Daredevil: Born Again is finally here and the series is, without a doubt, a triumph for Marvel Studios. The phrase "we're so back" is being thrown around on social media a lot today and, while it's perhaps a little premature, the Man Without Fear is definitely back.
We've already covered a handful of the two-part premiere's bigger moments but it's time to take a closer look at "Heaven's Half Hour" and "Optics."
In this feature, we dive into the biggest reveals and moments, examining what those mean for the rest of Daredevil: Born Again's first season...and beyond. Big things are being set up in the street-level corner of the MCU and it all starts with 'ol Hornhead.
You can read through this feature by clicking the "Next"/"View List" buttons below.
5. The Kingpin's New Right-Hand Man
Wesley was shot dead by Karen Page in Daredevil season 1 and Wilson Fisk has finally found himself a new right-hand man. He doesn't get much in the way of backstory, but Buck Cashman should be a familiar name to comic book fans watching the show.
On the page, he's better known as Bullet, a covert operative for the United States Government who ultimately fell under The Kingpin's sway.
As a result, he's crossed paths with Daredevil on countless occasions both as an enemy and reluctant ally. We'd imagine this version is going to be portrayed as being every bit as formidable as his comic book counterpart...even if he's a little smaller in stature.
4. Wilson Fisk's New Look
During their tense exchange in the diner, Matt Murdock points out that Wilson Fisk is looking a little slimmer these days. It's true, the Kingpin of Crime turned New York Mayor isn't the hulking brute we're used to seeing on screen.
That's likely a result of his life-threatening injury in Hawkeye and the lengthy recovery process that carried over into Echo.
It also feels like, as Fisk's appetite for violence has subsided, so too has his desire for food. We have a pretty good feeling this will change over the course of the season, particularly as his darker nature rears its ugly head. After all, we don't believe he's really changed, do we?
3. White Tiger's Superpowers
Hector Ayala gets a fair bit of screentime in Daredevil: Born Again, but his superhero alter-ego - the White Tiger - is largely confined to some surveillance footage taken from a local store.
However, you might have noticed that Hector confirms his amulet grants him superhuman abilities. The show doesn't go into further details beyond that but this lines up with the comics and leaves the door open to the artefact eventually being passed to his niece, Angela del Toro.
Those of you who paid attention to set photos will know where White Tiger's story is headed but we're not going to spoil that here.
2. Foggy Nelson Dies (Or Does He?)
Daredevil: Born Again was always going to kill Foggy Nelson. The creative overhaul just made it so that the lawyer died on-camera rather than off-screen, the correct decision by Marvel Studios and showrunner Dario Scardapane.
Matt listens as his best friend's heartbeat slows and eventually stops, while a one-year time jump confirms that Foggy died from his wounds. Might a twist be on the way, though?
It's been confirmed that Foggy's death was set in stone before the overhaul, so changing that was likely impossible given that it's the driving force behind this story. In the comics, Foggy "died" but was really put in witness protection. Perhaps the same will be true for season 2, particularly as Elden Henson is already confirmed to return there.
1. Daredevil Is An Addiction
If you're at all familiar with Matt Murdock's comic book adventures, then you'll know he's tried to give up being Daredevil...a lot. However, he's always pulled back to his heroic alter-ego and that looks to be the case in Born Again as well.
Despite giving up the mask to focus on being a lawyer, the Man Without Fear can't seem to move past the violence, even if he obviously had to defend himself from those dirty cops. And no, your eyes didn't deceive you...one of them is indeed rocking a Punisher tattoo on his wrist.
Right now, Matt is being pulled back to Daredevil, a storyline we'd imagine will form the basis for the next few episodes. At the same time, it wouldn't be at all surprising for Mayor Fisk to give up his mission to save New York and set his sights back on gaining more power and money.