Warning: This article contains spoilers from Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, Episode 7.Daredevil: Born Again season 2 just brought back a Marvel Cinematic Universe character, and along with the surprise return, he received a nice upgrade. The MCU TV show is all about franchise returns. After all, Daredevil: Born Again stands as the first solo project for a character that originated in Netflix’s The Defenders Saga. In May, The Punisher: One Last Kill will make that two.
Initially, those returns would have been limited to Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin, but after a creative overhaul, the Marvel series fully made the original Netflix *Daredevil *and that corner of the larger MCU canon. Karen Page, Foggy Nelson, Bullseye, Vanessa Fisk, and several other characters have since returned with their original actors. Season 2 is no different.
Daredevil: Born Again’s latest season brings back players like Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones and Toby Leonard Moore’s James Wesley, with a full episode dedicated to exploring the original show and how it connects to the story of where the characters are now in the MCU. That will eventually lead to characters like Luke Cage and Iron Fist appearing down the line, as both were seen in Daredevil: Born Again season 3 set photos.
Hell’s Kitchen Files
Interactive Quiz
Hell’s Kitchen · Street-Level Edition How Well Do YouKnow Daredevil?
♻OriginsBlinded ☠VillainsKingpin ⚔CombatNo killing 🎥TV SeriesNetflix
ENTER HELL’S KITCHEN →
QUESTION 1 / 8ORIGINS
Matt Murdock was blinded as a child by radioactive material that fell from a truck. While he lost his sight, the accident gave him something extraordinary in return. What did the radioactive exposure give Matt?
ASuper strength CSuperhuman radar-like senses
✓ Correct! The radioactive chemicals that blinded young Matt Murdock simultaneously supercharged his remaining senses to extraordinary levels and gave him a radar-like spatial awareness. He can “see” the world around him through sound, smell, touch, and taste with superhuman precision — making him one of Marvel’s most unique heroes. ✗ Even Daredevil’s radar sense couldn’t find the right answer there! The answer is superhuman radar-like senses. The radioactive accident didn’t give Matt strength, telepathy, or X-ray vision — it heightened all his remaining senses to superhuman levels and granted him a radar sense that lets him perceive the world around him in 360 degrees.
QUESTION 2 / 8VILLAINS
Daredevil’s greatest enemy is a massive, calculating crime lord who controls most of the criminal underworld in New York City. This villain is known by his real name and his title. Who is he?
BWilson Fisk / The Kingpin
✓ Correct! Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, is Daredevil’s most iconic adversary. Despite having no superpowers, Fisk’s immense physical strength, ruthless intelligence, and iron grip on New York’s criminal underworld make him one of Marvel’s most terrifying villains. Their battle is deeply personal — both men believe they’re saving Hell’s Kitchen. ✗ Even Daredevil’s radar sense couldn’t find the right answer there! The answer is Wilson Fisk / The Kingpin. Bullseye is a deadly assassin, The Hand is a ninja organization, and The Owl is a lesser crime lord. But the Kingpin is the definitive Daredevil villain — the immovable force that controls New York’s underworld from the shadows.
QUESTION 3 / 8ORIGINS
By day, Matt Murdock fights for justice in a courtroom as a lawyer. He co-founded a law firm with his best friend in Hell’s Kitchen. Who is Matt’s law partner and best friend?
CFranklin ‘Foggy’ Nelson
✓ Correct! Franklin “Foggy” Nelson has been Matt Murdock’s best friend and law partner since they met at Columbia Law School. Together they founded Nelson & Murdock, a small firm dedicated to defending the people of Hell’s Kitchen. Foggy is the heart and conscience of the partnership — often the one pulling Matt back from the edge. ✗ Even Daredevil’s radar sense couldn’t find the right answer there! The answer is Franklin “Foggy” Nelson. Ben Urich is a journalist at the Daily Bugle, Danny Rand is Iron Fist, and Luke Cage is a Harlem-based hero. Foggy Nelson is Matt’s irreplaceable best friend, law partner, and moral anchor.
QUESTION 4 / 8TV SERIES
The Netflix Daredevil series (2015–2018) was praised for its dark tone and incredible fight choreography. Which actor portrayed Matt Murdock/Daredevil in the Netflix series and later in the MCU’s Daredevil: Born Again?
✓ Correct! Charlie Cox brought Matt Murdock to life with a nuanced, critically acclaimed performance across three seasons of Netflix’s Daredevil. His portrayal was so beloved that Marvel Studios brought him back for the MCU, appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home and starring in Daredevil: Born Again. ✗ Even Daredevil’s radar sense couldn’t find the right answer there! The answer is Charlie Cox. Ben Affleck played Daredevil in the 2003 film, Oscar Isaac is Moon Knight, and Jon Bernthal plays the Punisher (who appeared in Daredevil Season 2). Charlie Cox is the definitive live-action Man Without Fear.
QUESTION 5 / 8VILLAINS
Bullseye is one of Daredevil’s deadliest foes, a psychopathic assassin with an extraordinary ability. What is Bullseye’s signature power?
CPerfect accuracy — he never misses a target
✓ Correct! Bullseye possesses an innate ability to turn virtually any object into a lethal projectile with perfect accuracy. From playing cards to paper clips, anything in his hands becomes a deadly weapon. He’s responsible for some of the darkest moments in Daredevil’s history, including the murder of Elektra. ✗ Even Daredevil’s radar sense couldn’t find the right answer there! The answer is perfect accuracy — he never misses a target. Bullseye doesn’t have super speed, invisibility, or mind control. His terrifying gift is unerring aim — he can kill with a toothpick, a playing card, or anything he can throw.
