Every Easter Egg and Reference So Far – ryan

Daredevil: Born Again kicked off with a bang, and the latest episode will leave fans talking. The newest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe sees Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio reprise their roles as Matt Murdock/Daredevil and Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin, respectively, in a continuation of the original Daredevil series. While fans might have been worried given that Daredevil previously went through some of the most iconic Daredevil stories, including “The Elektra Saga” and even put its own spin on the “Born Again” series that the Disney+ series draws its name from, the creators pulled from various corners of the Daredevil universe to craft this latest season.

Daredevil: Born Again features plenty of callbacks and Easter eggs from both the original Daredevil series and comics, but it also features some interesting nods and references to the larger MCU and the various heroes that occupy New York. From The Punisher, Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Ms. Marvel, and Ant-Man, there are plenty more references to show that Daredevil operates in a much larger sandbox than before. Here are the biggest Easter eggs and references in Daredevil: Born Again so far.

Daredevil: Born Again

Release Date: March 4, 2025
Showrunner: Chris Ord
Directors: Michael Cuesta, Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Writers: Chris Ord
Franchise(s): Daredevil, Marvel Cinematic Universe

Cast

Charlie Cox

Matt Murdock / Daredevil
Vincent D’Onofrio

Wilson Fisk / Kingpin

Callbacks and References to the Previous ‘Daredevil’ Series and Other Marvel Titles

Daredevil: Born Again is a continuation of the Daredevil series that originally aired on Netflix from 2015 to 2018, with many of the stars of the series calling the new series Season 4. This means the series features many notable callbacks to the original series, particularly in the opening episode prologue that kicks off the main story. Matt Murdock, Karen Page, and Foggy Nelson are seen hanging out at Josie’s Bar, the local Hell’s Kitchen Bar that was a frequent hang-out spot in the original Daredevil series. Foggy Nelson’s time working at Hogarth, Chao & Benowitz LLP is also referenced. That was the law firm of Jessica Jones’s supporting character, Jeri Hogarth, which Foggy Nelson worked at in The Defenders and Daredevil Season 3.

Kingpin speaks with Vanessa about “healing” following his accident, a direct reference to Maya Lopez shooting him in the eye at the end of Hawkeye, which was followed up on in Echo. In the first episode, Wilson Fisk even alludes to Maya Lopez as the protégée he was training before she shot him. The Tracksuit Mafia, first introduced in Hawkeye, returns in Daredevil: Born Again as one of the many criminal organizations Vanessa Fisk has been running in her husband’s absence. The Tracksuit Mafia made their Marvel Comics debut in Hawkeye Vol. 4 #1 in August 2012 and were created by Matt Fraction and David Aja.

‘Daredevil: Born Again’s New Supporting Characters Have Marvel Comics History

Following the conclusion of Daredevil: Born Again‘s prologue, the series jumps forward to the main action of the series, which sets up a new status quo for Matt Murdock, including a new business partner and a new love interest. Since Foggy’s death, he has started a new law firm titled Murdock and McDuffie alongside his new business partner, Kirsten McDuffie, played by Severance‘s Nikki M. James. McDuffie was created by writer Mark Waid and artist Paolo Rivera and introduced in Daredevil Vol. 3 #1 from July 2011. McDuffie herself is named after the late great comic book writer Dwayne McDuffie, who passed away in February 2011, five months before Kirsten Duffie’s comic debut.

Daredevil: Born Again also introduced a new love interest for Matt Murdock, Heather Glenn. Glenn is played by Margarita Levieva, who previously appeared as Mother Koril on Disney+’s The Acolyte. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist William Robert Brown and first appearing in Daredevil #126 in July 1975, Glenn was another brief love interest for Daredevil.

