As production on Daredevil: Born Again resumed last week in New York City, set photos flooded social media. While some were more spoilery than others (and other were more spoilery than you know), they combined to give fans a first look at the newly retooled series. One of the more interesting and revelatory BTS pictures confirmed that one of Daredevil’s most psychotic rogues, the deranged serial killer Muse, would indeed be part of the series.
Though the set photo showed some of Muse’s signed street art depicting Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin, some fans weren’t convinced that the psycho killer would show up. However, a set video from X user Finn erases any doubt.
Here’s the last daredevil thing I recorded. I think it’s supposed to be muse drawing the kingpin graffiti but the actor is a body double from what I can tell. Then they shot a bunch of background characters doing things pic.twitter.com/sRVLBTOT9u
The description of the scene matches a casting call that circulated ahead of filming which called for an experienced graffiti artist to serve as a body double. If some informed speculation is true and the cast hasn’t changed since December 2022, the person in question would be doubling for actor Colin Woodell, who joined the cast in an unknown role ahead of the initial round of production.
While Wilson Fisk is a big enough threat to Daredevil and his allies, Muse throws an entirely different type of threat entirely. A serial killer who uses his victims’ blood and body parts to create art, Muse was first introduced in Charles Soule’s run on Daredevil, which is believed to be one source of inspiration for Daredevil: Born Again. It remains to be seen just how much of a role Muse will play but it’s now clear he’ll be on the streets causing chaos when the series hits Disney Plus in 2025.
As one might expect, filming a highly anticipated Marvel Studios streaming series on the streets of New York City can draw quite a bit of attention. As was the case when Hailee Steinfeld was first spotted on the NYC set of Hawkeye in NYC in December 2020, production on Daredevil: Born Again has borne significant set photo fruit. Already, fans got a peek at a Kingpin mural signed by psycho killer Muse and their first look at what’s almost certainly costumed vigilante White Tiger. Now, fans of Marvel Television’s Daredevil got their money shot…
A BTS video of an early evening shoot in New York City revealed the first look at star Charlie Cox reuniting on set with Elden Henson and Deborah Ann Woll. After originally being either left out or appearing in a greatly reduced role in the series, Henson and Woll were brought back as Foggy Nelson and Karen Page, respectively, after a creative retooling on the series.
Charlie Cox, Elden Henson, and Deborah Ann Woll behind the scenes of ‘DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN’ pic.twitter.com/kOkE8Hcc32
The video shows the trio walking out of the law office of Nelson, Murdock and Page, the firm the first named on a napkin in the Daredevil series finale.
A recent rumor indicated that Woll’s role in the series would be limited to a 3-episode arc. With baddies like Muse and Bullseye on the prowl, it’ll be interesting to see if either of them is behind her character’s short stint in the series.
Some episodes of Daredevil: Born Again are expected to stream on Disney Plus in 2025.
It has long been rumored that Daredevil: Born Again would feature another costumed vigilante and a new video from the New York City set of the Disney Plus series may have given fans thier first look… though it may not be exactly what rumors led many to believe.
POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD
The video, shared by X user @porgomomics shows a costumed character standing just inside an NYC store. Dressed in white with black stripes all over the suit and helmet, it’s very possible this is the first look at White Tiger.
While.its hard to make you anything for certain, it does appear as though it may be a male inside the suit which would lead to the assumption that Daredevil: Born Again will feature Hector Ayala, the first character to take on the mantle of White Tiger in the comics.
Rumors that White Tiger would appear in Daredevil: Born Again date back to November 2022, though those rumors often proposed that a female had been cast in the role, leading fans to expect an appearance by Ava Ayala, Hector’s niece in the comics. Another rumor that surfaces recently indicated that the series was set to adapt the Marvel Comics The Trial of the Century arc in which Matt Murdock represented Hector Ayala who was on trial as White Tiger for murder. This, of course, lines up neatly both with what little is seen in the set video/photo and with Wilson Fisk’s anit-vigilante platform in hisayoral campaign.
