Daredevil: Born Again – When Will Matt Murdock Suit Up Again?

WARNING — There are spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again Episodes 1 and 2 ahead! Matt Murdock might’ve returned to Disney+ this week, but “Daredevil” only made a brief appearance. Daredevil: Born Again opens with a confrontation that leads Matt to give up his vigilante work, and instead focus his efforts on doing good as an attorney. A one-year time skip reveals that Matt does not wear his devil horns at all, anymore. Two episodes in, we still haven’t seen the “Man Without Fear” suit up, and he doesn’t seem interested in doing so anytime soon. There are a few hints we can look at to predict when the Daredevil might emerge from Hell’s Kitchen again – but it already seems like it’s going to be a wait.

Born Again Should Earn Its Title

Born Again is a bit like a soft reboot of the Daredevil series that debuted on Netflix from 2015 to 2018 – and in that sense, it’s no surprise that the show is holding back the character’s iconic suit. You may recall that Daredevil Season 1 withheld the actual suit until the very end (Episode 13). Until that climatic moment, Murdock fought crime in a makeshift suit of black clothing.

If the Daredevil is truly going to be reborn, this should feel a bit like a second origin story, and that’s clearly the intent, based on some of the dialogue. Murdock speaks of “grace” and “retribution” in Episode 1, and the line made it into the trailer, as well. Matt’s Catholic faith is also a prominent part of his characterization, so we shouldn’t expect this “rebirth” to come lightly. He will need to confront his near-lethal attack on Bullseye, and likely other deeds, as well.

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The Born Again subtitle is borrowed from a Marvel Comics story arc written by Frank Miller and drawn by David Mazzucchelli, published in 1986. The show is not an adaptation of the comic series — in fact, Daredevil Season 3 already put a TV spin on that storyline — but fans may still want to look at it for clues about Matt Murdock’s development in this new series. The comic keeps Murdock out of his suit for the story’s entire second act, which includes most of the action he encounters.

What Will it Take for Daredevil to Suit Up Again?

After the first two episodes of Daredevil: Born Again, we have to consider what’s keeping Murdock from suiting up. He hung up the horns after trying to kill Dex Poindexter, feeling he had crossed a line and he could no longer trust himself to do the right thing. However, he also fought hard to put Poindexter behind bars for life, still believing he needed to be “punished” for Foggy’s death, even if it wouldn’t bring “justice.” Wilson Fisk speaks to Murdock about having “a violent nature,” feeling that they have some common ground, and Matt doesn’t outright deny it.

At the same time, Murdock has gone a year without doing vigilante work in part because he feels he’s doing enough for his community as an attorney. We see that beginning to change now that he has taken on Hector Ayala’s case, which is not being treated fairly in court. This is enough to push Murdock to the edge, and his new ally Cherry warns him off taking extra-legal action.

Finally, we see Murdock throw down again in self defense at the end of Episode 2, when two corrupt cops try to murder him. He fights them off in self-defense, but it may not be easy to prove that. This could push Murdock to do something outside the law — though that doesn’t necessarily mean suiting up. All in all, Matt will need a reason to suit up that’s just as compelling as his reasons not to – and he’ll need to come to terms with his past deeds to get there.

Optimism

For those that just want to see the Daredevil in action again, there is hope. For one thing, the trailer showed us enough of the suit that we know more is coming at some point. We also know that the Punisher is returning in this season, and it seems likely that the two vigilantes will be back in costume together onscreen.

The most compelling case for a quick return to the suit is Matt Murdock’s history. Born Again may be a fresh start in many ways, but it’s not ignoring the continuity of Daredevil and The Defenders. In the original series, we already saw Murdock swear off the suit once before at the end of Season 2, so rehashing that idea shouldn’t take up too much time. Murdock has also come to terms with his “violent nature” before, and we should expect him to do so again when it really counts. It seems like he’ll need a little perspective and a push from his enemies, but with seven episodes left, there’s plenty of time for both.

Daredevil: Born Again is airing new episodes on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Disney+. The original Daredevil series is streaming there now, along with the rest of the Defenders material.