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While a lot of attention has been paid to Michael Gandolfini, son of The Sopranos’ James Gandolfini, playing one of the Kingpin’s new right-hand men, it is the one played by Arty Froushan that should draw more attention. Froushan is playing Buck Cashman, who in Marvel Comics goes by the name of Bullet. Created by Ann Nocenti and John Romita Jr., Bullet first appeared in Daredevil #250 in January 1988. Much like the MCU version, the comic book Buck Cashman works closely for the Kingpin, though the comic version is a mercenary who typically wears a mask. Buck Cashman earns his Bullet comic book moniker when he kills Luca for Fisk in a set-up assassination attempt on Fisk to get rid of his enemies.

One of the newest characters in the series has connections to the previous Daredevil series. B.B. Urich, played by Genneya Walton, is a young reporter who runs her own social media news organization called the BB Report. B.B. Urich is Ben Urich’s niece. Played by Vondie Curtis-Hall in Daredevil Season 1, Ben Urich was a reporter for the New York Bulletin who helped Karen Page and Foggy Nelson investigate the identity of The Kingpin, discovering it is Wilson Fisk. Fisk later killed Urich, but it is unclear if he was ever tried for this crime. This raises questions about whether B.B. knows that Fisk killed her uncle, but it seems like a plot point that will have to come out. Ben Urich is a major supporting player in the Daredevil comics, and his legacy now lives on through his niece in Daredevil: Born Again.

Episode 6 also introduces Cole North, played by actor James Earl. Cole North was introduced in Daredevil Vol. 6 #1 in February 2019 and was created by Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto. In the comics, North is a police officer who doesn’t hold vigilantes in high regard. The MCU version is a corrupt police officer and a member of Wilson’s Fisk anti-vigilante task force. Set photos for Daredevil: Born Again featured Earl wearing a Punisher-inspired outfit, identifying him as the killer of White Tiger in Episode 3.

Comic References in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

The opening of Daredevil: Born Again features the death of Foggy Nelson. In the comics, Foggy Nelson was famously killed in Daredevil Vol. 2 #82, written by Ed Brubaker, with art by Michael Lark in their debut issue on the title. Published in February 2006, the comic famously saw Foggy Nelson stabbed and killed by an inmate when he was visiting Ryker’s island to visit Matt Murdock when the character was under arrest. Like in Daredevil: Born Again, Matt Murdock hears Foggy Nelson’s heartbeat stop. Yet in #88, the twist was revealed that Foggy Nelson didn’t die and was in witness protection in a storyline titled “The Secret Life of Foggy Nelson.” This could open the door for Foggy Nelson to return to the MCU, particularly following news that Elden Henson is expected to reprise his role as Foggy Nelson in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2.

In the first episode, Karen Page moves to San Francisco following the events of the opening prologue. San Francisco has notably been a second home for Daredevil in the comics outside of New York. The first time the character moved there was in Daredevil #86 from 1972 by Gerry Conaway, the co-creator of The Punisher. Then, in 2014, during Mark Waid’s run on the Daredevil comic, Matt Murdock once again moved to San Francisco and started a new life there.

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The plot around Wilson Fisk running for mayor, first hinted at in the post-credit scene of Echo, is taken from a plotline in Charles Soules’s Daredevil storyline. Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin was elected mayor of New York in Daredevil #28 in October 2017, following the devastation of the Secret Empire storyline. Fisk’s tenure as the mayor of Marvel Comics leads him to outlaw super-powered individuals from the city, which seemingly is the direction the series is going, as Kingpin will likely try to outlaw vigilantes. Daredevil: Born Again is adapting a comic book storyline created during the middle of the previous series’ run on Netflix. Following Fisk’s tenure, Luke Cage actually became the mayor of New York City, possibly setting up how that character could return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The plotline of Matt Murdock representing Hector Ayala/The White Tiger in court in Episodes 2 and 3 is taken from the “Trial of the Century” storyline from Daredevil Vol. 2 #38 to #40. Published between October 2002 and January 2003 during Brian Michael Bendis’s tenure with the character, this storyline marked The White Tiger’s big return to the Marvel Universe before meeting a tragic demise. Daredevil: Born Again adapts the story’s ending with White Tiger getting killed, although, in the comics, he was killed before evidence came forward that proved his innocence. White Tiger’s death could set up another story arc during Bendis’s tenure, where he introduced Hector Ayala’s niece and the fourth White Tiger in Marvel Comics, Angela del Toro.

