Throughout the early episodes of Daredevil: Born Again, viewers have observed mysterious murals appearing across New York City, all bearing a distinctive signature. The graffiti is the obvious work of Muse, a Marvel supervillain teased in the marketing material of Daredevil: Born Again, but who has remained in the shadows for most of the season. This slow-burn introduction has allowed the series to develop tension around Muse while Mayor Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) uses the public’s growing fear of masked vigilantes to advance his political agenda. In Episode 6 of Daredevil: Born Again though, Muse finally becomes a primary antagonist. However, comic readers familiar with the character from Charles Soule’s Daredevil run might notice the series is taking a different approach with the villain.
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WARNING: Spoilers below for Daredevil: Born Again Episode 6
Muse debuted in Daredevil #11 (2016) as a superhuman villain with extraordinary abilities. The Marvel Comics version of the villain possesses enhanced strength and speed, allowing him to physically overpower Daredevil in combat situations. His most distinctive power, however, is his ability to remain completely undetectable to Daredevil’s radar sense — making him effectively “invisible” to Matt Murdock’s heightened perceptions. This unique advantage makes Muse an exceptionally dangerous opponent for Daredevil, who relies heavily on his enhanced senses to compensate for his blindness.
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In Daredevil: Born Again, Muse lacks these supernatural elements. When Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) confronts the villain in Episode 6, the character proves to be a formidable combatant, capable of temporarily standing his ground against the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. Yet, he possesses no superhuman abilities that would make him “invisible” to Daredevil’s senses. Despite this significant change, the series preserves crucial aspects of the character’s methodology from the comics. Specifically, Muse still uses victims’ blood as the medium for his artistic creations, mixing it with an epoxy that makes the murals nearly impossible to remove. Episode 6 also maintains the horrific scale of his crimes, revealing that over 60 people have been murdered to supply blood for his murals across New York. This grounded approach fits with the show’s overall tone while retaining the horror elements that made the character memorable in the comics.
Muse Retains the Villain’s Thematic Purpose in the MCU
Although Daredevil: Born Again significantly alters Muse’s power set, the series maintains the character’s narrative function. The comic book Muse emerged during Mayor Fisk’s administration, with his crimes providing justification for anti-vigilante legislation that hampered Daredevil’s activities. Similarly, the MCU’s Muse creates the perfect opportunity for Mayor Fisk to establish his Anti-Vigilante Task Force, giving him greater control over the city and legal means to target his enemies. This parallel demonstrates how the MCU preserves Muse’s thematic importance while modifying his personal attributes.
In addition, the decision to remove Muse’s supernatural abilities aligns with the established tone of Daredevil in live-action. The original Netflix series rarely ventured into overtly superhuman territory, focusing instead on relatively grounded threats like Wilson Fisk, Bullseye, and various criminal organizations. Even when adapting The Hand, the show downplayed many supernatural elements, ignoring the demonic associations of the ninjas. This approach distinguished the “street-level” corner of the MCU from the cosmic and magical threats faced by other Marvel heroes, establishing Hell’s Kitchen as a more realistic setting despite existing within the same universe as gods and aliens.
New episodes of Daredevil: Born Again premiere on Disney+ every Tuesday.
Are you happy with how Daredevil: Born Again depicts Muse? Or would you prefer the MCU Muse to have his supernatural abilities? Join the discussion in the comments!
