Daredevil: Born Again Season 2’s Cast has 15 New & Returning Marvel Characters

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 continues the MCU’s Marvel Netflix revival, bringing even more characters back into the mainstream canon. Looking back, it’s hard to believe there was a time when the Marvel movies generally avoided any references to the TV shows. Charlie Cox made his triumphant return as Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Jon Bernthal’s Punisher will appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

As exciting as these crossovers may be, the real thrill is seeing the best Marvel Netflix show return in the form of Daredevil: Born Again. Marvel initially seemed unsure whether to commit to the same continuity, but the decision was made, and it was the right one. Season 2 doubles down on that fateful choice, featuring no less than 15 new and returning characters from across the Marvel (and Marvel Netflix) universe.

15. Charlie Cox as Daredevil

First up, we have Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock. Cox has pretty much defined the role since his debut back in 2015, capturing the smart self-assurance of Murdock and the brutal intensity of Daredevil. He faces his darkest days yet, though, given Kingpin has successfully become mayor of New York and vigilantes are now outlawed.

14. Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin

Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin has had a remarkably strong arc in the mainstream MCU so far. He returned in Hawkeye (timed to coincide with Cox’s No Way Home appearance), and his ongoing story was set up at the end of the Echo miniseries when he spotted the opportunity to run for mayor. Kingpin wrestled with his own violent nature throughout Season 1, but he’s now tired of holding it back.

13. Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones

Matt Murdock won’t be facing Kingpin alone this time, though; he’ll be joined by another Marvel Netflix hero, a member of the Defenders no less. Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones, the super-powered detective with an attitude, is back to help take Kingpin down. When last we saw Jessica, she’d decided to remain in New York and expand Alias Investigations. She was also, surprisingly, one of the few NYC vigilantes with a strong reputation.

12. Wilson Bethel as Bullseye

Wilson Bethel was introduced as the assassin Bullseye in Marvel Netflix’s Daredevil Season 3, and reprized the role in spectacular form in Daredevil: Brand New Day Season 1. There, the killer was responsible for assassinating Foggy Nelson before going head-to-head against Daredevil in a brutal duel. He’s returning in Season 2, and is expected to have an even larger role.

11. Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page

Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page was essentially the co-star of the old Marvel Netflix show, as well as Matt Murdock’s chief love interest. Surprisingly, Marvel originally intended to keep Karen out of the revival; plans changed, and she was wisely brought back. Karen only served a minor role in Season 1, calling in Punisher to help save Matt from an Anti-Vigilante Task Force. She’d expected to have a big part of Season 2.

10. Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson

ELden Henson’s Foggy Nelson was a mainstay in the classic Marvel Netflix show, but his story seemed to come to an abrupt end at the beginning of Daredevil: Born Again. Foggy may have apparently died at Bullseye’s hands, but Henson is confirmed to be returning in Season 2. It remains to be seen whether this is through flashbacks, resurrections, or something even trickier; Foggy did once fake his own death in a comic book arc.

9. Ayelet Zurer as Vanessa Fisk

An accomplished Israeli actress, Ayelet Zurer is known for a wide range of roles – from Munich to Vantage Point, from Fugitive Pieces to Adam Resurrected. She played Wilson Fisk’s beloved Vanessa in the original Marvel Netflix show, and returned in Born Again Season 1. Vanessa has proved she’s just as dangerous as Kingpin, successfully running his criminal empire at one point and even orchestrating Foggy Nelson’s assassination.

8. Toby Leonard Moore as James Wesley

Toby Leonard Moore’s James Wesley was an essential part of Daredevil Season 1 as Kingpin’s right hand man. There’s a sense in which Wesley was the true mirror-image villain of that first season, a corrupt lawyer who embodied what Matt Murdock could have been without morals. He got on the wrong side of Karen Page, winding up shot dead; but Moore is returning in Born Again Season 2, presumably in a flashback.

7. Royce Johnson as Det. Sgt. Brett Mahoney

Another recurring Marvel Netflix character, Royce Johnson’s Brett Mahoney was a decent cop who helped Matt Murdock and crossed paths with the Punisher. He’s making a welcome return in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, where he’ll presumably be less than enthused at Kingpin’s corrupt regime. You may also know Johnson from The Blacklist, House of Payne, and The Snare.

6. Matthew Lillard as Mr. Charles

American actor Matthew Lillard is best known for Cross, Scream 7, and Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, but the accomplished horror actor is making his debut in Born Again Season 2 as a very different character. He’s playing Mr. Charles, apparently a CIA agent who crosses wits with the Kingpin. The name may well be a deep-cut Marvel Comics reference, where Mr. Charles secretly worked for a corrupt company called Roxxon.

5. Margarita Levieva as Heather Glenn

Played by Margarita Levieva, Heather Glenn was introduced in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 as Matt Murdock’s new love interest. A marriage counsellor, she was drawn into the Fisks’ orbit and has now taken on a job in Kingpin’s administration. You may also recognize Levieva for her roles in Task, Litvinenko, and The Deuce; she’s no stranger to action franchises, also appearing in the cancelled Star Wars TV show The Acolyte.

4. Lili Taylor as Governor Marge McCaffrey

An accomplished American actresss, Lili Taylor’s career began in 1988’s Mystic Pizza, but you’ll likely recognize her from more recent hits such as Public Enemies and Poker Face. Taylor is joining Season 2 as Governor Marge McCaffrey, a political rival for Kingpin. She doesn’t appear to have any comic book equivalent.

3. Michael Gandoffini as Daniel Blake

American actor Michael Gandoffini is known for The Many Saints of Newark, Warfare, and Bob Marley: One Love, and he plays Kingpin fanboy Daniel Blake in Daredevil: Born Again. Blake took a few steps into the darkness in Season 1, and it remains to be seen whether he’ll be corrupted as the story continues.

2. Genneya Walton as BB Urich

Journalist BB Urich is doing her best to honor her uncle Ben Urich, who Kingpin killed in Daredevil Season 1. Urich is a fierce journalist, but she’s in danger of getting drawn into the Kingpin’s web of intrigue in Season 2. The original character is played by Californian actress Genneya Walton (Never Have I Ever, #BlackAF, 9-1-1).

1. Camila Rodriguez as Angela Del Toro

Finally, Camila Rodriguez is back as Angela Del Toro, niece of the murdered vigilante White Tiger. In the comics, Angela takes up the mystical White Tiger amulet and becomes a superhero in her own right, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see her suit up in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2. You may also recognize Rodriguez from Station 19, Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, and Extended Family.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

Daredevil: Born Again Recap – 11 Biggest Things From S1 & the Wider MCU To Remember for Season 2