As Daredevil: Born Again gears up to start production in early 2023, the cast for Disney Plus’ incoming relaunch of the Man Without Fear’s adventures is fast coming together. And yet, while the influx of new additions doesn’t bode all that well for those hoping to see the veterans from the original Netflix series return, fans should still be excited for these fresh faces as it’s just possible that one of them could indicate that leading man Charlie Cox’s biggest wish for his character is finally about to happen.
The latest Born Again casting update at the time of writing is the news that Margarita Levieva (The Deuce) and Sandrine Holt (American Gigolo) have joined the production. While the specifics of the duo’s roles remain under wraps, it’s being reported that they are thought to be playing love interests for both Cox’s Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). Leaving aside the sacrilege of giving Kingpin a new partner who isn’t Vanessa for a moment, Levieva’s casting opposite Cox could be a very exciting thing indeed.
As a Russian-American actress, Levieva would be perfect casting as yet another Black Widow. And it just so happens that Cox has been saying for years how much he would like to one day see Matt have a relationship with Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff, as per the character’s iconic love story in the comic books. While a pairing with Nat is obviously off the cards these days, introducing another Red Room graduate to be his latest romantic partner could be the next best thing.
It would also be an entirely natural development considering the fallout of 2021’s Black Widow movie, which ended with Natasha and Yelena Belova freeing their sisters from Dreykov’s mental control. This means there are now various Widows running free around the world. So Levieva could potentially be playing one of them — perhaps even Ava Orlova, the Red Widow from the comics.
A Black Widow romance was never a feasible option during the Netflix era, but now that Daredevil has a home on Disney Plus, Born Again has the power to finally make Cox’s — and fans’ — dreams come true.