Daredevil: Born Again will be connected to Netflix's Daredevil, but it's become clear Marvel Studios won't be beholden to creative decisions made by Marvel Television.
That's evident from The Kingpin's power upgrade in Hawkeye, not to mention the fact Vanessa Fisk has been recast. Then, there's the small subject of Foggy Nelson and Karen Page. They were a significant part of the original series but all signs seemingly point to neither character appearing.
According to Murphy's Multiverse, the rumour they won't appear in Daredevil: Born Again is "mostly true." Apparently, Foggy and Karen aren't expected to "have any significant screen time [as] their absence from the series is one of the opening arc's most important plot points."
The site seems confident that any scenes Elden Henson has shot as Foggy were likely for flashbacks or to explain his absence from Hell's Kitchen, but that may be speculative. What's clear is these characters won't be part of the show, a surprising decision on Marvel Studios' part, but one which should help avoid the 18-episode series from feeling like more of the same.
No Karen means Matt Murdock will need a new love interest, of course, and it sounds like the lawyer will have two.
Margarita Levieva will play Heather Glenn, while Nikki M. James has been tapped to star as Kirsten McDuffie. The former has only signed a one-season deal, suggesting she'll only be a short-term romantic partner, similar to Heather's comic book counterpart.
We'll see what happens but Daredevil: Born Again is certainly shaping up to be an exciting take on the Man Without Fear's corner of the MCU. There are going to be elements from the Netflix series which are missing, and that will upset some, but a fresh start a la The Incredible Hulk is no bad thing.
Daredevil: Born Again is currently expected to premiere on Disney+ in 2024.