While Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 will continue Matt Murdock's war with Mayor Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. the Kingpin of Crime, we have to believe the now-confirmed third season will serve as something of a fresh start for the Disney+ series.
If so, there are many new directions to take the Man Without Fear in as Marvel Studios continues exploring this street-level corner of the MCU.
Some would take the character in a completely new direction, while others can pick up where Season 2 leaves off, albeit with Matt Murdock in unrecognisable surroundings. A few would paint the hero in a whole new light, whether it be as a prison inmate or Kingpin in his own right.
You can check out our updated look at possible Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 storylines by clicking the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
6. Daredevil Becomes The Kingpin
With his secret identity revealed to the world courtesy of the Kingpin, a desperate Matt Murdock once again found himself doing battle with Wilson Fisk in Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev's "Hardcore" storyline.
Pushed to the edge, the Man Without Fear brutally beat Fisk when they squared off and declared himself the new Kingpin of Hell's Kitchen. Ordering criminals to clean up their act or leave, he made his corner of the Big Apple safer and more prosperous than it had ever been.
However, Daredevil's actions also sent those crooks to other parts of New York, making life harder for his fellow superheroes. His actions eventually created a power vacuum the Yakuza took advantage of, leaving Matt way in over his head.
5. Elektra, Woman Without Fear
With Matt out of commission (we'll get to why in our next slide), a reluctant Elektra Natchios suited up as the new Daredevil during Chip Zdarksy and Marco Checchetto's critically acclaimed comic book run.
Not only did Elektra become a superhero—which meant no longer using lethal force—but she bought up most of Hell's Kitchen to stop a couple of ruthless billionaires from driving up the crime rate to lower property prices. The assassin also wielded sonic-powered Sai, thanks to Iron Man.
Being Daredevil proved to be a battle on several fronts for Elektra, but she was fantastic in the role and still holds the mantle as we write this. Plus, that costume is beyond awesome.
4. Daredevil Goes To Prison
Believe it or not, the Man Without Fear has spent time behind bars not once, but twice. The first came shortly after his secret identity was revealed and the FBI decided to imprison him for his actions as Daredevil (this came at the end of Bendis' run and led to Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark's).
Locked up alongside the Kingpin, Bullseye, The Punisher, and Black Tarantula, Matt didn't have the easiest time of it but eventually escaped and fled to Europe to investigate who ordered the death of his friend, Foggy Nelson.
More recently, Daredevil accidentally killed a street thug and, with his guilt getting the better of him, he handed himself in and served time as his superhero alter-ego, not Matt. Either one of these stories has major potential when it comes to dealing with Season 2's fallout.
3. Taking Down The Hand
Netflix's Daredevil dropped the ball on The Hand and The Defenders delivered an underwhelming conclusion to the group's story. That doesn't mean Marvel Studios can't make it right in a future season of Daredevil: Born Again, of course.
There are many stories involving this group—Shadowland could be an interesting direction for 'ol Hornhead—but we're going back to Zdarksy and Checchetto. Alongside Elektra, Matt formed the Fist to wipe out The Hand once and for all.
He attempted to reform villains they broke out of prison, revealed a very cool new look, and eventually travelled to Hell where he saved Foggy's soul. The big twist came when it was revealed that the Fist also served a demon, making this a wild story to adapt.
2. Guardian Devil
This classic tale by Kevin Smith and Joe Quesada saw the Man Without Fear encounter a baby who he'd been led to believe was the Antichrist. The hero's life soon started falling apart; for starters, Karen Page was diagnosed with HIV and Foggy Nelson is accused of murder.
The plot thickens, and a confrontation with Bullseye in a church leads to Karen's murder. Matt nears his breaking point and the mastermind behind all of these misfortunes is eventually outed as Spider-Man bad guy, Mysterio.
Dying of cancer, he set out to destroy Daredevil so he could have one big win before perishing. The hero refuses to kill Quentin Beck and instead leaves him to take his own life, and while Mysterio would likely be swapped out for, say, Mr. Fear, this story has potential.
1. Ikari
During Mark Waid and Chris Samnee's Daredevil run, it was revealed that Bullseye had survived being "killed' by the Man Without Fear during Shadowland, but was now a prisoner within his own body.
The villain set out to recreate the accident that gave Matt Murdock his powers, and had only one successful test subject: Ikari. Wearing a Japanese version of Daredevil's original costume, he was more than a match for the hero, and absolutely brutalised him in combat.
Talking of Shadowland, while that's a story that could play out on screen somewhere down the line, following Matt as he heads down a villainous route just doesn't hold too much appeal. Ikari, however, would be a refreshing change of pace, no matter who pulls his strings.