Back in 2018, one of the many cancelations by Netflix was the much-beloved seriesDaredevilstarring Charlie Cox.DaredevilSeason 3 left off with Matt Murdock persuading Wilson Fisk to go to jail in his wife Vanessa’s place. Many fans felt the show ended with connections to X-Men. After a three-year hiatus, Cox reprised his role as Matt Murdock inSpider-Man: No Way Homeand fans were beside themselves with excitement across social media at the potential for an MCU reboot or upcoming film, especially after petitioning for so long for Cox to join the franchise in an official capacity.
Updated July 13, 2025: This article has been updated by Jessica Peerez following recent developments of behind-the-scenes shakeups regardingDaredevil: Born Again.
Following a guest appearance inShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Disney+ is in the process of relaunchingDaredevilin a series titledDaredevil: Born Again.There is much hope and excitement for the character, and manyquestions fans want answered. However, the biggest question ahead of the release of the new series becomes: isDaredevil: Born Againconnected to the original Netflix show?
Is Netflix Considered MCU Canon?
Over its three-season run on Netflix,Daredevilrevealed the disturbing underbelly of crime syndicates in Hell’s Kitchen. Instead of fighting aliens coming out of a portal or gods from Asgard, Matt Murdock was fighting against crime lords that ran New York City from the shadows. Matt may be a lawyer by day, but by night, his sense of justice is quite violent. The Netflix series was darker and grittier compared to the latest MCU films, which were, comparatively, like a trip to Disneyland.
Other Netflix series were similar in presenting other members of The Defenders, like theJessica JonesandLuke Cageseries. With each Netflix show, allusions were made to the larger scope of the MCU, from news headlines in Karen Page’s office covering the Battle of New York fromThe Avengersto Jessica Jones' quips about the heroes.
Yet the films avoided any references to the television series, andnone of the Defenders were present in the final battle ofAvengers: Endgame, even though a portal opening up with them certainly would have been a big applause moment from the audience. When it comes to the question of MCU canon, the shows were notably not included in the MCU timeline guide when they made the jump from Netflix to Disney+ in 2022.
Part of this is because of the division between Marvel Studios and Marvel Television. Starting in 2015, Marvel Studios started reporting directly to Disney while Marvel Television and Marvel Entertainment still reported to the New York offices of Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter. This caused a major rift between the two divisions.
Is Daredevil: Born Again Connected to Netflix’s Daredevil?
Daredevil: Born Againshares the title of a classic Frank Miller comic storyline of the same name, which details Matt’s fall from grace and subsequent attempts to rebuild himself, both personally and as a hero. Yet it is unlikely it is a straightforward adaptation as season 3 ofDaredevilon Netflix adapted the storyline. Ultimately, the title of the Disney+ series is a play on the fact that the character will be born into a new franchise.
Alongside Cox, other actors who will be reprising their roles in the Disney+ series include Vincent D’Onofrio and Jon Bernthal. At the time of writing, there still remains some confusion about whether the new series will be a continuation of the Netflix show. Although Cox himself first alleged thatDaredevil: Born Againwould be different from the first show, saying, “It has to be different, otherwise, why are we doing it?”, the actor later appeared to go back on his sentiments. In aninterview with iNews, the actor said:
“I don’t think it’s a different character. I just think it’s maybe a different period of his life. I don’t think my interpretation will change — they hired the same actor. We’re saying this is a whole new … era, or variant?"
Daredevil: Born Again Star Vincent D’Onofrio Weighs In on the Recent Marvel Controversies
Vincent D’Onofrio speaks out on the issues going on behind-the-scenes of Daredevil: Born Again.
Netflix’sDaredevilshowrunner Erik Oleson also carries the opinion that the new Disney+ series is basically Season 4 of the Netflix’s show. However, he acknowledges that the team behind the new show are working to ensure that Disney+‘sDaredevilis different from the Netflix version. “I’m rooting for them. I don’t have any inside information for you. I knew it was going to happen just from rumblings through friends in the grapevine of the Marvel family. But I really don’t know what they’re planning yet,” said Oleson,speaking to Screen Rant. He added, “We used pieces ofBorn Againin our season. I still call[Daredevil: Born Again]season 4, but they’re trying to insist it isn’t, so I’ll go along with whatever they want to call it.”
The connection to the original series is even more apparent following the recent news of anoverhaul ofDaredevil: Born Again. Reportedly, Marvel Studios was unhappy with the direction of the series and opted to let go of the original creative team and rework the series. An issue was that the creators delivered a more straightforward legal drama, and Marvel Studios wanted something closer in tone and style to the Netflix series. That implies that Marvel Studios wantsDaredevil: Born Againto be a continuation of the Netflix series.
Other Former Netflix Characters in the MCU
Spider-Man: No Way Homewas the first time audiences saw Charlie Cox reprise his role as Matt Murdock in the MCU. This was the first appearance of Matt Murdock in any MCU film ever and seemed to imply some connection to the Netflix franchise. That soon was followed up by a guest starring role in an episode ofShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law.He will next be seen in theEchoseries, and a variant of him will appear in Spider-Man: Freshman Year.
When audiences first met Wilson Fisk, as portrayed by Vincent D’Onofrio, he was in awe of a painting in an art gallery. As his storyline evolved in the NetflixDaredevilseries, Fisk quickly became one of the most frightening villains in the MCU, rivaling, to a point, the titan Thanos. He might’ve fallen in love and chosen to protect his wife from a prison sentence, but Fisk remained a formidable foe to Daredevil. During the Disney+ seriesHawkeye, D’Onofrio reprised his role as the Kingpin, seemingly free from jail. As the former employer of Ronin, Hawkeye’s vengeful alter ego, the Kingpin played a pivotal role in the series. Kingpin will return in Echo and then inDaredevil: Born Again, and so will his wife, but now recast. Ayelet Zurer played the role in the Netflix series, whileSandrine Holt will take over the role inDaredevil: Born Again.
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Jon Bernthal will reprise his role as Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, inDaredevil: Born Again. Not much is known about his role in the series, but given the popularity of the character, it is likely he will play a big part in the MCU moving forward.Krysten Ritter has been rumored to reprise her role as Jessica Jonesin the MCU for some time, but no project has been confirmed. Currently, there are rumors she will appear in eitherEchoorDaredevil: Born Again,but nothing is official.
Recent Changes to Daredevil: Born Again
On August 08, 2025, a story in theHollywood Reporteremerged aboutDaredevil: Born Againneeding a major overhaul. Marvel Studios reportedly was unhappy with the footage that was shot before the SAG-AFTRA Strike and is looking at taking the series in a new direction. Since then, rumors have begun to leak out about some plot details that might linkDaredevil: Born Againto the Netflix series and establish it as part of the MCU.
Reportedly, Foggy Nelson (played in the original series by Elden Henson) would have been killed off-screen, and this would have made Matt Murdock retire from his life as Daredevil. No reports have emerged on the status of Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), but given her connection to both Daredevil and The Punisher, it seemed odd not to include her in the series and likely pointed to her being dead. It is now possible the series will retool itself to leave the door open to bring these characters back into the MCU.
At the time of writing, it can’t be established for certain whetherDaredevil: Born Againis directly connected to the Netflix show. However, signs point to the fact that the new series is somewhat of a continuation. With the release date for the series reportedly pushed back to early 2025 from its initial Spring 2024 release date, fans may have to wait a little longer before getting a substantial answer to the question of how much, if any, from the Netflix series will carry into Disney+‘sDaredevil: Born Again.
