7 Marvel Villains We’d Love to See Appear (Or Return) in Daredevil: Born Again Season 3

Warning: Spoilers for Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again. Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) announced “I am Daredevil” to a live courtroom broadcast in the Season 2 finale of Daredevil: Born Again, sacrificing the secret identity he had protected for decades to free Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) and expose Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) as a criminal operating through his mayoral office. As a result, Matt is now behind bars, while Fisk has fled New York for exile. Even Benjamin Poindexter (Wilson Bethel) got an ending of sorts, as the assassin known as Bullseye is now officially working with the government operative Mr. Charles (Matthew Lillard). That means the Mayor Fisk storyline is officially done after two seasons, and Marvel Television has a clean slate to move forward with other arcs.

Season 3 of Daredevil: Born Again is already confirmed, with set photos showing that Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter), and Danny Rand (Finn Jones) are part of its cast, completing the first full Defenders reunion since the 2017 Netflix miniseries. Showrunner Dario Scardapane has also stated that Season 3 will return to the street-level tone of Frank Miller’s Daredevil comics run, a deliberate change of pace after the political scale of the mayor arc. With Fisk in exile and Dex operating abroad, Season 3 of Daredevil: Born Again can finally spare some screentime to some classic Daredevil foes.

7) Stilt-Man

Wilbur Day, aka Stilt-Man, first appeared in Daredevil #8 in 1965, making him one of the first foes the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen ever faced. Created by Stan Lee and artist Wally Wood, Stilt-Man is a career criminal who engineers a suit of armor with hydraulic telescoping legs capable of extending nearly 300 feet. His repeated failures against Daredevil made him a long-running punchline in the comics, and the MCU already nodded to the character in the first season of Daredevil, when we can see his signature legs in the shop of Melvin Potter (Matt Gerald). Season 3, with the Defenders operating as Hell’s Kitchen’s de facto protectors while Matt is imprisoned, creates a natural opening for multiple villains to emerge, even if for a small scene. Stilt-Man could be part of the new rogues, maybe with a sequence that acknowledges the comedy of his 300-foot armored suit.

6) Jester

Jonathan Powers, aka the Jester, first appeared in Daredevil #42 in 1968, created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan. A failed Shakespearian actor who turned to crime after being laughed off the stage, Powers uses an arsenal of theatrical gadgets—like explosive yo-yos and sonar-disrupting marbles—to outmaneuver his enemies. While he hasn’t had a proper role yet, the MCU already teased him in the first season of Daredevil, where his signature marionette can be seen on a shelf in Melvin Potter’s workshop. In the comics, Jester’s greatest strength is his ability to manipulate the media and frame heroes for crimes they didn’t commit, making him an ideal threat for Season 3. With Matt behind bars and the Defenders trying to maintain order, the Jester is the perfect “PR villain” to test the team’s credibility during a period of massive civic unrest. 

5) The Hand

The Hand first debuted in Daredevil #174 in 1981, famously introduced by Frank Miller. As an ancient, mystical ninja clan, they are perhaps the most iconic antagonists from Miller’s seminal run on the character. While The Hand already served as the primary threat in the second season of the original Daredevil series and the 2017 Defenders miniseries, the reunion of Jessica, Luke, and Danny practically demands their return. Since Dario Scardapane is taking the show back to its gritty Miller-esque roots, this is the perfect time to introduce a more ruthless iteration of the cult. Plus, since Spider-Man: Brand New Day seemingly features a version of the Hand, and persistent rumors about Elektra’s return continue to circulate, Season 3 of Daredevil: Born Again could address the rise of the once-defeated organization.

4) Mister Fear

Several men have held the mantle of Mister Fear since Zoltan Drago first appeared in Daredevil #6 in 1965, but Larry Cranston is undeniably the most consequential. A former law school classmate of Matt Murdock, Cranston uses a potent fear-inducing chemical to psychologically break his victims. While he hasn’t appeared in the MCU yet, he fits seamlessly into a post-Season 2 landscape. With Matt incarcerated and legally exposed, Cranston could use his background to torment Matt from the outside, or weaponize his fear toxin to turn the prison population against him. Alternatively, unleashing his fear gas on a Hell’s Kitchen already reeling from Fisk’s mayoral fallout would give the Defenders a terrifying psychological mystery to solve on the streets. The series must address the divide that Fisk caused in New York, and adding fear to the mix is an interesting approach.

3) Lady Bullseye

Created by Ed Brubaker, Marko Djurdjevic, and Clay Mann, Maki Matsumoto made her first appearance in Daredevil #111 in 2008. Inspired by the original Bullseye after witnessing him effortlessly perform a hit, Maki adopts the moniker Lady Bullseye to act as a master assassin who eventually becomes a high-ranking member of The Hand. Since the Season 2 finale established that Benjamin Poindexter is currently operating abroad for the government, Hell’s Kitchen is missing its resident lethal marksman. Lady Bullseye could be a spiritual successor, filling the void, especially if the third season of the show decides to bring back The Hand. We know Poindexter is part of Season 3 somehow, so he could return to train, inspire, or even confront his copycat. 

2) Ikari

Writer Mark Waid and artist Chris Samnee introduced Ikari in 2013 within the pages of Daredevil #25 as a direct mirror to Matt Murdock. Ikari is an unnamed martial artist hired by a paralyzed Bullseye to systematically dismantle the life of the Man Without Fear. To ensure victory, Bullseye funded a sinister project to recreate the exact radioactive chemical spill that originally empowered Matt. The resulting toxic exposure granted Ikari the same superhuman radar sense and heightened physical perceptions, although the villain kept his natural eyesight. To add insult to injury, the assassin wears a corrupted version of the boxing gear once worn by Matt’s late father. Since Matt is currently incarcerated in the MCU, and his identity is broadly known, Ikari could be introduced as a tool sent by Bulseye or even Fisk to torment Matt.

1) Typhoid Mary

A highly trained assassin with dissociative identity disorder, Mary Walker also wields telekinetic and pyrokinetic abilities that make her stand apart from other Daredevil foes. MCU fans will remember that Alice Eve already brought a grounded version of the character to life in the second season of Iron Fist, dealing with her identity disorder while slowly discovering the Typhoid Mary alter. Now that Danny Rand has reunited with Luke Cage and Jessica Jones in Hell’s Kitchen, wrapping up Mary’s unresolved storyline is a no-brainer. In the comics, Typhoid Mary is intimately tied to Daredevil’s mythos and frequently employed by Wilson Fisk. With Fisk in exile, a fully unleashed Mary—perhaps finally embracing her comic-accurate fiery mutant powers—would be a devastating challenge to the entire Defenders roster. 

Which Marvel villain do you most want to see challenge the Defenders in Daredevil: Born Again Season 3? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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