White Tiger in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

In the first episode of Daredevil: Born Again, it is established that Daredevil isn’t the only notable vigilante operating in New York. A new character on the scene is White Tiger. There have been many White Tigers in Marvel Comics over the years, but the one scene in Daredevil: Born Again is Hector Ayala, the first White Tiger introduced in Marvel Comics back in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19 from December 1975 and was created by writer Bill Mantlo and the legendary artist George Pérez. The White Tiger gets his powers from a batch of mystical amulets that enhance his strength, speed, agility, reflexes, and balance and has a connection to Daredevil’s former Defender, Iron Fist, as the amulets draw their power from K’un-Lun. However, none of that is mentioned in Daredevil: Born Again.

Episode 2 introduces audiences to Hector Ayala in his civilian identity, breaking up what appears to be a mugging before an accidental death reveals one of the assailants is an undercover cop. The audience later discovers that Ayala is the vigilante in the episode alongside Matt Murdock. Hector Ayala’s introduction episode is also dedicated to Kamar de los Reyes, who plays Hector Ayala/White Tiger in Daredevil: Born Again. The actor passed away from cancer on December 24, 2023, after the first batch of episodes of Daredevil: Born Again were shot, and shortly after, filming began on the rest of the series.

Episode 3 of Daredevil: Born Again also established Hector Ayala’s niece, Angela. In the comics, Angela del Toro becomes the White Tiger after her uncle’s murder. Angela del Toro gets a bigger role in the subsequent episodes, investigating her uncle’s murder and later being captured by the villain Muse before being saved by Daredevil. Her willingness to seek justice and her encounter with Daredevil could likely lead her to become the new White Tiger, as she did in the comics. It isn’t hard to see Angela del Toro picking up the white tiger amulet and becoming a new hero in Phase 7 after Avengers: Secret Wars.

‘Luke Cage,’ ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp,’ and ‘The Avengers’ References in Times Square

Episode 2 begins at a New Year’s celebration in Times Square, with the Kingpin addressing the citizens of New York. While the previous use of Times Square in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Captain America: The First Avenger, was used to get much of the movie’s product placement front and center for the mostly period-piece set film, here, Times Square is filled with a few references to the wider MCU.

There is a billboard for Rogers: The Musical, the Hamilton-inspired Broadway musical that tells the story of Steve Rogers/Captain America, who previously appeared in Hawkeye and had a small background reference in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Harlem’s Paradise is a nightclub featured in Luke Cage. Initially owned by criminal Cornell “Cottonmouth” Stokes and later his cousin Mariah Dillard after she killed him. Following her death, she left it to Luke Cage, who decided to run the business as a way to monitor and control the crime in Harlem. The last time audiences saw Luke Cage in Jessica Jones Season 3, he was still running Harlem’s Paradise, and this ad possibly sets up the return of Luke Cage and other Defenders to the MCU.
The Pym van Dyne Foundation was introduced in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. After the events of Avengers: Endgame, Hope Van Dyne retook control of Pym Technologies and renamed the company, using Pym particles to help reshape the world.
An ad for the soft drink Pingo Doce, first seen in The Incredible Hulk, can be seen. An advertisement for Pingo Doce could also be seen in Ant-Man, with a diet version glimpsed in X-Men ’97. This soft drink is also available for purchase at Avengers Campus in Disneyland.

Spider-Man and The Punisher in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

In Wilson Fisk’s speech to the citizens of New York, he drops small hints at two of the MCU’s most famous vigilantes in New York with strong ties to Daredevil: The Punisher and Spider-Man. The Punisher is in Daredevil: Born Again, with Jon Bernthal reprising his role. However, don’t expect Spider-Man to appear, as Marvel Studios does not have the live-action television rights to the character, which blocks him from appearing in the Disney+ series.

