The Fantastic Four: First Steps' Pedro Pascal nearly played a character in Marvel's original Daredevil series, and I'm happy that he ultimately didn't. Right now, Pascal is at the forefront of the MCU in one of the most highly anticipated MCU movies, The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Pascal will be portraying Reed Richards, AKA Mister Fantastic, when the movie finally releases on July 25, 2025, and there is significant pressure for the actor to do the character justice, given that Richards is one of Marvel's most beloved characters and the Fantastic Four's cinematic reputation leaves something to be desired. 3oi3c

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again.

Since the second season of Netflix's Daredevil, Jon Bernthal has been in the role of Frank Castle/The Punisher. An antihero with a complicated, traumatic history including military service, the character acted as a foil to the deeply Catholic Matt Murdock/Daredevil due to their differing views on vigilantism. He received his own spin-off thereafter, which lasted for two seasons, and following a couple of guest spots on Daredevil: Born Again, he is slated to receive his own special presentation on Disney+.

Daredevil is already a fully realized superhero when he enters the MCU. But where and how does Matt Murdock's actual origin story begin?

Deborah Ann Woll's Karen Page returns in Daredevil: Born Againepisode 9 just in time to help Matt Murdock and Frank Castle, which was inevitable for all three Marvel characters. Daredevil: Born Again is the first Daredevil installment to feature Deborah Ann Woll's Karen Page and Elden Henson's Foggy Nelson in minor roles. Foggy Nelson's tragic death kicked off the events of Daredevil: Born Again, but Henson had very limited screentime in episode 1. Meanwhile, Karen Page only appeared in Daredevil: Born Again episodes 1, 2, and 9.

Daredevil: Born Again continues to reshape the Marvel TV landscape with bold choices that tie back to its predecessor in increasingly complex ways, especially after the shock reveal in episode 8. The revival series in the MCU timeline retained several key elements from the Netflix original, including its stellar cast and tone. One other aspect carried over into Daredevil: Born Again was seeded in the original series, which came to the surface during episode 8’s surprise ending.

The exciting plans that had been cooked up for Daredevil season 4 and 5 make me wish that we'd gotten further seasons of the original show - though I'm grateful Daredevil: Born Again makes one of these storylines a reality so many years later. As a whole, superhero shows either tend to continue for a massive number of seasons, or be limited to a far shorter run of one to three seasons. While both approaches have had some major successes, this does mean the genre is split between two very contrasting approaches, and not always to its own benefit.

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again episode 8.Directors Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson explain why Wilson Bethel's Bullseye is lit with blue lighting in Daredevil: Born Again and why it was important to bring Benjamin Poindexter into the MCU with a nice visual change. Bullseye pushes Matt Murdock to abandon his Daredevil alter ego temporarily after killing Foggy Nelson in Daredevil: Born Again episode 1. Using only a broken tooth, Bullseye breaks out of prison and attempts to assassinate Wilson Fisk, injuring Matt Murdock instead. Throughout Daredevil: Born Again episode 8, Bullseye's powers are accompanied by blue lighting, which signals the moments his violent tendencies come out.

Daredevil waited 30 hours of viewing time to show the backstory of one of its main characters, and looking back, I can't believe both this feat itself and how it actually works for the show. With Daredevil: Born Again season 1 debuting to considerable positive reception, it seems the original Daredevil is in an even more important position for Marvel than ever. However, interestingly enough, season 1 has kicked off by removing two of Matt Murdock's closest allies, with Foggy Nelson dying in episode 1, and Karen Page moving away and appearing to lose all with him.

Daredevil: Born Again has the perfect opportunity to introduce one missing Marvel villain who Daredevil first set up 10 years ago, and planned to feature in the original series more than once. Folding Daredevil's world properly into the MCU timeline has led a range of exciting figures to become a part of the franchise, with Daredevil: Born Again's cast bringing even more characters to the forefront by including the likes of Muse and Ben Ulrich's niece BB in its story. With that said, though, the MCU show also has the potential to bring many more characters into the world in a way that benefits both it and the wider universe.