Once production got back underway in New York, it didn’t take long for photos from the set of Daredevil: Born Again to make their way online. A fresh batch of set photos from X user Finn seemed to confirm that the deranged serial killer Muse–long rumored to be part of the series–will appear. A closer look at those same set photos may reveal even more information about the D+ series.
On a wall near Muse’s graffiti mural of Kingpin, posters for real life NYC venues Baby’s All Right and Bowery Ballroom can be seen. While posters like these are located all over the Big Apple, these are indeed part of the set for Daredevil: Born Again.
The Bowery Ballroom poster indicates that someone named Spencer Giles will be at the venue on Friday, March 12th which could be let in determining when this portion of the series is set. While there are certainly continuity problems within any shared universe as large as the MCU, Marvel Studios does its best to keep things tight which means if we accept that they’re working off a real world calendar where March 12th is a Friday, this portion of the series is either set in 2021 or 2027.
Either choice is interesting but each for its own reason. Should the series be set in 2021, it would be during the Blip and set roughly at the same time as Clint Barton’s exploits as Ronin as seen in detail in Hawkeye. At that point in time, Wilson Fisk was shown to be out of prison and in charge of the Tracksuit Mafia. Should the series be set in 2027, it would be set beyond the events of Secret Invasion which are, to date, the farthest out into the MCU’s “present day.”
Daredevil: Born Again underwent a significant creative overhaul that saw Elden Henson, Deborah Ann Woll and Wilson Bethel–all of whom starred in Marvel Television’s Daredevil–added to the cast. However, as production resumed in New York City, a new set photo confirms that one villain, long rumored to be part of the series, remained in the plans.
A photo taken in the area of W50th to W52nd Street between 9th and 11th Avenues and shared by X user Finn, confirms that the serial killer Muse will indeed be involved in the events of Daredevil: Born Again. The set photo shows a graffitied mural of Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin and is clearly signed by Muse.
Long rumored to be part of the Disney Plus series, Muse is a serial killer who uses his victims’ blood and body parts to create art. The character was first introduced in Charles Soule’s run on Daredevil, which is believed to be one source of inspiration for Daredevil: Born Again. In December 2022, actor Colin Woodell joined the cast of the show and it was widely speculated that he might be taking up the part of the deranged artist.
In addition to confirming Muse’s presence in the project, other set photos shared by Finn show a Nelson, Murdock and Page sign hanging above what will clearly be the office space shared by the 3 in Daredevil: Born Again. The new firm was first drawn up by Foggy in Daredevil 3.13, “A New Napkin.”
In addition to the three-episode premiere, Season 3 of The Bad Batch will also drop multiple episodes on March 13th and April 3rd, which means the series finale will stream on May 1st, just ahead of Star Wars Day 2024.
Of note, the title of the series finale, “The Cavalry Has Arrived”, are the words said by Wrecker when Clone Force 99 was introduced in the first episode of Season 7 of The Clone Wars when the Batch arrived on Anaxes. A pair of episodes, “The Return” and “Identity Crisis”, stand out as potential ones to watch for the return of fan-favorite Asajj Ventress, who is seemingly back from the dead for the new season.
About The Bad Batch Season 3
In the epic final season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch, the Batch will have their limits tested in the fight to reunite with Omega as she faces challenges of her own inside a remote Imperial science lab. With the group fractured and facing threats from all directions, they will have to seek out unexpected allies, embark on dangerous missions, and muster everything they have learned to free themselves from the Empire.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch showcases a talented voice cast, including Dee Bradley Baker (American Dad!), Michelle Ang (Fear the Walking Dead: Flight 462), Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider), Jimmi Simpson (Westworld), Noshir Dalal (It’s Pony) and Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws).