Kingpin calling out Spider-Man is fitting as the villain first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #50 and was commonly associated as a Spider-Man villain until Frank Miller’s Daredevil run made him Daredevil’s archenemy. It is also fitting that The Punisher and Spider-Man are linked together since The Punisher first debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #129. While filming Pilgrimage, Jon Bernthal and Tom Holland recorded audition tapes together to land the parts of The Punisher and Spider-Man, respectively, which eventually paid off, further connecting the two characters.

The Punisher Returns in ‘Born Again’

Episode 4 of Daredevil: Born Again saw Jon Bernthal make his return as Frank Castle/The Punisher into the Marvel Cinematic Universe six years after The Punisher Season 2 aired on Netflix. Daredevil: Born Again‘s showrunner, Dario Scardapane, was a writer for both seasons of The Punisher series, so he is certainly familiar with the character.

The Punisher was first introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 in 1974 and was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. Initially trying to kill Spider-Man, the Punisher has become one of Marvel’s most famous anti-heroes. After three failed feature films, The Punisher seemed to finally click into place when Bernthal debuted as the character in Daredevil Season 2 back in 2016. Bernthal’s depiction of the character was so popular that Marvel and Netflix greenlit The Punisher spin-off series, which aired in 2017 and 2019.

The scene in Episode 4 of Daredevil: Born Again implies this is the first time Frank Castle and Matt Murdock have seen each other since Daredevil Season 2, meaning it would be 11 years within the MCU’s timeline. While The Punisher’s sequence is brief, it certainly sounds like he will be back for more in the series and an upcoming Special Presentation set for 2026.

Unpacking the Controversy Around The Punisher in 2025

At the end of Episode 2, a pair of corrupt cops can be seen sporting a Punisher logo tattooed on their arms. Then, in Episode 2, another cop is seen wearing a Punisher tattoo while a copycat Punisher killer shoots White Tiger at the end of Episode 3. It appears that Marvel is looking to tackle the controversial status of The Punisher in recent years, particularly with his skull logo. It became a popular symbol among members of the United States Armed Service division during the Iraq war to paint the Punisher logo on their uniforms, with one notable individual being Chris Kyle, the subject of the Best Picture nominee American Sniper. The logo has become particularly popular among police officers in the Blue Lives Matter movement, including making unofficial Punisher logo items with a thin blue line through it.

Gerry Conway, the co-creator of The Punisher, commented on police officers using the Punisher logo, comparing it to putting a Confederate Flag on a government building, and stated: “To me, it’s disturbing whenever I see authority figures embracing Punisher iconography because the Punisher represents a failure of the Justice system. … The vigilante anti-hero is fundamentally a critique of the justice system, an example of social failure, so when cops put the Punisher’s skulls on their cars or members of the military wear Punisher’s skull patches, they’re basically siding with an enemy of the system.” In a separate interview, Conway said, “They are embracing an outlaw mentality. Whether you think the Punisher is justified or not, whether you admire his code of ethics, he is an outlaw. He is a criminal. Police should not be embracing a criminal as their symbol.”

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In July 2019, writer Matthew Rosenberg tackled the Punisher controversy head-on in Punisher Vol. 12 #13. Frank Castle comes across two police officers who are fans of his as they proceed to take a selfie with him and show they have a sticker of his logo on their car before comparing their work to his. The Punisher tears up the sticker, saying:

“I’ll say this once: we’re not the same. You took an oath to uphold the law. You help people. I gave that up a long time ago. You don’t do what I do. Nobody does. You boys need a role model? His name’s Captain America, and he’d be happy to have you…. If I find out you are trying to do what I do, I’ll come for you next.”

