Daredevil: Born Again Had a Sneaky Hawkeye Reference You May Have Missed

Daredevil: Born Again premiered on Disney+ last week, bringing The Man Without Fear back to the small screen for the first time in seven years. The long-awaited return to Hell’s Kitchen was full of suspense, action, and a gut-wrenching shocking moment within the first 15 minutes, starting the soft reboot off with a bang. Besides Daredevil and Kingpin, old faces from Netflix’s Daredevil returned to the Disney+ version, including Karen Page, Foggy Nelson, Vanessa Fisk, and Benjamin Poindexter (Bullseye). But the events of another Disney+ series, Hawkeye, played a large part in setting the scene for both Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk’s comeback, and it may have breezed past you like a plunger arrow.

These connections help showcase the interconnecitvity between all corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Daredevil and Kingpin’s Reunion References Another Disney+ Series

A scene shown frequently in the trailers leading up to the premiere of Daredevil: Born Again revealed Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk sitting down for a surprisingly calm and collected conversation at a diner. Considering that the two men have come to physical and metaphorical blows time and time again, the subdued conversation feels awkward at first. 

They make small talk about their personal journeys since the last time they saw each other, with Fisk asking Murdock if he has any children. While Murdock denies, he counters with the same question, to which Fisk replies that he also does not have children, but tried to mentor someone once. With a tone of gravity, Fisk adds that the mentorship did not end well. While Fisk seems reluctant to speak more about it, a bemused Murdock asks, “Didn’t she shoot you in the face?”

The reference is a clever one, as it provides new viewers with a reason for the scar by Fisk’s eye, but has a deeper meaning to fans who watched the MCU Disney+ series Hawkeye. A major subplot in Hawkeye features Maya Lopez (Echo) seeking vengeance for her father’s murder. Lopez believes Clint Barton/Hawkeye is responsible and spends a majority of the series using her resources to find him and take him down. In a twist, Fisk appears as Lopez’s “uncle” or mentor, marking Vincent D’onofrio’s first appearance outside of the Netflix TV shows, and into the larger MCU, as Kingpin. Lopez learns that Fisk, not Barton, was responsible for her father’s death and opens fire on Fisk, shooting him in the eye.

Another subtle Hawkeye nod in Daredevil: Born Again comes when Vanessa Fisk, who runs her husband’s business in his absence, hosts a meeting with the top mob bosses in New York. One of the mobsters is wearing a tracksuit, connecting him to the Russian “tracksuit mafia” Barton goes up against in his series. The tracksuit mafia also plays a major role in Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Hawkeye comic that the Disney+ series drew inspiration from when crafting Clint’s first solo series. 

[RELATED: 7 Daredevil Episodes You Need to Rewatch Before Born Again Premieres]

The Devil Is Never Far Away

The Hawkeye reference in the episode isn’t just for eagle-eyed MCU obsessives, it’s elevating the plot of the show. Daredevil: Born Again establishes that Wilson Fisk has been away recovering for an undetermined amount of time; enough to leave his wife, Vanessa, with resentment for not maintaining their relationship, even while he was away. Fisk uses the experience in Hawkeye to paint himself as a changed man due to a near-death experience; a man who now wants to do good with the time he was lucky enough to get back. The narrative Fisk pushes helps him gain popularity in his campaign for mayor, despite his previous massive criminal operations and multiple counts of murder. 

However, wherever Wilson Fisk goes, Matt Murdock will be close behind. At their awkward diner meeting, Murdock makes it clear that he does not believe the facade of being a changed man that Fisk is trying to sell and makes his intentions known: If Fisk puts a toe out of line, Matt (and Daredevil) will be there to stop him. With seven more episodes of Daredevil: Born Again still to come, the clash between Daredevil and Kingpin feels inevitable. 

New episodes of Daredevil: Born Again premiere on Disney+ on Tuesdays.

What do you think of Daredevil: Born Again so far? Let us know in the comments below!