When it comes to Marvel Television series, many are still living in the shadows of Daredevil. The show premiered on Netflix in 2015 and ran for three seasons. Despite a rocky third season, the series is highly regarded as one of the best installments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The series starred Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil. The cast also featured Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, and Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, aka The Kingpin.
Daredevil was canceled by Netflix in 2018 and later moved to Disney+ in March 2022. In 2021, Matt Murdock made his grand return to the franchise with a cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home and has since appeared in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Echo. Now, the famous superhero is finally making his grand return in his own Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again.
Fans are certainly excited about the newest MCU series, particularly following the news that the series has undergone some major behind-the-scenes changes to align it better with the Netflix series. Still, more than that, most are excited about the nemesis he will be facing, especially now that he is officially a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While it is already confirmed he will face off against The Kingpin once more, here are a few villains we believe will make their appearance in the upcoming Marvel series Daredevil: Born Again.
Updated January 28, 2023: With Daredevil: Born Again resuming filming and many new updates coming from the series, this article has been updated with additional information about the series, including the conformation of a few returning villains.
Bullseye
Although Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) has always been the main villain in the series, it has also managed to spare some prominence to certain other antagonists such as Nobu, The Hand, Punisher, and his most famous antagonist, Bullseye, played by Wilson Bethel. Given the events of the third season, Dex has turned into something more dangerous than the psychopath used by Fisk, as seen at the season's end. It's no surprise he would return in Daredevil: Born Again to exact vengeance on both Wilson Fisk and Matt Murdock, mainly due to the former murdering Julie and the latter getting in his way. Furthermore, Bullseye is a fantastic villain in the comics, and reintroducing him in the upcoming series would be a terrific addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
After waiting years since season three's cliffhanger ending, it looks like fans may finally get the payoff they've been begging for. Deadline recently reported that Bethel would return as the villain in the upcoming sequel series. He'll allegedly appear in three episodes of the series and, hopefully, don the iconic Bullseye persona. This comes at a time when Marvel has finally confirmed the Netflix series to be canon and has restructured Born Again to resemble that show more.
Lady Bullseye
While this scenario may seem like a far-fetched idea, it isn't as unrealistic as we make it out to be, considering how it would further highlight Bullseye's character, just as it did with Joker's in DC due to Harley Quinn. In the comics, Maki Matsumoto, who later dons a mask and becomes Lady Bullseye, is unintentionally saved by Bullseye, who kills many Yakuza members after accepting a contract.
Inspired, Maki becomes the Lady Bullseye and becomes one of Daredevil's worst enemies due to her ability to mask her scent, control her heartbeat and regulate pulse rates, rendering his powers useless. Using Lady Bullseye further to test Daredevil's abilities to a maximum in Daredevil: Born Again will enable him to become stronger, which is the objective of the whole series as we see him evolve through each season. Given how many iconic moments the deadly duo Bullseye and Lady Bullseye have, they would make excellent contenders for the main antagonists in the new series.
Gladiator
Gladiator, also known as Melvin Potter in Daredevil and played by Matt Gerald, may only appear to be a coward trying to protect his girlfriend from bad guys by making their suits, but he's much more than that. Seeing how he was arrested by the FBI for working for Wilson Fisk and that Daredevil abandoned him rather than saving him, it could be a foreshadowing of his inevitable villainous arc; at least, that's where the show seemed to be heading.
The story of Melvin Potter becoming a Gladiator has been told in the comics, and fans would want nothing more than to see it adapted to live-action, especially with the actor doing a tremendous job with his role every time he appears on the screen. Matt got his new suit made by Luke Jacobson in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, possibly hinting at the fact that the two still aren't on speaking terms. Now that the Netflix series is canon,
Vanessa
Vanessa is Wilson Fisk's sweetheart, for whom he has done everything and lost everything since being arrested in the first season. In season three, Fisk turns himself in after making sure Daredevil will not go after Vanessa, but it is also shown that she is as much of a broken character as Fisk. In fact, she appears ruthless when she suggests to Fisk that they should get rid of those who could turn into potential troubles in the future, indicating how she could become an antagonist in the future.
Despite Kingpin having appeared in both Hawkeye and Echo, no mention or reference has been made to his wife, Vanessa. We already know that Vanessa will appear in Daredevi: Born Again, but with some changes. Ayelet Zurer, who played a role in the Netflix series, will not reprise his role in the new series; instead, Sandrine Holt will play the role. While in the comics, she might not be a villain, the Disney+ series could flip the series dynamic on its head and have Vanessa now be the true mastermind behind everything, with Kingpin doing anything for his wife. It also might push Kingpin into needing to rethink his relationship with Vanessa, as she might go down a path maybe even he cannot follow. It would certainly be an interesting change in their dynamic.
Typhoid Mary
Many people forget, but Typhoid Mary was introduced into the MCU through Iron Fist. Played by Alice Eve in season two of the Netflix series, the character was introduced as Mary Walker who was a special ops soldier whose dissociative identity disorder was triggered after her squad was ambushed in Sokovia (the home country of Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and Baron Zemo). She was the sole survivor but was held captive for two years, where she was tortured and developed three identities: the sweet "Mary," the fighter "Walker," and a third unknown persona, likely the Typhoid Mary identity that is asking as a serial killer vigilante. That is where audiences last saw her in the MCU.
While not many people likely saw Iron Fist, this is a plotline that could be picked up with Daredevil: Born Again, with the series letting audiences know what is important without requiring having seen the other series. Typhoid Mary is both an iconic Daredevil antagonist but also one of his many romantic partners so this is certainly a dynamic to explore. It also feels like there is plenty left to tell with this character that was left unexplored in the original series.