Star Wars: The Bad Batch is executive produced by Dave Filoni (Ahsoka, The Mandalorian), Athena Portillo (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels), Brad Rau (Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Resistance), Jennifer Corbett (Star Wars Resistance, NCIS) and Carrie Beck (Ahsoka, The Mandalorian), with Josh Rimes (Star Wars Resistance, Star Wars: Visions) as co-executive producer and Alex Spotswood (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels) as senior producer. Rau is also serving as supervising director with Corbett as head writer.
In 1998, Kevin Smith and Joe Quesada teamed up for an absolutely insane eight-episode Daredevil arc published under the Marvel Knights banner. That arc, known as “Guardian Devil”, took Matt Murdock on one hell of a ride that included brief team-ups with Black Widow and Doctor Strange as well as run-ins with Mephisto and Mysterio. Though Mysterio is revealed to be the mastermind behind the series of unfortunate events that befall Matt throughout the eight issues, it’s one of the most dangerous villains in his rogues gallery who does the majority of the damage: Bullseye.
After going on a bit of a murderous rampage, the psycho killer squares off with Daredevil in the Clinton Mission Shelter where Karen Page finds herself involved in their fight. After Bullseye shoots Matt to gain the upper hand, Karen makes a deal to save Matt’s life but–as you’re certainly not shocked to find out–Bullseye reneges and as he’s making his exit takes his kill shot by launching one of Matt’s clubs at his chest. However, the projectile from the man that doesn’t miss found its home in the chest of Karen who sacrificed herself for Matt. It was a tragic and shocking turn of events in 1999’s Daredevil Vol. 2 #5 and now some new details about the roles of some returning characters could hint at it possibly being adapted into Marvel Studios’ Daredevil: Born Again.
During a major creative overhaul on Daredevil: Born Again, Marvel Studios made the decision to retcon Marvel Television’s Netflix series into the MCU’s Sacred Timeline. As a result, new showrunner Dario Scardapane and new directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead were able to directly connect the new show to the events of the three seasons of Daredevil. Part of that meant bringing back even more familiar faces from the popular series including Elden Henson, Deborah Ann Woll and, most recently, Wilson Bethel. If you’ve yet to watch Netflix’s Daredevil, that means Foggy Nelson, Karen Page and Benjamin Pointdexter, aka Bullseye, are now set to appear in Daredevil: Born Again and a pair of reports has indicated that two of those characters are set for a limited role in the series which could portend some seriously bad things.
According to Deadline, Bethel will return as Pointdexter for just three episodes. A separate report by insider Daniel RPK indicated that Woll’s role as Page in the series is limited to just three episodes as well. If you don’t subscribe to coincidence, you might start to think that the two characters’ three-episode appearances might overlap. While it’s highly unlikely that Daredevil: Born Again would adapt “Guardian Devil” in its entirety, it’s possible that the creatives behind it could be brave enough to establish Dex as a major thorn in Matt’s side by having him return as Bullseye and kill Karen. While most fans would likely name Kingpin as Matt’s archnemesis, Bullseye has always been his deadliest enemy. Having a totally unhinged Bullseye take Karen off the board would establish him as a major threat in the MCU and would definitely generate a social media shit storm that might never die down.
Daredevil: Born Again is currently without a release date but some episodes are expected to stream in 2025.
In 2013, 5 years after the MCU kicked off with Iron Man, Disney and Netflix reached a deal that allowed the streaming service to develop four live-action series based around some of Marvel Comics’ “street-level” heroes: Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. The original deal called for a 13-episode series to be developed for each character with their stories intersecting in a crossover events series, The Defenders. Ultimately, each of the series were granted at least a second season and, in 2016, following the character’s debut in Season 2 of Daredevil, a spinoff series centered on Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, went into development.
In late 2018, Netflix began cancelling the series individually and by February 2019, the Defenders-verse died a quiet death in the trades. In March 2022, the series were all removed from Netflix’s streaming platform and appeared on Disney Plus as The Defenders Saga and were not included in the MCU Timeline or the Infinity Saga.
