?
Blind lawyer Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) fights for justice while former crime boss Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) pursues his campaign as the mayor of New York City, causing their past identities to collide.
“You’re not Steve Rogers,” growls President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford) at Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) during one especially tense moment in ‘Captain America: Brave New World.’ And while Chris Evans’ portrayal of the original Cap remains an iconic element of the first 10 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Mackie’s Sam Wilson certainly holds his own as the current owner of the shield and – according to this film – last Avenger standing.
Mackie is terrific in the film, as is Ford – who’s awake and engaged, unlike in ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ – and the movie itself, directed by Julius Onah, is neither a game-changer like ‘Captain America: Civil War’ nor an outright embarrassment like ‘Thor: Love and Thunder.’ With much of Phases 4 and 5 set in space, the quantum realm, or another universe, it’s also refreshing to watch an earthbound Marvel adventure for a change. While it still requires some homework – watching ‘The Incredible Hulk’ or ‘Eternals’ would be a good start – it’s an entertaining, engrossing action thriller carried by its leads’ charisma and flashes of that old Marvel allure.
‘Captain America: Brave New World’ opens with the election of former Hulk hunter and Avengers hater Ross to the presidency, but it’s clear from the start that not all is well with him. He’s estranged from his daughter and haunted by his past, to the point where he summons Sam Wilson to his office and asks him to rebuild Earth’s Mightiest Heroes after loathing them for years (as usual, where the members who aren’t dead or retired are currently hanging out is not really discussed).
Sam is understandably suspicious, since it was just a few years ago that Ross (back when he was Secretary of State) had Wilson and other superheroes thrown in the maximum-security prison known as the Raft. And Sam himself is still coming to terms with the enormous responsibility and pressure of wielding the shield, although his confidence is boosted by original super soldier Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), who’s still getting over his bitterness regarding the way he was treated by his own government (uh, yeah, watch ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ too).
Ross has other things on his mind as well: the giant Celestial that fell into the ocean in ‘Eternals’ a few years back turns out to be made out of an incredible, previously unknown element which Ross calls “adamantium,” a word which should set off five-alarm sirens in fanboys’ brains. Wary of what could happen should adamantium get out in the world, Ross is trying to nail down a groundbreaking treaty with Japan – in whose territory the Celestial landed – to explore the element’s uses peacefully, a sign that he’s desperate to change his formerly bellicose ways.
No sooner does Ross announce the finalization of the treaty, however, then there is a terrorist attack on his life. How that attack takes place and who does it throws everything – including the cautious rapprochement between Sam and the president – into chaos, but Sam, with the help of the newly minted Falcon, Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), is determined to find out exactly what happened, who is behind it all, and what their ultimate agenda is.
The rest of the story involves clashes with Serpent terrorist organization leader Sidewinder (Giancarlo Esposito), presidential security chief Ruth Bat-Seraph (Shira Haas), and various other players, with Sam unsure of who he can trust and who might turn at a moment’s notice. At the heart of it all is a ghostly apparition from the early days of the MCU in the form of Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson), who’s pulling the strings for purposes unknown.
‘Brave New World’ deliberately channels the paranoid thriller bona fides of what is still one of the MCU’s finest films, ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier,’ although in this case Julius Onah’s direction doesn’t have nearly the style of Anthony and Joe Russo’s work (although if this film went through massive reshoots as reported, it still mostly holds together). And there is a lot of clunky exposition in the script (which bears five writers in the credits) to either recap what’s happening or bring us up to speed on some of the plot points from other movies.
But even if ‘Brave New World’ chugs along instead of truly soaring, it’s still a tight two hours of superhero entertainment. Marvel’s biggest successes have led to outsized expectations and an eventual critical backlash, but it’s almost unfair to expect each entry to be a ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ or an ‘Avengers: Endgame.’ ‘Brave New World’ is a solid double, a fun, action-packed adventure that occasionally channels the vibe of older, finer MCU movies. It may rattle or stall out here and there, but it gets where it’s going with efficiency and energy.
As mentioned earlier, Anthony Mackie handles the lead role with aplomb and grace, differentiating himself from the Evans version of Cap simply by virtue of the fact that he’s not a superhuman; he can get hurt, sometimes badly, he doesn’t have super strength, and he has to depend a bit more on the accoutrements of his tricked-out uniform (courtesy of Wakanda) than his predecessor did. This is a vulnerable Cap whose confidence occasionally wavers: at one point he confesses to an old friend, “[Steve] stopped two alien invasions. What made me think I could follow that?” Yet he also throws himself unconditionally into battle in the best tradition of his title, while also deploying empathy as a tool in his arsenal.
It might be enticing to wonder what the late William Hurt would have done with “Thunderbolt” Ross’ biggest MCU appearance to date, but Harrison Ford steps smoothly into the role and embraces Ross’s steely demeanor and the character’s seemingly earnest yearning to atone for his past. But that past still catches up to him, making the character both flawed and tragic, and Ford chomps down on it in a livelier performance that we’ve seen from him in a while. Of course, it’s no spoiler to mention his transformation into Red Hulk, and the climactic fight between him, Cap, and a good chunk of the armed forces mostly lives up to its billing, some rough visuals aside.
Giancarlo Esposito and Carl Lumbly are reliably excellent with less to do, with the latter especially bringing an emotional center to the movie. Shira Haas is striking as Ruth, the president’s security chief with a past of her own, while Danny Ramirez delivers enthusiasm but not a ton of personality as the new Falcon. Our favorite? Tim Blake Nelson, returning after 17 years to the character known as The Leader in the comics, who’s sinister, snarky, and – in his cheesily macabre prosthetics and glowing eyes – rather eerie.
