The first Daredevil cowl and billy clubs, leaving the vigilante life behind. However, there are many times in Daredevil's long and storied comic history that Matt Murdock stepped away from his alter ego (sometimes by choice, sometimes by necessity). In Ed Brubaker's Daredevil, which ran from 2006 to 2009, readers learn that Danny Rand AKA Iron Fist has been acting as Daredevil in Matt's stead.

Daredevil and Iron Fist have a rich past and friendship that dates back decades. The two are both New York-based superheroes and half of the vigilante team known as The Defenders, with Jessica Jones and Luke Cage rounding out the roster. Their friendship runs so deep that Danny Rand took up the role of Daredevil, or The Man Without Fear, when Matt Murdock could not.

When Matt Murdock Was Imprisoned, Another Daredevil Popped Up in Hell's Kitchen

Readers Were Stumped As to the Identity of the Impostor Behind the Daredevil Mask

Brian Michael Bendis ended his widely acclaimed Daredevil run with Matt Murdock locked behind bars due to his secret identity being revealed. Following Bendis, Ed Brubaker took over as Daredevil writer in 2006, but was left in a continuity predicament: how can Daredevil be the vigilante fans know and love while in prison?

Matt Murdock himself wound up asking the same question when, in jail, he received news of Daredevil operating in Hell's Kitchen. The question of the unknown Daredevil would soon be answered, as Matt escaped prison during a riot with the help of his old frenemy, The Punisher AKA Frank Castle. By making it look as though Castle used Murdock as a hostage to escape as well, the two were able to leave Ryker's behind and get back to their lives in the shadows.

Murdock's first order of business was clear: unmask the man stealing his secret identity. It took little time for Murdock to locate the impostor, and the two came to blows while both dressed in the Daredevil costume. The knock down drag out fight in Daredevil vol. 2, #82 (Feb. 2006) didn't end until the fake Daredevil's fist bursts into flames. This stopped Murdock in his tracks with the knowledge that only one person could be behind the mask: The Immortal Iron Fist.

Murdock was certain that his old-time pal, Danny Rand, would never betray him. As soon as Rand explains how he came about stealing Daredevil's tights, it's revealed that someone hired him for the job. While Rand didn't know who it was, he had been keeping the streets of Hell's Kitchen protected just as Murdock would have wanted. Moreover, with newspapers and authorities seeing Daredevil operating as usual while Matt Murdock was firmly behind bars, the charges against Murdock became dubious. How could Murdock be Daredevil when Daredevil was still out on the streets?

The Daredevil Readers See in 'Civil War' is Also Danny Rand

Iron Fist ed the Fight Between Steve Rogers and Tony Stark While Still Posing as Daredevil

Danny Rand did more than just patrol the streets of Hell's Kitchen during his stint as Daredevil. Murdock's imprisonment overlapped with the famous Civil War storyline. During Civil War, Daredevil is apprehended for refusing to abide by the Superhuman Registration Act. The law, backed by Iron Man, required that anyone with superhuman powers with the United States government. Famously, Steve Rogers opposes the Superhuman Registration Act, which results in the massive rift and battle between Captain America and Iron Man in the series.

As Daredevil continued to operate without ing under the controversial law, he was quickly apprehended and placed in Prison 42, also known as Negative Zone Prison Alpha. Prison 42 held all superhumans who refused to with the government. When guards are perp-walking Daredevil to prison, Tony Stark tries to get the man he thinks is Matt Murdock to talk with him. The guards tell Stark that Daredevil has refused to say anything, and that the only item found on his person was a silver dollar. In Stark's confusion, Daredevil finally speaks and delivers one of the coldest burns in the whole Civil War event: "Guess that's thirty-one pieces of silver you've got, huh? Sleep well, Judas."

Knowing that it's Danny Rand behind the suit and keeping true to Matt Murdock's essence as a character only enriches the interaction.

What Could Danny Rand's Time as Daredevil Mean for the MCU?

Daredevil May Be a Confirmed Member of The Defenders to Return to Disney+, But That Doesn't Mean He's the Only One

Though the Marvel Studios, actors, and executives alike have stated that the other Defenders (Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Danny Rand) will not be returning to Disney+ from their Netflix days, nothing is ever certain. After all, Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire vehemently denied any involvement with MCU Spider-Man projects for over a year leading up to their ultimate appearances in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Daredevil's absence from the streets of Hell's Kitchen would be the perfect opportunity to adapt elements of Brubaker's storyline and give viewers a surprise cameo by Finn Jones' Danny Rand.

The Daredevil: Born Again trailer showed that Matt Murdock gave up the vigilante life due to an unknown accident, presumably at the hands of Daredevil. Daredevil's absence from the streets of Hell's Kitchen would be the perfect opportunity to adapt elements of Brubaker's storyline and give viewers a surprise cameo by Finn Jones' Danny Rand. After all, Foggy Nelson, Karen Page, Frank Castle, and Benjamin Poindexter (Bullseye) from Daredevil's Netflix days are confirmed to reappear in Daredevil: Born Again.

The trailer also throws in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it Luke Cage easter egg with a poster for Harlem's Paradise; a location which played a major role in Netflix's Luke Cage. Considering Luke Cage and Jessica Jones are an on-again-off-again couple in Marvel Comics, bringing back the other two Defenders at once could be in the cards. If Daredevil: Born Again adapts the Iron Fist version of Daredevil, even for a small cameo, then all four of the Defenders could be effortlessly resurrected in the MCU. But whether or not Marvel takes the same lead... remains to be seen.