Daredevil: Born Again has roared back with quite a punch in its second season as the show continues to deliver a superior superhero entry.
What Is It?
This series carries on the story of blind lawyer Matt Murdock, who, after stepping away from his vigilante persona Daredevil, returns to confront new challenges in New York City. After former crime boss Wilson Fisk becomes mayor of the city, he passes a law turning vigilantes into criminals and begins to aggressively pursue them. Fisk is particularly targeting Daredevil, but the Man Without Fear proves to be much more of a challenge to keep down.
Airing: Disney+, new episodes arrive on Tuesdays
Starring: Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, Margarita Levieva, Deborah Ann Woll, Wilson Bethel, Zabryna Guevara
Created By: Dario Scardapane, Matt Corman, Chris Ord
Johnny Jay’s Thoughts:
The Daredevil series that premiered on Netflix in 2015 I personally consider to be one of the greatest superhero shows of all time. It veered away from the epic nature of the MCU films as it delivered a more grounded story about people in the city affected by crime and corruption, with one man emerging as their champion. It also set up an interesting conflict between Daredevil and the Kingpin, as both had a love for their city, but they had very different ideas on how to help it.
The show continued to explore themes of good vs. evil and law vs. vigilantism through its second and third seasons before getting cancelled amidst corporate hijinks (more on that at this link). A massive “Save Daredevil” campaign followed, and Disney+ eventually did the right thing and decided to bring the show back. Originally, it was going to be a “soft reboot,” but wisely they changed those plans and brought it back as a direct continuation. The first season of Born Again premiered in Spring 2025, and it picked things up where the Netflix shows left off (although several years later), and it maintained the quality that made Daredevil so popular with fans (you can read my Season 1 review at this link).
The show returned for its “second season” (they actually just broke up the first season into two parts) last month, and after four episodes, I can report that it continues to demonstrate the high quality that we have seen from the property since it began back in 2015. Daredevil—and Matt Murdock—have gone rogue, and they are fighting Fisk from the shadows while proving to be quite a thorn in his side. Karen Page, who finally returned in a regular capacity at the end of the first season, is involved as well, and she is not just sitting on the sidelines. And other vigilantes are stepping forward, including some unlikely ones, to resist Fisk’s authoritarian control over the city.
The show has definitely kicked up the violence in its second year, and it can actually get relentless at times. But it has not lost track of the story or characters, as we continue to see development from the main players—particularly Karen’s more active role—while also bringing in some new faces to flesh things out. Pretty much each season of the show, going back to its Netflix days, has delivered a battle of wills between Daredevil/Matt Murdock and the Kingpin/Wilson Fisk, and they continue to get plenty of mileage from that. And all of the performances remain strong as always, particularly Vincent D’Onofrio’s scenery-chewing yet Emmy-worthy portrayal of Fisk.
Some might groan that the current season delivers yet another critique of MAGA politics, and I am sure the writers factored that in to an extent. But the fact is, the story from Born Again so far is derived from one that originated in the comics years ago, and it addresses some pretty universal, non-partisan themes such as authoritarian rule, abuse of power, and civil liberties vs. law and order. If you find yourself questioning these in favor of Wilson Fisk’s viewpoint–the villain–you might want to rethink your politics.
I am fully in on the current season and find myself watching each new episode as it comes out (last week was a surprise two-episode drop, but it will be one per week from here on). It is rare that a show manages to maintain its level of quality after so many years (especially after a long break), but Daredevil: Born Again continues to deliver the superior superhero entry we have expected from the property. If you have not tuned in for this one yet, or if you have not caught up with the revival series, I highly suggest giving it a look.
What’s Next?
Daredevil: Born Again has been renewed for a third season, and work on that has already begun. The first season did not make it into the Nielsen Streaming Rankings, and it is too soon to see numbers from the second year. If it misses the rankings again, I wouldn’t be surprised if Disney+ decides to wrap up the show with its third season. And even if it does chart, they could still bring it to an end because the streamer does not seem to be that interested in long runs for its originals (three seasons has been the max for its genre entries thus far). The characters will likely cross over in upcoming movies, but I, for one, would be happy to see the show continue for several more years.
Where Can You Watch It?
As indicated above, this series is streaming on Disney+ with new episodes dropping on Tuesdays. All three seasons of the Netflix series are also available there, along with the other Defenders entries Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Punisher, and The Defenders.
Are you watching Daredevil: Born Again and do you believe it is holding up the quality of the Netflix seasons? Chime in with your thoughts in the comments section below.
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