It’s a bit jarring to see the U.S. and Japan, of all countries, almost get into a shooting war, but fear not, the politics of ‘Brave New World’ are not nearly as topical as those of ‘The Winter Soldier’ or, hell, even the original ‘Iron Man.’ In fact, the geopolitical ramifications here are, while perhaps important for the MCU, generally an inch deep.
And that’s probably the biggest criticism of ‘Brave New World’: it echoes the MCU’s past, sometimes literally, but doesn’t quite channel the surprising emotional depth that the first decade managed to convey (one scene near the end, a heart-to-heart between Sam and someone else, recaptures some of the chemistry of the characters in that first round of films). The script and visuals, while stronger than other recent outings, still fall down from time to time. But ‘Brave New World’ also manages to get back up and keep punching, delivering superhero antics without a whole lot of pretension. It may not be especially brave or new, but it’s fun.
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What is the plot of ‘Captain America: Brave New World’?
Now operating as Captain America, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) uncovers a deadly conspiracy centered around President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) and fights to discover who is behind it before an international war breaks out.
Who is in the cast of ‘Captain America: Brave New World’?
Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain America
Harrison Ford as Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross/Red Hulk
‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ receives 8 out of 10 stars.
Launching on Disney+ with its initial two episodes on 29th January (before going to a weekly schedule for the remaining eight), ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ is a diverting take on the Spidey mythos that brings the character back to the time even before Tom Holland’s Peter Parker met the Avengers.
Yet while it was originally developed as a series outlining the Holland incarnation’s origin story (which Marvel Studios chose to skip on the big screen since we pretty much known it all already), this has instead been converted to show the early days of an alternate Peter Parker, here voiced by Hudson Thames, who is not the MCU’s Pete.
That scenario is confirmed early on when we see Doctor Strange appear from a portal and wrangle a strange spider-like creature back to the universe we’re used to. Instead, what we get is this Peter Parker being bitten by a mysterious spider left behind and putting the resulting powers to familiar use.
If that early description has you rolling your eyes and dreading that you’re in for yet another take on Spider-Man’s well-utilized origin, think again. The new series skips forward in time to find Peter already wearing a basic (yet entertainingly steampunk) version of his suit and busy doing good around New York.
This is a universe where the Avengers exist, and when the show opens, they’re going through the internal strife as shown in ‘Civil War’ (the Sokovia Accords also exist here), but Peter doesn’t link up with them, and they’re shown very much in classic Marvel comics style rather than the cinematic variations.
Along the way, we meet several characters that comic book fans will recognize, but portrayed in fresh new ways, including Lonnie Lincoln, known as Tombstone, who here is a friendly, strong high school friend of Peter’s… at least until he’s forced to work with a local gang.
Perhaps the biggest shift is in Norman Osborn, voiced with effortless panache by Colman Domingo, who is Peter’s sponsor and supporter here (at least in the early going).
With Jeff Trammell, previously of ‘Craig of the Creek,’ the tone of the show is light and zippy, Peter displaying his talent for puns while fighting crime and facing the standard Spider-Man issues of balancing his “work” and his attempts to have a life as a teenager.
Trammell and his team have found a new way into the story that still feels right for both Parker and Spidey, and the action is entertaining.
On the visual side of things, this is very much styled to mimic classic ‘Spider-Man’ comics, blended with the experience of the Marvel Animated team from the seasons of working on ‘What If…?’
Thames, who has had the advantage of playing the Tom Holland/MCU version of Parker/Spidey in ‘What If…?’ already, here finds a relatable, easygoing gear for the character in this alternate universe.
His Peter is charming and sometimes chaotic, but always familiar enough.
The May Parker of this universe has already lost her Ben, and while that weight of grief is felt, she’s also a lively, warm character very much in the Marisa Tomei mold of the role.
While she might not get as much to do as that version just yet (at this point in this Spider-Man’s story, she has no idea Peter is swinging around town battling wrongdoers), Wahlgren gives her the right amount of energy.
Domingo’s been putting in great performances elsewhere for years, and his take on Osborn drips with both style and just enough subtle menace that you truly wonder about the character’s true intentions.
As we mentioned earlier, Lonnie is quite different from the Tombstone of the comics, but certainly ends up in a situation that will sour his intentions. And Byrd makes that journey believable.
Though the character shares a name with a famous Fantastic Four foe (the Wizard), here he’s more of an uptight scientist working for OsCorp who is tasked with overseeing the interns –– including Peter –– and would clearly rather be doing anything else.
With veteran character performer Paul F. Thompkins in the role, he’s a snarky delight, the perfect mix of frustrated wannabe genius and bad boss.
Though we perhaps didn’t need yet another Spidey variant swinging across our screens, ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ more than makes its case as a worthy successor to the likes of ‘What If…’
The sort of family-friendly entertainment that works well in animated form, it its bursting with comic book and MCU Easter eggs, but never forgets to tell a good story. Like its opening theme, a remix of the classic Spider-Man cartoon opening credits, it’s a welcome refresh and lively Spider-outing.
If you enjoy these initial 10 episodes, there’s good news that a second season is already in development.
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What’s the plot of ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’?
‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ explores Peter Parker’s (Hudson Thames) origin story and early days using the Spider-Man persona. The series is set in an alternate timeline within the multiverse where Norman Osborn (Colman Domingo) becomes Parker’s mentor instead of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), as happens in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s “Sacred Timeline”.
Who is in the cast of ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’?