Stilt-Man
No, this is not a joke. One of Daredevil's first villains appearing all the way back in 1965, the character is famous for being a punchline due to how silly his gimmick is. Wilbur Day would steal a suit to become the career criminal "Stilt-Man", giving him the ability to be really tall. And that's it. There isn't much to Stilt-Man besides using mechanical stilts to commit crimes, but that's why he's become so beloved. He's become a punching bag to the point where even the comics make note of how much of a joke he is. The Netflix series hid his legs in the background of Gladiator's workshop, and it's long overdue that he gets his time to shine in live-action.
With Born Again likely to have a more lighthearted tone than the original series, adding in Stilt-Man would be a great way to get that across. Having the Man Without Fear fight his goofiest adversary sets the tone and pays homage to one of his oldest villains. No matter how many reinventions the character gets, Stilt-Man is always going to be one of Marvel's most infamous C-tier villains. He's never going to carry enough weight to be the overarching villain of a season, so having the character make a quick appearance feels right. It could be a great way to re-introduce Daredevil by having him stop Stilt-Man in his tracks. In recent years, the MCU has begun to embrace how absurd the comics can be, and there's no other way to solidify that than to bring Stilt-Man into Born Again.
Muse
Muse was only introduced into the Daredevil comics back in 2016 but has already made an impact as the character's most terrifying villain. His identity remains unknown, but his motives are clear. Muse is a serial killer who creates "art" with the blood of his victims. The deranged villain is a truly terrifying threat due to the mystery surrounding him and the fact that his acts of violence seem random. There's no pattern to his madness as it all ties together in his sick game of creative cruelty. He's a sadistic villain that Daredevil hasn't interacted with in live-action, and he could bring some real horror into the MCU.
With the character rumored to appear in Born Again, it's a great sign that the series is going to lean into the brutal violence Daredevil has become synonymous with. It is unclear if the series will be part of the Marvel Spotlight brand, which would mean the series will be a more adult-oriented self-contained character study; it could give the creators the ability to go all out with Muse. The grotesque villain can be done justice, and they can show just how scary he can be. Muse was also introduced around the time that Kingpin ran for Mayor and played a substantial part in that story. Daredevil's defiance against Fisk inspired Muse to take a stand, but he did things in his own twisted way. His acts of violence give Fisk the leverage he needs to paint vigilantes in a bad light and get him the seat in office. If Born Again is going to adopt a Mayoral run for Fisk, it makes sense to include Muse.
The Power Broker
While Daredevil: Born Again is expected to be a more grounded street-level show, much like the comics, the character does have connections to the wider MCU, and it seems Marvel has a lot invested in the character and hopes for him to be a major part of the franchise moving forward. The Disney+ series can now do what the Netflix series could and bring in villains from the larger MCU. The one that slots the best into Daredevil is Sharon Carter, aka The Power Broker.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier showed that former Captain America alley Sharon Carter had become the villainous criminal mastermind, The Power Broker. The series ends with Carter being pardoned by the U.S. government for helping Captain America escape in Captain America: Civil War and is reinstated to her former position in the CIA. She was last seen making a call over the phone to line up buyers for government secrets, now making her one of the biggest shadow villains in the MCU. She could align herself with Kingpin, and this could put her on Daredevil's radar or even draw Daredevil to her attention, and she could send villains after him. Daredevil's universe could get a lot bigger with Sharon Carter involved.
Elektra
Yes, Elektra has already been featured prominently in both Daredevil season two and The Defenders, but if The Kingpin can be brought back, then so too should Elektra. The character, played by Elodie Yung in the previous entries, is an assassin and former love interest of Daredevil. She was last seen dying during the end of The Defenders, but with Matt Murdock surviving the explosion that supposedly killed them, so could Elektra.
The Netflix series often burdened Elektra with a lot of unnecessary backstories, so her involvement in Daredevil: Born Again could give her a fresh start. One without the backstory as The Black Sky or ties to the Hand could develop her more and explore what her life is now years later. Born Again could be a title with double meaning, as Elektra is now born again after people believe her to be dead and looking for a new life, one as an assassin that draws her into Daredevil into a much clearer conflict. They are no longer torn as former lovers but as true foes with a tragic history. That is the drama we love from comic book stories and Daredevil in particular.
Shadow Knight
The most out-there pick of ours could also be the most exciting. Shadow Knight is typically a foe of Moon Knight, but the twist is that he is Randall Spector, the younger brother of Moon Knight persona Marc Spector. The MCU established that Mark's younger brother Randall died when they were kids, and this caused Marc's mother to become abusive to him, where he made the Steven Grant persona and developed his dispositive identity disorder. Moon Knight, the series ended with the Marc Spector and Steven Grant persona coming to terms, but there was a third more violent persona they did not know about: Jake Lockley.
The MCU could merge the Shadow Knight persona, but instead of Randall Spector, he is the Jack Lockely persona. Jack Lockely could be the anger and hatred Marc feels about his brother's death or even the personification of the abuse her felt towards his mother. Marc Spector transforms into Moon Knight and Steven Grant into Mr. Knight so Jack Lockley can become Shadow Knight, allowing all three alters to have their own Moon-themed identity. Shadow Knight could arrive as the more violent persona and be a major foe for Daredevil. This provides a way for Oscar Isaac to return to the MCU and continue the story set up in Moon Knight, as there has been no word on season two. It also helps link Daredevil and Moon Knight to one another and to the wider MCU. Fans certainly would want to see Daredevil and a version of Moon Knight fight.