QUESTION 6 / 8ALLIES
Elektra Natchios is a complex character in Daredevil’s life — sometimes lover, sometimes enemy. She is a deadly assassin trained by a mysterious ninja organization. What is the name of this organization?
AThe League of Shadows
✓ Correct! The Hand is a secretive ninja organization that plays a major role in Daredevil’s mythology. Founded centuries ago, they deal in assassination, mysticism, and resurrection. Elektra was trained by The Hand and has been both their weapon and their enemy — her complicated ties to the organization mirror her complicated relationship with Matt. ✗ Even Daredevil’s radar sense couldn’t find the right answer there! The answer is The Hand. The League of Shadows is from DC’s Batman universe, HYDRA is the broader Marvel villain organization, and The Foot Clan is from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (actually inspired by The Hand). The Hand is the ancient ninja order central to Daredevil’s world.
QUESTION 7 / 8COMBAT
Frank Castle, the Punisher, has a complicated relationship with Daredevil. They share a mission to fight crime but disagree fundamentally on methods. What is the core philosophical difference between Daredevil and the Punisher?
ADaredevil uses weapons, Punisher doesn’t BDaredevil refuses to kill, Punisher kills criminals CPunisher works with police, Daredevil doesn’t DDaredevil only fights at night
✓ Correct! This is the defining tension between Daredevil and the Punisher. Matt Murdock, a devout Catholic and lawyer, believes in the justice system and refuses to cross the line into killing. Frank Castle believes the system is broken and that lethal force is the only way to permanently stop criminals. Their rooftop debate in Season 2 of the Netflix series is one of the greatest scenes in superhero television. ✗ Even Daredevil’s radar sense couldn’t find the right answer there! The answer is that Daredevil refuses to kill while the Punisher kills criminals. It’s actually the Punisher who uses weapons (guns, explosives), and neither works with police. Daredevil fights at all hours. The real divide is moral: Matt believes in redemption and the law, while Frank believes in permanent, lethal justice.
QUESTION 8 / 8TV SERIES
In the Daredevil Netflix series, Vincent D’Onofrio’s portrayal of Wilson Fisk was widely acclaimed. In Season 3, Fisk manipulated a specific FBI agent to become the new Bullseye. What is this character’s name?
BBenjamin Poindexter (Dex) DMitchell Ellison
✓ Correct! Benjamin “Dex” Poindexter, played brilliantly by Wilson Bethel, was an FBI agent with a troubled past and an innate ability for perfect marksmanship. Fisk recognized his psychological vulnerabilities and manipulated him into donning a Daredevil suit to frame Matt Murdock, setting up Dex’s transformation into the classic villain Bullseye. ✗ Even Daredevil’s radar sense couldn’t find the right answer there! The answer is Benjamin Poindexter (Dex). Ray Nadeem was another FBI agent manipulated by Fisk but in a different way, Brett Mahoney is an NYPD sergeant allied with Daredevil, and Mitchell Ellison is the editor of the New York Bulletin. Dex is the one Fisk groomed to become Bullseye.
REVEAL MY SCORE →
Your Hell’s Kitchen Verdict
Are you the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen — or just a blind spot?
↻ TAKE THE STAND AGAIN
However, before that happens, Daredevil: Born Again season 2’s cast saw the surprise addition of Royce Johnson’s Brett Mahoney. The character was one of the fan-favorites from the original show that had been requested since Daredevil: Born Again was announced. Now, Mahoney finally returned in Daredevil: Born Again season 2, episode 7, and Marvel gave him an upgrade.
In Netflix’s Daredevil, Mahoney was a police officer at the New York City Police Department who helped Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson in numerous cases. While Mahoney fulfills a similar role in his MCU return, it came with the reveal that the character has stepped up in life. When speaking to Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page about why she had been taken to the 15th Precinct and not a secluded location, Mahoney revealed that he was able to pull a few strings now that he is the Chief of Detectives.
That is a much-deserved promotion for the character. A lot of time has passed since the audience last saw Mahoney, with *Daredevil *season 3 airing in 2018 and his final set of appearances in Netflix’s The Defenders Saga coming from The Punisher season 2, which was released on January 18, 2019. As such, it would make sense that the character who proved himself as a capable and honest cop would have managed to find success in a high-ranking position. As Daredevil: Born Again season 1 showed that Matt was in good standing at work, so is Mahoney.
Brett’s MCU return was perfect, helping Karen in a time of need and allowing her and Daredevil to meet before Matt set out to prepare. With Mayor Fisk’s Anti-Vigilante Task Force doing as it pleases, Daredevil: Born Again finds the perfect balance in the form of Mahoney’s return. He could be a major asset to Daredevil’s team going into the season 2 finale.
Whether he appears in the season 2 finale or not, Mahoney is a character that should remain with the show for Daredevil: Born Again season 3 and any possible seasons after that. Without Foggy, who was the heart of the original show, all familiar faces are welcome. Additionally, now that he is the Chief of Detectives, Mahoney could help Daredevil keep New York safe after Fisk is outed.
The Anti-Vigilante Task Force has terrorized the city for two seasons. With Mayor Fisk expected to be defeated in the season 2 finale, having Mahoney be the face of the police in the show heading into season 3 would be the perfect way to course-correct and make New York City a safer place. At this time, Mahoney’s ***Daredevil: Born Again ***season 3 status has yet to be announced by Marvel.
Daredevil: Born Again ](/db/tv-show/daredevil-born-again/)
](/tag/action-movies/)
](/tag/adventure/)
Dario Scardapane
Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, David Boyd, Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Jesse Wigutow, Jill Blankenship, Thomas Wong, David Feige, Grainne Godfree
Matt Murdock / Daredevil