The Defenders Enter The Multiverse Saga
After Avengers: Endgame put a bow on The Infinity Saga, Marvel Studios began a new chapter in its shard universe. Comprised, like its predecessor, of three phases of storytelling, The Multiverse Saga simultaneously continues the stories of characters from The Infinity Saga while also introducing brand new characters into the narrative tapestry. The new saga also came with a major change for Marvel Studios as they began to develop and produced both live-action and animated canonical streaming series for Disney Plus. Though there had been some talk of the Netflix series being revived on Disney Plus, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige indicated in 2021 that the studio was focused on their own series but also–as is the way of The One Above All–said he’d “never say never” and that the characters could now appear in MCU projects.
Despite the apparent clarity on the issue, for two plus years, Marvel Studios remained mum on whether or not the characters appearing in their projects were the same versions of the characters depicted in the Netflix series or Multiversal Variants. In October 2023, a foreward from Kevin Feige in Marvel Studios The Marvel Cinematic Universe An Official Timeline made a distinction between projects that he considered Multiversal canon and ones that were set on the the MCU’s Sacred Timeline, indicating that the book only contained projects that took place on the latter. None of the Netflix series were included in the book.
On the Multiverse note, we recognize that there are stories – movies and series – that are canonical to Marvel but were created by different storytellers during different periods of Marvel’s history. Thetimeline presented in this book is specific to the MCU’s Sacred Timeline through Phase 4.
On January 3rd, 2024, Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation at Marvel Studios, Brad Winderbaum, revealed that the Netflix series were now considered canon, just two days before they were moved to the MCU Timeline Order section of Disney Plus. “So, I can say that up until this point, we’ve been a little bit cagey about what’s Sacred Timeline and what’s not,” said Winderbaum. “That was born, frankly, out of a period at the studio where we were like ‘we have to stick the landing with Avengers.’ It was another part of the company developing the Netflix stuff; we were aware of what they were doing, they were aware of what we were doing, but it was a lot.. it was a lot to balance anyway,” he explained. “But now that some time has passed, now that we actually see how well-integrated the stories are, I personally, Brad Winderbaum, will confidently say that they are part of the Sacred Timeline.“
During our restart of all the creative on Daredevil: Born Again, all the creatives got together and said, “Look, this is how we’ve got to do it now.” So we are for sure only speaking about it in terms of being directly connected to the original Daredevil, and that’s a great thing. It brings in a lot of cool stories and all the collateral story that happened in those original three seasons. So we now get to start this Born Again situation with all of that history behind us and the outcome of all that history. So we’re all talking about Daredevil: Born Again in those terms now.
With the Defenders-verse series having been firmly established as pre-Multiverse Saga canon, fans have begun to question if they’ll need to take in all 39 episodes of Marvel Television’s Daredevil series in order to understand and enjoy Daredevil: Born Again and potential future streaming series and films. The answer is no.
As the MCU continues to grow, fans–especially those who are new to the shared universe–are feeling the burden of the ever increasing number of projects as”required viewing.” Indeed, a common refrain online, from fans and critics alike, is that the MCU has become too big and that an understanding of new projects is too dependent on having a deep understanding of those that came before. In adding the Netflix series to the Sacred Timeline, Marvel Studios just added 161 episodes of “homework” that would take 144 hours and 6 minutes to consume. Even if a fan wanted only to watch all 3 seasons of Daredevil to prepare for Daredevil: Born Again, it would take them over 34 hours to do so. Asking fans who haven’t already seen those to do so in order to understand and enjoy what’s going on in your new show is unreasonable and would only further the negativity already building towards the studio on message boards and on social media.
