Earlier this month, Marvel Studios added all of Marvel Television's Netflix TV shows to Disney+. This has left fans more eager than ever to see these characters in the MCU, especially after Daredevil and The Kingpin's recent returns in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Hawkeye, respectively.
It's clear Kevin Feige is now looking to make use of (some of) these characters, and while those we've seen make their presence felt thus far have been played by the same actors, that's unlikely to be the case for everyone. After all, these shows are only very loosely tied to the MCU, and Marvel Studios being beholden to continuity they had nothing to do with makes zero sense.
If recent rumours are to be believed, a Daredevil reboot is in development. With that in mind, now seems like a good time to dive into the heroes and villains who should be a top priority for the MCU...along with a few who we have very little interest in seeing grace the big or small screen again.
We're starting with the characters we want to see more of before moving on to those we don't. To take a look through this feature, all you guys need to do is click the "Next" button below!
8. Elektra
Elodie Yung exceeded expectations as Elektra, even in the midst of poor storytelling and inconsistent writing. The actress gave her the mysterious, exotic vibe that the version played by Jennifer Garner was sorely lacking, and it finally felt like we had a truly badass take on this anti-hero...until she was killed off in one of the most underwhelming nods to the comic books we can remember.
Later returning as part of The Hand, the door was left open to us seeing more Elektra down the line, though we'd prefer if the MCU literally forgot pretty much everything that's happened in the past.
The concept of this character being tied to that clandestine group of ninjas is played out in the comic books and definitely something this series covered (in far too much depth). Moving forward, why not follow recent stories by having Elektra suit up as a female Daredevil? That's certainly one option, and with the right story, Yung could quite easily play the warrior in her own solo project.
7. Ben Urich
While Ben Urich's death may have shocked audiences in this series, it was also a tremendous waste of a character who has been a huge part of the Daredevil mythos over the years.
By killing this intrepid reporter, Marvel Television robbed us of the chance to see his unique dynamic with the Man Without Fear explored in detail; don't forget, it was Ben who figured out that Matt Murdock was secretly Daredevil, choosing not to publish that story in fear of outing one of the only heroes in New York City fighting to save Hell's Kitchen. So, how do you bring him back from the dead?
Well, it's surprisingly simple. This moment in the Netflix series just needs to be ignored; when 'ol Hornhead returns in the MCU, just have Ben there already part of his world. We probably wouldn't bring Vondie Curtis-Hall back, though it would be good to see a Black actor continue to play the reporter, especially as there was a real lack of diversity in the comic books when Ben was created.
6. Vanessa Fisk
Vincent D'Onofrio's take on Wilson Fisk was incredibly layered, and many of his best scenes came not opposite Charlie Cox's Daredevil, but with Ayelet Zurer's Vanessa. As the series progressed, she took an increasingly active role in his criminal empire, creating quite the power couple in the process.
With the MCU's Kingpin likely blinded after his run-in with Maya Lopez, Marvel Studios has the perfect opportunity to put Vanessa Fisk front and centre as she looks to take charge of her husband's criminal empire. Her death is ultimately what spurs Wilson on to head down the route of trying to recover mystical artefacts that can resurrect his beloved, but that could be saved for a later date.
There's more story to be told here, and not doing so would be a major wasted opportunity. Zurer was fantastic as Vanessa, so we'd like to see Marvel Studios make bringing her back a priority.
5. Foggy Nelson
You can't have Daredevil with Foggy Nelson. Elden Henson did a great job playing Matt Murdock's best friend, particularly when it came to portraying the hurt he felt upon learning that his buddy moonlights as a masked vigilante. Unfortunately, things did go downhill from there, with Foggy becoming less supportive and more of a whiner before ultimately parting ways with Matt to work for a huge law firm.
That was majorly out of character, and while we appreciated seeing Foggy receive his own agency, he's someone who needs to be by Matt's side as a friend, fellow lawyer, and source of inspiration.
In terms of their friendship in the MCU, let's explore the fun side of this dynamic, something that made the Mark Waid/Chris Samnee run of Daredevil such an enjoyable ride for fans. That's not to say we want Foggy to become comedic relief, but instead of nitpicking and criticising Matt every chance he gets, his buddy should be providing more valuable insights into what it means for him to be Daredevil.
4. Bullseye
Bullseye is one of Daredevil's greatest enemies, and that third season did a solid enough job of exploring Benjamin Poindexter's origin story. We'd argue it was too long-winded, but at least by the time the show ended, the stage had been set for this former FBI agent to suit up as Bullseye.
It's hard to say how the character should be handled in the MCU. On the one hand, we'd very much like to see Wilson Bethel show up as a fully formed Bullseye (costume and all) who has decided to take aim at the Man Without Fear. An argument could be made for a reboot, but a third actor playing this character on screen runs the risk of him feeling too familiar and played out to audiences.
As a result, our solution would be to have Bullseye make his presence felt in a number of other projects before eventually crossing paths with Daredevil again. Having him take aim at other heroes in movies and on Disney+, establishing the assassin as a terrifying threat before "Dex" eventually finds himself going head-to-head with Matt Murdock in what would be a truly epic battle.
3. Karen Page
Perhaps the most poorly written character in Daredevil across its three season run, Karen Page is not someone we're anxious to spend more time with in the MCU, unfortunately. That's not to say Deborah Ann Woll's work was in any way bad; the problem was that the show's writers constantly forced Karen into any and every situation just to give her something to do.
Somehow, she went from attempted murder victim to legal secretary to murderer to New York's best reporter, and while we could have bought into all of this with stronger storytelling, this show just dropped the ball. It was because of that Karen became something of a drag to spend time with, and as we move into a fresh era for the Man Without Fear, a new love interest feels like a much better idea.
Kirsten McDuffie, Milla Donovan, and Typhoid Mary are among the possibilities, but throwing Karen into this world too soon would be a mistake. It's a shame, because she's a great female character; there's just no getting around the fact that Marvel Television damaged her beyond repair.
2. Melvin Potter
One of the most infuriating things about Daredevil, and Marvel Television in general, was its outdated approach to handling costumed characters. Whereas the MCU was embracing superheroes, these shows seemed to be stuck in that early 2000s midset, with just the odd nod to a costume or familiar characters given obscure Easter Eggs or nicknames to reference their comic book roots.
That, unfortunately, was the case with one Melvin Potter. Becoming a recurring presence in this series, he created the Man Without Fear's suit (minus the "DD," of course...) and dropped several references to one day becoming Gladiator. It just never ended up becoming a reality.
With Marvel Studios now in charge, you'd think now would be the right time to make that happen. Nope. Matt Gerald is a good actor who did the best with what he was given, but Gladiator has always been one of Daredevil's lamer villains, and these repeated cameos have made us about as interested in seeing more of him as we are Turk. Give us Stilt-Man, Mister Fear, and a rebooted Owl...
1. Claire Temple
We love Rosario Dawson, but there's got to be a less thankless role for her in the MCU than Claire Temple. Used by Marvel Television to connect these characters, her involvement in the lives of each of the heroes soon became impossible to fully buy into, and failing to embrace what it meant to be Night Nurse in this world meant that a lot of potentially great stories fell by the wayside.
Now, there's really no need for Claire to return, though we would love to see Marvel Studios give Dawson a lead role in an upcoming TV show or movie. The possibilities are endless for her in that respect (especially with reboots of the X-Men and Fantastic Four franchises on the way), and we're sure that would be a more rewarding gig for her in the MCU than this character proved to be.
Had Claire been established as a stronger presence in the Man Without Fear's world, we'd have had a different attitude. As things stand, let's find something that gives Dawson her due...