Daredevil: Born Again Series Premiere Review
Warning: this review contains full spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again episodes 1 and 2!
Marvel Television’s two-part premiere for Daredevil: Born Again starts with an all-time great superhero brawl, as if to assure fans that, yes, Daredevil is back just like you remember. The resurrected series is a worthy continuation of the Netflix show and picks up where season 3 left off, essentially making this retitled series a de facto season 4. No time is wasted as Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock is dealt a traumatic blow and faced with the unexpected return of his greatest nemesis, Wilson Fisk, once again played in bone-chilling fashion by Vincent D’onofrio. Though Born Again lacks some of the nuance of the original, and its story seems to be retreading some familiar ground, its new twist on the Murdock/Fisk rivalry makes it very much a devil of a good time.
Things start on a relatively happy note for Murdock as he enjoys drinks with longtime friends Foggy Nelson and Karen Page, once again played by Elden Henson and Deborah Ann Woll, respectively. It’s a law of nature that Matt Murdock cannot have sustained happiness, and it’s not long before all hell breaks loose thanks to a returned Benjamin Poindexter. This is Poindexter as we know him in the comics: Bullseye, the sociopathic costumed assassin who kills with whatever object is within reach. Watching him go toe-to-toe with Daredevil in a knock-down, drag-out fight employing razor-sharp knives and weaponized billiard balls feels like seeing a comic book come to life. That it’s all a seamless, one-shot sequence that tracks their movements through a bar and into the apartment building above makes it even more impressive.
It’s beyond sad watching Murdock lose his best friend Foggy after all they’ve been through. And it’s truly surprising to see Murdock try to kill Bullseye given how he let Fisk live at the end of season 3. But if anything was going to push him to break his most important vow, it would be Foggy’s death. The tragedy sees Murdock abandon the mantle of Daredevil and fully commit to being a benevolent lawyer who doesn’t go around punching criminals at night, which makes things all the more difficult when Fisk returns not as the Kingpin of crime but as something far more dangerous: a politician.
It’s this new dynamic of attorney Murdock versus Mayor Fisk that makes Born Again feel so exciting and unpredictable. The way the first episode closes with these two unstoppable forces on an inevitable collision course? Epic! Normally we have to wait a while before Murdock and Fisk share the screen, but I’m glad we get right to the good stuff this time around. Watching these two longtime enemies have a “civil” conversation at a diner is a real treat. The tension is so high there may as well be a stick of lit dynamite on the table. Miraculously, they don’t come to blows, and instead try to see the best in one another… while also laying down some not-so-veiled threats. There might have been a time when a convicted felon winning a prominent political office would seem unrealistic – but in 2025, it feels ripped from today’s headlines. That said, the show sidesteps any specific real-world politics and instead focuses on exploring themes of empowering bullies and the responsibility one has to stand up to them.
While the story of public defender Murdock taking on Mayor Fisk is fresh and juicy, other elements of the story feel a bit stale. Didn’t we already do a story about Murdock wanting to give up being Daredevil in season 3 of the Netflix show? The one that’s partially based on the comic arc that gives Born Again its subtitle? The details of the situation are different here, but some of the bigger ideas being explored feel like a rehash. Maybe they should have called it Daredevil: Born Again Again.
There’s a real sense of satisfaction when Born Again makes it known that it’s a genuine part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the years since we last saw this version of Daredevil, he’s shown up in Spider-Man: No Way Home and on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Echo (where Fisk also appeared, following up D’onofrio’s encore of the character on Hawkeye). Now, Born Again even has Mayor Fisk making a reference to Spider-Man, something we thought was impossible only a few years ago. This may seem like a small thing to the casual viewer, but to longtime Marvel fans, it just feels good to see the Marvel Universe made whole. Curiously, even though dealing with New York City’s vigilante problem is the main plank of Mayor Fisk’s platform, there’s no mention of the United Nations superhero regulation laws (a.k.a. the Sokovia Accords). Murdock did mention that the laws were repealed during his guest role on the She-Hulk series, but still, one would think Fisk would use the accords as a precedent to establish his version of law and order.
What we said about Daredevil season 3
Daredevil: Season 3 kicks Marvel’s Netflix slump to the side in favor of a dark and powerful rollercoaster of redemption that makes every scene count and brings back Wilson Fisk at Matt Murdock’s white (suited) whale. Even new characters, whom we don’t trust (or appreciate) at first, wind up paying off in rewarding ways while the show excels even more at ferocious fight scenes and astonishing action sequences. And preventing things from becoming a (trademark) treacherous trudge in the middle is the mystery of Fisk’s full plan and questions about how much control he actually wields.