And if you think Marvel Studios isn’t aware of what’s out there and listening, you’ve got it wrong. Over the course of its 3 season run, Daredevil built an enormous online following. In October 2018 when it was announced that Netflix had canceled the series, the Save Daredevil movement began online. In 2021, when Cox and D’Onofrio returned to their respecitve roles, and again in 2022 when Daredevil: Born Again was announced, the group, now known as We Saved Daredevil, celebrated, assured that their passion and online presence helped force Marvel Studios decision. Simply put, if you think Marvel Studios was listening then, you have to think they’re listening now and they hear loud and clear that “required reading” is not something fans want to spend days, weeks and months catching up on to enjoy a show. And so…
Marvel Spotlight
With Echo, Marvel Studios debuted a new production banner: Marvel Spotlight. The purpose of the new banner was made very clear by Winderbaum and Marvel Studios: “viewers don’t have to watch any other Marvel series to understand the plot” of a Marvel Spotlight project.
Marvel Spotlight gives us a platform to bring more grounded, character-driven stories to the screen, and in the case of Echo, focusing on street-level stakes over larger MCU continuity. Just like comics fans didn’t need to read Avengers or Fantastic Four to enjoy a Ghost Rider Spotlight comic, our audience doesn’t need to have seen other Marvel series to understand what’s happening in Maya’s story.
Prior to the revelation of when Marvel Studios chose to make the Netflix series canon, D’Onofrio stated his belief that Daredevil: Born Again, like Echo, would be produced under the Marvel Spotlight banner. While he was clear that the statement only reflected his opinion, given the growing public sentiment that the MCU’s supermassive runtime is making it hard for fans to feel connected, it would certainly work in Marvel Studios’ favor to roll Daredevil: Born Again out as a Marvel Spotlight project. That doesn’t mean that the events of it can’t dovetail into other projects (indeed, it’s very likely that its plot will tie directly to Spider-Man 4), only that everything fans NEED to know to understand and enjoy it will be explained within the series itself. While Marvel Studios clearly designed Marvel Spotlight on the fly and could have done a better job with the exposition necessary to understand Echo, they have plenty of time to get it right in Daredevil: Born Again, which isn’t expected to debut until 2025.
By making it a Marvel Spotlight project–and hopefully continuing to make sure fans know what that means–Marvel Studios subsequently makes the consumption of Marvel Television’s Netflix series, which all took place during The Infinity Saga, an option rather than a requirement. Fans who have watched them or chose to watch them ahead of Daredevil: Born Again will obviously find themselves with a deeper, more full understanding of character relationships and interactions and, as a result, may find themselves feeling fulfilled and content as completists. However, knowledge of 34 hours worth of story should not be used to gatekeep and prevent new fans from enjoying the next live-action story of one of Marvel Comics’ greatest characters.
After news broke that Elden Henson and Deborah Ann Woll were set to reprise their respective role, the creative overhaul of Marvel Studios Daredevil: Born Again has added another familiar face to the mix.
According to Comic Book’s Adam Barnhardt, Wilson Bethel has now joined the cast of the Disney + streaming series.
Following the release of the 5-episode streaming series Echo, Disney added the Netflix Defenders-verse series to the official MCU timeline. According to Vincent D’Onofrio, the decision to canonize those series came about during the creative overhaul on Daredevil: Born Again in the Fall of 2023.
Barnhardt’s report did not include any details on what to expecfrom Bethel’s Benjamin Pointdexter. When last seen in the Season 3 finale of Daredevil, the character was undergoing an experimental spinal surgery to in an effort to repair the significant damage done to him at the hands of Fisk’s Kingpin.
In a thrilling first trailer for the final season of The Bad Batch, Lucasfilm revealed that the first 3 episodes of Season 3 will stream on Disney Plus on February 21st.
If the announcement of the debut date wasn’t exciting enough for you, the trailer also revealed that fan-favorite Asajj Ventress has somehow returned from the grave. Throughout the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the 2015 novel The Dark Disciple, Ventress embarked on a fascinating journey that ultimately led to her redeeming herself, finding her way to the light side of the Force and sacrificing herself to save Quinlan Vos. It will be incredibly interesting to see how Dave Filoni retcons her death but if her appearance is a hint of what’s to come in the final season, fans are in for something special.
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