[This article contains SPOILERS for Marvel’s The Defenders]
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Charlie Cox teases how The Defenders‘ ending may dictate the direction of Matt Murdock/Daredevil’s storyline in the next season of his own solo Marvel/Netflix series. None of The Defenders‘ characters have gotten quite as much screen time as Cox’s Matt Murdock has. Not only was he the first character to premiere his own solo Daredevil series in early 2015, but fans got to spend another full, second season with Matt and his friends last year, leading up to his role in the first season of The Defenders. And just in case that wasn’t enough, Marvel and Netflix have already greenlit Daredevil for a third season as well.
Based on how and where The Defenders leaves Matt Murdock in its final moments, it’s looking more and more like that third season of Daredevil will be covering what is, arguably, the character’s most iconic comic book storyline in history. That, of course, as many Daredevil fans will already know — is none other than Frank Miller’s critically-acclaimed 1986 Daredevil comic book arc, titled “Born Again.”
Related: How The Defenders Sets Up Daredevil Season 3
While recently speaking with THR about the possibility of Daredevil moving into “Born Again” territory, Cox teased just how faithful the series will be in its adaptation of the beloved comic book story:
“That’s such an amazing story. Everyone who loves Daredevil loves Born Again. You can’t not. And if that’s the case, then the implications of that would be very exciting to me. That would be great. Having said that, I know we don’t tend to follow any story blueprints too closely, because if you do, then you become a foregone conclusion.
There may be elements from Born Again, but I’m sure there will be elements that are unfamiliar and surprising and different in order for the show to be compelling to fans who know the comics very well. If we start making Born Again page-for-page, then the people who have read it and loved it — the hardcore fans — they won’t have too much drama.”
For those who don’t know, The Defenders ends its first season with the world and the surviving members of its central superhero team, believing Matt Murdock to be dead. But then, as the season’s final scene reveals, Matt is actually (barely) alive and is being treated in a convent with cuts and bruises all over his body. The scene even features one of the Nuns telling an off-screen character to let “Maggie” know that Matt is waking up, hinting at the possible introduction of Matt Murdock’s mother at some point in the near future. Not only does this moment offer fans a little bit of relief — knowing they won’t have to worry entirely about Matt’s fate until the premiere of Daredevil season 3 — but it’s a moment that’s almost directly pulled from the “Born Again” run.
That storyline — which featured Matt’s life being torn apart by Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) as a result of a desperate, drug-addicted Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) selling out Matt’s identity as Daredevil — has become known as one of, if not the, most well-regarded Daredevil story of all time. Of course, it’s unlikely that Daredevil may take Karen’s character in the same direction the comics did, but the possibility of the Kingpin returning in a sizable role next season, along with Matt’s life being torn apart similar to how it is in the comics, feels about as likely as it ever has. So now, all that’s left to do is wait and see just how much of “Born Again” the series will actually tackle, whenever Marvel and Netflix release Daredevil season 3.
Next: The Defenders Aren’t The Avengers – And That’s a Good Thing
The Defenders is streaming now. Daredevil season 3 doesn’t have a release date yet, but it is set to begin filming this year.
