Daredevil: Born Again is the latest television series to hit Disney+ from Marvel Studios, and arguably the most anticipated. So far, the buzz surrounding the series has been positive as it aims to match the same level of quality the Netflix series reached years prior. Daredevil: Born Again features the return of Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock, who recently appeared in other Marvel Cinematic Universe projects like Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and Echo. Now, the Man Without Fear will finally get his own spotlight within the MCU in the forthcoming nine-episode season, which already has Season 2 filming.
Daredevil: Born Again notably bears the same title as the 1986 story arc written by Frank Miller and drawn by David Mazzucchelli. The comic book storyline is a quintessential part of the Daredevil mythos responsible for making him one of Marvel's richest characters. This isn't the first time Marvel Studios has used a notable comic book title for one of its projects. Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, Secret Invasion, and the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars have all done the same. While none of these MCU projects directly adapted the comic book stories, they still borrowed many elements from them. Despite Daredevil: Born Again is one of the most famous stories in the character's published history, the upcoming MCU series will use the title more loosely than other Marvel Studios projects.
What Is Frank Miller’s Daredevil: Born Again About?
Comic book writer Frank Miller is one of the greatest ever to do it and is primarily known for the impact he's made on Batman with stories like The Dark Knight Returns and Year One. Over at Marvel, Miller also made a huge impact on Daredevil in the early 1980s. Born Again is widely considered the standout of his run, and it's a story that truly pushed Murdock to his limits. The story ignites with Kingpin learning of Daredevil's secret identity from a desperate Karen Page, who has become an adult film actress and drug addict.
This then leads to Murdock becoming homeless, framed, and eventually beaten by Kingpin after a confrontation. Murdock eventually finds his way into the care of his mother, Maggie, who has been out of his life for years and as a Catholic nun. While this is going on, there's a side story following The Daily Bugle's Ben Urich clearing up Murdock's name. Karen eventually returns to New York City and confesses she was the one who gave up Murdock's secret identity. Murdock forgives Karen and supports her through the heroin withdrawal. TheBorn Again story arc's final battle sees Daredevil team up with Captain America to take down Nuke, a super soldier Kingpin hired to disrupt Hell's Kitchen. After the defeat of Nuke, Kingpin eventually faces several lawsuits, which damage his reputation. The series concludes with Murdock staying in Hell's Kitchen with Karen and continuing his crusade as Daredevil.
Netflix’s Daredevil Season Three Has Already Adapted Key Elements From the Comic
Daredevil season three was the last to come out on Netflix in 2018.
The Born Again storyline influenced parts of the season three story, such as the inclusion of Murdock's mother, Maggie.
Daredevil season three is a major high point for the comic book genre. The season released its 13 episodes in October 2018 and was the last for the Netflix iteration of the series. While the third season tells its own story, it borrows significant moments from the Born Again comic book story. Namely, the series begins with Murdock in the hands of his mother, Maggie. Like the Born Again comic, Murdock starts the third season of Daredevil in a very low place and eventually finds the will to become the costumed vigilante once again.
Netflix's third season of Daredevil doesn't necessarily feature the same exact beats as the Miller comic, such as Karen revealing Murdock's identity to Kingpin or a team-up with Captain America, but it certainly captured the spirit of the arc to a degree. Therefore, it wouldn't make sense for Marvel Studios to follow up that season with a storyline close to what occurs in the Born Again issues. Netflix's Daredevil series is a strong representation of the character because it pulled from major moments in the comics, and parts of Miller's Born Again definitely lifted its third and final season.
Marvel Studios’ Daredevil: Born Again Title Means Something Different
Daredevil: Born Again will be the first solo project from Marvel Studios proper. Jeph Loeb and the previous iteration of Marvel Television handled the Netflix series. The original Daredevil series ran on Netflix from 2015 to 2018 and was a groundbreaking achievement for comic book adaptations due to its mature storytelling, brutal action sequences, and deep exploration of its characters. When Marvel Studios announced Cox would return as Murdock in the MCU, it was originally said he would play a new version of the character in a soft reboot. Marvel Studios would ultimately change the creative direction of the series and continue where the previous series left off.
"The Born Again run was essentially Season 3 of the Netflix show, but in this case, Born Again is – I wouldn't call it a pun – but it's kind of a nod to the return of the characters. And, it's a nod to, both Fisk and Daredevil are reborn in different iterations in this, but they're not new. They're the people they always were. Fisk is even more Fisky, in a way, and Daredevil is just dealing with something that requires him to rebuild." -- Daredevil: Born Again showrunner Dario Scardapane on the series' title.
Therefore, Daredevil: Born Again only carries the same name as the famous comic book storyline in name only and refers more so to the character's return in his own series. This approach is similar to when Marvel Studios titled its first Spider-Man film, Homecoming, with the character finally able to operate in the MCU under the new creative control of Kevin Feige. The MCU's Daredevil: Born Again story will likely go in a much different direction than the comic, with Kingpin already knowing Murdock's secret identity, Karen not being in a desperate state, and characters like Bullseye, White Tiger, Muse, and others playing a role in the story.
Marvel Studios' Daredevil: Born Again series carries a significant title since it's the same as the one Miller used for the comic book run that would define the character in many ways. However, the story will go in a different direction, so there's no reason to expect direct parallels with the comic. Plus, the previous season of the Netflix series explored many of the same beats present in the comic. While there may still be nods to the famous comic book issues, it's safe to say the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again series will chart its own path within the MCU.
Daredevil: Born Again isn't the first comic book adaptation to share the same title as one from the comics. While some like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, stick a bit closer to the premise of the source material, the Born Again title for the Disney+ series is far more literal since it is the return of a key Marvel character. There's no need to rush out and read Miller's Born Again comic book arc to gain an appreciation for what will be in the MCU series, but it remains one every Daredevil fan should read because of the mark it's made on the mythology.
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