This is the stance that Marvel has taken on The Punisher logo being used by police since 2020, particularly after members of the Detroit Police Department were seen wearing the Punisher skull during the George Floyd protests in 2020. Around that time, Conway and others called on Marvel and Disney to take legal action to prevent law enforcement from using the logo. With a group of corrupt police officers wearing Punisher tattoos and The Punisher himself set to appear, Daredevil: Born Again looks like it will tackle the controversy head-on. While the original Punisher comic sold a little less than 20,000 copies when it was first published, Daredevil: Born Again has a chance to reach a much wider audience and allow Marvel to make their stance on certain individuals co-opting The Punisher logo clearer.

‘The Sopranos’ and Daredevil Connection

Daredevil: Born Again features Michael Gandolfini as an original character, Daniel Blake. Michael Gandolfini is the real-life son of the late great James Gandolfini, who played Tony Soprano in the landmark series The Sopranos. Michael Gandolfini stepped into his father’s most iconic role in The Many Saints of Newark, a prequel film that featured a young Tony Soprano. While Gandolfini’s real-life son now joins the Daredevil universe, his fictional son from The Sopranos also has connections to Daredevil.

Robert Iler played A.J. Soprano, the son of Tony Soprano, in all six seasons of The Sopranos. After the series concluded, he largely retired from acting, but one of his few credited screen appearances was in 2003’s Daredevil. In the film, Iler plays a bully to a young Matt Murdock. James Gandolfini’s onscreen and real-life son starred in Daredevil projects.

Daredevil: Born Again‘s subplot of Wilson Fisk and his wife Vanessa undergoing marriage counseling can’t help but feel like a homage to The Sopranos, which begins with mob boss Tony Soprano going to see a psychiatrist, Dr. Melfi, played by Lorraine Bracco. Much of The Sopranos centers on Tony Soprano needing to balance his dual life as a mob boss and his personal life, a similar struggle that Wilson Fisk has as The Kingpin.

‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Features an Unfortunately Timely Subplot

Daredevil: Born Again Episode 4 (which was initially conceived as Episode 3 before the reworking of the show) sees a small break after the two-episode White Tiger trial and shows seemingly the everyday part of being a lawyer for Matt Murdock as he takes on a low-level case trying to help Leroy Bradford, a person who was caught stealing dessert from the grocery store. It is a standard case that fits right at home in a typical lawyer series and helps flesh out Matt Murdock’s day-to-day life and the types of cases he would take on. However, it also illuminates an issue the original series ignored while highlighting a significant issue happening in the United States, one the series’ writers likely couldn’t have anticipated when they wrote the episode.

While Matt Murdock seems annoyed with Leroy’s attitude, despite Murdock getting him a reduced sentence, Matt is later made to understand that even a few days in jail can have a big impact. The topic of how being in prison means someone could miss their appointment to renew their food stamps, which can then be hard to get back on. The Guardian reports that SNAP (formerly food stamps) helps more than 42 million Americans. It is a key tool in fighting hunger in the United States, particularly now that one in eight households says they struggle to make enough for groceries.

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In February 2025, House Republicans passed a budget of $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and $2 trillion in mandatory spending, which includes programs like Medicaid and SNAP. Some estimates say funding for SNAP could be reduced by at least 20%, meaning millions of Americans will receive less help, and many of them could lose assistance altogether despite the price of groceries increasing. In March, as Daredevil: Born Again began its run, it was reported that some states would pay out benefits late (via tododisca).

This episode does a lot to refocus both Matt Murdock and the audience on what a “criminal” is. Should a man stealing a box office caramel popcorn be treated the same as a killer? Or why is it okay for someone who commits a high-profile white-collar crime that defrauds people out of millions of dollars to get off with a much easier sentence than a simple crime such as stealing food? The idea of stealing a loaf of bread to feed a family is now a universal shorthand for a necessary crime, one that most people accept as a justified one. Many of these minor crimes result from an unfair system that Daredevil can’t just punch away. Daredevil might be able to chase down and bring in a murderer, but how does he fight against systemic injustices that are designed to keep people in poverty?

