It’s been a long road back to Hell’s Kitchen, but it’s finally happening. As of Jan. 22, Daredevil: Born Again resumed shooting after a year-long series of delays, involving everything from the strikes to a total creative overhaul.
Interestingly, while the directors and showrunners were removed from the project, the cast has remained pretty much the same throughout the behind-the-scenes changes. Clearly, although Marvel was left unimpressed by the initial footage shot for the show, the studio remains confident that it has assembled the best possible cast to bring the Man Without Fear back to our screens.
It probably helps that many of said cast are already beloved parts of the Daredevil universe that fans cannot wait to see return. Speaking of…
Daredevil (Charlie Cox)
Well, it wouldn’t be Daredevil without the Hornhead himself, would it? I guess the title Born Again could’ve suggested a recast but the Marvel fandom would’ve launched an insurrection if Charlie Cox was replaced. As it is, the show marks Cox’s fourth post-Netflix return, following Spider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and (all too briefly) Echo.
Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio)
What good is a hero without his nemesis? Yes, of course Vincent D’Onofrio will be back as Kingpin in Born Again. Interestingly, Wilson Fisk has probably had a more substantial arc since DD ended than Matt Murdock has, thanks to the exploration of his twisted parental bond with Maya Lopez in both Hawkeye and Echo. Expect Fisk to run for Mayor of New York in the series.
Punisher (Jon Bernthal)
As weird as it sounds, the Punisher is coming to Disney Plus! While the jury’s still out on whether the rest of the Defenders will ever return, Jon Bernthal has long been part of Born Again as Frank Castle. It’s unknown exactly how much he’ll be in the show, or even if his role will change amid its creative reset, but with former Punisher writer Dario Scardapane as showrunner, you’d expect him to get a meaty storyline.
Bullseye (Wilson Bethel)
Netflix’s Daredevil ended before Benjamin Pointdexter could fully transform into Bullseye, but it looks like Wilson Bethel might just get a chance to don the classic costume after all as he’s back for Born Again. He’ll reportedly appear in three episodes of the run, which isn’t a huge amount but should hopefully be enough to pay off his arc in DD season 3.
Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) — RUMORED
Once upon a time, Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson were confirmed not to be involved with Born Again in any capacity. Rumored plot details then alleged that Matt Murdock’s best pals Karen and Foggy would be revealed to have died prior to the events of the series. This naturally resulted in a Kingpin-sized backlash. And apparently Marvel has learned its lesson…
Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) — RUMORED
Yes, if you believe the rumors, the creatively retooled Born Again will bring back both Woll and Henson as Karen and Foggy. Again, this has yet to be confirmed, but Marvel had better hope this is actually the case lest the fans are cruelly given hope before it’s snatched away again. A word of warning, though: presumably the characters won’t be regulars but will appear in some recurring role.
Vanessa Fisk (Sandrine Holt) — RECAST
Vanessa Fisk is a unique case in Born Again as, while the character is returning, she will be recast. Ayelet Zurer played Wilson’s wife in the first and third seasons of Netflix’s Daredevil, but the role has been passed on to Sandrine Holt for the Disney Plus show. There’s nothing sinister about the switch, however, as Zurer’s believed to have left due to scheduling conflicts.
New cast members
- Margarita Levieva – Heather Glenn
- Michael Gandolfini – Daniel Blade
- Nikki M. James – Kirsten McDuffie
- Arty Froushan – Buck Cashman
- Clark Johnson – Cherry
- Zabryana Guevara – Sheila Rivera
- Michael Gaston – TBD
- Marc Geller – TBD
- Haris Yulin – TBD
It’s not all old faces, though, as Born Again will feature a range of fresh additions to the cast, playing a mix of comic book characters and original creations for the screen. Margarita Levieva is on board as Heather Glenn, Daredevil’s 456th love interest in the MCU (no judgement — you do you, Matt), while Michael “Son of The Sopranos‘ James” Gandolfini is Daniel Blade. Nikki M. James is also on board as Matt’s fan-favorite ally from the comics, Kirsten McDuffie.
Watch out for Daredevil: Born Again on Disney Plus sometime in 2025.