Score: 9
Read the complete Daredevil: Season 3 Review.
The second episode of Born Again introduces us to a new vigilante called White Tiger (played by Kamar de los Reyes) who began operating in the time since Murdock retired his Daredevil persona. (The episode is dedicated to Reyes, who sadly passed away in 2023.) The story of Hector Ayala in the comic books is a complex one, and the show is so far doing a good job adapting his tragic case of wrongful imprisonment. And hearing Murdock chastise Ayala for going out at night looking for trouble as a vigilante is real rich. Whether he realizes it or not, handling this case is forcing Murdock to confront some things about himself, and it coats every exchange with an extra layer of meaning.
Things come to a head when a pair of corrupt cops try to execute Murdock. Cox does a phenomenal job playing the escalation of this dire situation: You can see how much it genuinely pains Murdock knowing he’s being forced to break his peaceful streak, and when he does, he absolutely explodes on those two poor guys and rips them to shreds with a horrifying savagery. That primal scream at the end? I felt that. This scene once again reinforces Marvel’s pledge to keep the show just as mature and violent as it was before, and boy will that bloody arm-break be keeping me up at night.
While the main thread about Murdock and Fisk is strong and compelling, there is a noticeable lack of interesting supporting characters so far – not a Wesley or Agent Nadeem in sight. It’s hard to feel invested in Murdock’s detective friend or his new lawyer partner, who seem to exist merely to provide bits of exposition. Poindexter made for such a fascinating character study in season 3, yet here he’s been reduced to a one-dimensional baddie – and that’s a bit of a letdown.
There are still plenty of episodes to go for all that to be remedied, of course. A couple new faces do show some promise, such as Murdock’s new romantic interest (who happens to be Fisk’s marriage therapist) and a young video journalist (who interviews Fisk not knowing he killed her uncle with his bare hands), so we’ll have to wait and see how their stories develop. Regardless, Born Again feels properly nestled within the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe while still maintaining Daredevil’s mature tone and fantastic lead performances – and at the onset, getting that right is what matters most.
Other Thoughts
Daredevil: Born Again does a bang up job with ol’ Hornhead’s long-awaited return. The show captures the signature drama and brutality of Netflix’s Daredevil series while taking the story of Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk in a bold (and surprisingly topical) new direction. It’s to Marvel’s credit that they’ve set up such a gripping face-off not between Daredevil and Kingpin but between their civilian-facing personas. But for all the new show does right, there are still a few quibbles to be had – mainly, the lack of supporting characters who pop in these first two episodes and the fact that we are yet again getting a story about Murdock giving up being Daredevil.
Not yet available for streaming.
Marvel raises hell with a shocking and faithful return for Daredevil in Born Again.
What Are The Best MCU Movies and Shows?
Pick a winner
Daredevil: Born Again
Verdict
Recommends
In This Article
Where to Watch
Daredevil: Born Again Series Premiere Review
More Reviews by Joshua Yehl
‘DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN’ COULD USE ANOTHER REBOOT
By ALAN SEPINWALL
In the first episode of Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+, Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) teases best friends Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) about their tendency to indulge in nostalgia for the pre-gentrification days of Hell’s Kitchen. “Not nostalgia,” Foggy insists. “Reverence for the past, yet hope for the future.”
It’s an apt choice to begin the series, which sees Cox, Woll, Henson, and others reprising their roles from the mid-2010s Netflix series, where Matt split his time between his legal practice with Foggy and his extracurricular work as the red-clad vigilante. The Netflix show is considered by many comics fans to be the high point of the first wave of Comics TV adaptations from that decade, which for the most part have been treated by current Marvel management as if they never happened. Marvel nerds may not feel nostalgia for some of the other shows of that phase, like or , but there was audible excitement in theaters when Cox cameo-ed as Matt in , along with a hope for a future where the better parts of that era don’t have to be snapped out of existence, Thanos-style.
We want to hear it. Send us a tip using our anonymous form.
Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2025 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.