Muse in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

After four episodes, Daredevil: Born Again finally introduces the much-hyped and marketed character, Muse. Muse is a relatively recent creation of the Daredevil franchise. He was created by writer/editor Charles Soule and artist Ron Garney. Muse made his debut in Daredevil Vol. 5 #11 in September 2016, meaning he was created after Daredevil Seasons 1 and 2 aired on Netflix.

Muse was teased in Episode 3, likely the artist behind the Punisher skull mural with the word “Triggered” on it. Here, a true hint of his villainy is shown as he is seen working on a new art piece after taking someone hostage. Daredevil: Born Again will likely draw heavily from Muse’s first comic appearance, where he was a street artist who used bodies he killed and tortured to make his art pieces.

In Episode 7, Muse’s identity is revealed to be none other than Bastian Cooper, played by Wednesday actor Hunter Doohan. Bastian has been a patient of Heather Glenn’s, teased back in the second episode at one of her book signings. The reveal of Muse’s identity is a big deal, as the character’s alter ego is still unknown in the comics. It is possible that the Marvel Comics version could still have a separate identity from the one the MCU made for him. Muse appears to be dead by the episode’s final moments, raising questions about the showrunners’ previous comments about the character returning in Season 2. Was that a clever misdirection to throw fans off the scent, a hint at the character possibly having Inhuman ties like the comics have teased, or even something more… demonic?

Is Marvel Just Trolling Fans With Mephisto Again?

One look around Muse’s art gallery and one of the images early on in Episode 7 resembles the comic villain Mephisto. Created by Stan Lee and John Buscema and debuting in Silver Surfer #3 in December 1968, Mephisto is based on the Mephistopheles demon from the Faust legend and acts as the Marvel Comics universe of The Devil. He is the creator of the Ghost Rider mantle and has been a threat to various Marvel heroes, including The Avengers, Spider-Man, and even Daredevil. Mephisto played a large role in Ann Nocenti’s run on the Daredevil story during the Inferno crossover, and Mephisto’s “son,” Blackheart, debuted in Daredevil #270 in September 1989. The connection between Daredevil and Mephisto certainly has layers, as Mark Steven Johnson directed 2003’s Daredevil and later helmed 2007’s Ghost Rider, which featured Peter Fonda as Mephisto.

In the MCU’s first Disney+ series, WandaVision, the idea that Mephisto was the true villain behind the scenes was a prevailing fan theory due to small clues possibly pointing to the character’s identity. Since then, Mephisto has become a joke online, a shorthand for fan theory that makes a big swing based on such tiny details. Agatha All Along, the spin-off series of WandaVision, even played on this by name-dropping Mephisto in the series’ third episode.

Is this supposed drawing that might resemble Mephisto, another one of Marvel’s little in-jokes, to play with fans’ expectations? That is entirely possible, particularly given Daredevil’s history in the comics. The villain is a double-fun reference. However, rumors have circulated that Sacha Baron Cohen will appear as Mephisto in Ironheart, the Disney+ series that will debut after Daredevil: Born Again. Marvel Studios might pay off Mephisto soon. However, that is also what we said during WandaVision.

‘Secret Invasion’ Is Finally Acknowledged

To the shock of many, Daredevil: Born Again acknowledged the critically panned and largely fan-hated Disney+ series Secret Invasion. In Episode 4, Leroy Bradford suggests that Matt Murdock argues that Skrull committed the shoplifting crime to get the case thrown out, which Matt Murdock dismisses. The idea of a shape-shifting identity theft crime was already tackled in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, where a light-elf scammed Dennis Bukowski out of millions of dollars by pretending to be Megan Thee Stallion, but the Skrull reference is shocking for several reasons.