MOST POPULAR
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Could Use Another Reboot
MORE NEWS
‘Severance’ Director Ben Stiller Says He Offered Barack Obama a Voiceover Role
George Lowe, Voice of Space Ghost on ‘Coast to Coast,’ Dead at 67
‘The Brutalist’ Star Adrien Brody Addresses Record-Shattering Oscar Speech
Tom Hardy Plays a Fixer for Crime Boss Pierce Brosnan in Trailer for ‘MobLand’
Millie Bobby Brown Calls Out Media for Criticizing Her Appearance: ‘This Is Bullying’
Dem Lawmaker Gets Kicked Out of Trump’s Address After Protesting
Doechii Officially Drops ‘Anxiety’ From Her Days on YouTube
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Could Use Another Reboot
Andrew Tate and Brother Tristan Are Under Criminal Investigation in Florida: Attorney General
TOP STORIES NEWSLETTER
Gene Hackman, Betsy Arakawa’s Bodies Test Negative for Carbon Monoxide; Hackman’s Pacemaker Stopped on Feb. 17
Sphere Revenue Falls, MSG Networks Bankruptcy on Table
Gene Hackman’s Paintings, Canceled Exhibition in DC, and More: Morning Links for February 28, 2025
Bindi Irwin’s Daughter Grace ‘Cuddles’ With an Animal Bigger Than She Is & the Photos Are Pure Joy
Trump Foresees ‘A Little Disturbance’ as He Vows to Expand Trade War in Speech to Congress
Melania Trump Wears Dior for President Trump’s Speech Before the Joint Session of Congress
The Best Yoga Mats for Any Practice, According to Instructors
Sean Baker’s Historic Editing Win Is Rare, but Not Unprecedented for True ‘Total’ Auteurs
FOLLOW US
NEWSLETTER SIGNUP
GOT A HOT NEWS TIP?
IN THIS ARTICLE:
ROLLING STONE
LEGAL
OUR SITES
Here’s The ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Release Date, Time And Episode Schedule
Daredevil Born Again
This article was published on 3/2 and republished on 3/4.
It was easy to think this day would never come, but Charlie Cox’s Daredevil is set to return to screens with Daredevil: Born Again. The original Netflix series ended in 2018, and the show first aired in April of 2015, a decade ago.
Now, early reviews say that the show has not missed a step and with pretty much its entire cast returning, that’s great to hear, even if the showrunners, directors and writers may not all be the same. But, some key data here you may want to know.
Daredevil: Born Again Release Date – Tuesday, March 4, 2025
Daredevil: Born Again Release Time – 6 PM PT, 9 PM ET on Tuesday
Where to watch – This link, on Disney Plus
Daredevil: Born Again Episode Schedule:
So, that’s a double episode premiere, and I do not actually know why there are two episodes on March 25, as that’s not even a finale or even a midseason break. Going to look into that more. Runtime on the episodes are anywhere between 39-60 minutes or so, similar to the original. Though going back, it’s hard to believe there was a time when a show like this could get 13 episode seasons, three years in a row, as that simply doesn’t happen anymore.
Daredevil: Born Again
We already know that Daredevil: Born Again is getting a second season that is eight episodes long. That is supposed to be the end of it, but we’re also getting a spin-off Punisher streaming special movie, and there are strong hints that other Netflix-era MCU characters might return for their own series. Jessica Jones has been hinted at the most by far. Luke Cage and Iron Fist are unclear right now. There is also the hope for a “street level” era of Spider-Man, but reportedly Sony owns the rights to Spider-Man appearing in long-form, live-action TV. Maybe that’s for whole shows, not cameos, but I’m not sure. It doesn’t seem likely.
I would argue there has been almost too much marketing for Daredevil: Born Again at this point, showing too many fight clips and too many interviews strongly hinting at major plot points. I’ve had to go out of my way to avoid them at this point, but all indications are is that this series is going to be what fans have been hoping for after the last seven years of missing these characters.
Update (3/4): Now it’s the day of, and Daredevil: Born Again will be live tonight at 9 PM ET. At the time I’m writing this, there are still no critic reviews in, but social media reactions for not just the first few episodes, but the entire series, have been live for a while now for reasons I can’t quite understand. And they’re essentially all glowing. Some examples:
Marvel Tesseract – “We’ve seen all 9 episodes of #DaredevilBornAgain. It’s bold, brutal & timely. It lacks the original’s religious themes & has some bland new characters, but the action, legal scenes, Charlie Cox, White Tiger, Punisher & Fisk-Matt rivalry are brilliant. A massive win for the MCU”
Dirk Libbey – “I just finished #DaredevilBornAgain and it is quite simply the best thing I’ve seen in a long time. Powerful, emotional, and endlessly compelling. Cox and D’Onofrio are simply perfect. You guys are going to love it.”
Nicola Austin – “Binged all of #DaredevilBornAgain & I’ve never needed a second season this badly before – what a gripping (& emotional) outing! The action is as brutal & bloody as before, while Cox & D’Onofrio are absolutely sublime. It’s not perfect but what a welcome return to this world 👿”
I’ll take these with a little bit of salt as so, so many of these are enthusiast fan accounts, but I mean if…enthusiast fans love it, I’d say that’s a really good sign. We’ll see what the critical reviews say later.
Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram.
Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts.