The Skrulls were first introduced in Captain Marvel but largely have an unknown presence in the wider MCU. That was until 2023’s Secret Invasion, which ended with the alien’s identity being exposed to the world, particularly in the wake of President Ritson declaring open season on all Skrulls residing in the United States. Daredevil: Born Again was not the MCU project anyone expected to reference Secret Invasion, considering how both The Marvels and Captain America: Brave New World avoided any reference to it despite the series seemingly tying into those storylines. If Secret Invasion is ever followed up on again, it remains to be seen, but Marvel Studios has shown no matter how dismissed a project is, they are willing to return to it.

Ms. Marvel Reference in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

Of all the Marvel Cinematic Universe characters to show up in Daredevil: Born Again, it is likely nobody expected that Ms. Marvel’s dad would be one of them. However, Daredevil: Born Again‘s fifth episode features an expanded role for Yusuf Khan, with Mohan Kapur reprising his role from Ms. Marvel and The Marvels. Yusuf references “the hero of Jersey City,” the nickname for Ms. Marvel, yet Matt Murdock reveals he has never heard of her.

Yusuf also name-drops his daughter, Kamala Khan. By the end of the episode, he invites Matt Murdock to join him and his family for dinner if he ever finds his way to Jersey, teasing a potential meeting between Daredevil and Ms. Marvel, or at least their alter egos.

Did They Tease The Young Avengers?

One interesting note is that Yusuf mentions his daughter Kamala is visiting some friends in California. At the same time, this could be a reference to her friend Bruno, who is attending Caltech in Pasadena, California. It might also reference the ending of The Marvels, where Kamala Khan was recruiting young heroes. Her first stop was Kate Bishop from Hawkeye, who resides in New York. She also referenced Ant-Man’s daughter, Cassie Lang, who lives in San Francisco, California. Marvel Studios might finally assemble The Young Avengers in the background of these various Marvel projects.

Marvel’s Funko Pop History

In a funny meta-joke, Yusuf comments that he has a limited edition of the Funko Pop! figure of Ms. Marvel. This refers to the fact that Funko and Marvel have a long history together, with the characters being some of the toy line’s bestsellers, and have made several limited-edition Marvel Funko Pop! toys. At the Funko store in Hollywood, California, there is a Funko waterfall inspired by Black Panther and an entire Marvel section. The joke is also funny since many Marvel projects have had reveals spoiled due to the Funko Pop! line of figures, including the original design for Tim Blake Nelson’s The Leader in Captain America: Brave New World and The Sentry in the upcoming Thunderbolts*.

A Familiar Face Returns as a New Character

Episode 5 of Daredevil: Born Again sees the return of Angie Kim, played by Ruibo Qian, who previously appeared in the opening act of the season premiere. Qian is likely best known as Zheng Yi Sao from the Max comedy series Our Flag Means Death, which was produced and co-starred by Thor: Ragnarok and Thor: Love and Thunder director Taika Waititi. Qian is no stranger to The Defenders Saga stories, as she previously played Mei in Jessica Jones Season 1. There doesn’t seem to be any connection between the two characters other than Qian playing her.

The ‘Inside Man’ Bank in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

Daredevil: Born Again‘s fifth episode is primarily set during a bank heist. A group of criminals takes armed hostages in New York City while a police officer negotiates with a charismatic ringleader. The episode feels like an homage to Spike Lee’s 2006 film Inside Man, which is nearly 20 years old. The same bank in Inside Man is also used in Daredevil: Born Again. The episode even borrows a crucial plot point that the robbers have a woman on their team passing as one of the hostages to allow them to sneak out once the robbery is finished.

The Swordsman Finally Earns His Name

Shortly before Daredevil: Born Again debuted, it was confirmed that Tony Dalton would be reprising his role as Jack Duquesne from Hawkeye. Jack was previously the ex-fiancée of Elenor Bishop, the mother of Kate Bishop. Elenor previously worked with Wilson Fisk. The Kingpin had Elenor frame Jack for the murder of his uncle. Despite initially being a major criminal suspect and someone Kate Bishop distrusts, he later assists her and Clint Barton in fighting the Tracksuit Mafia with a sword. That was the last audiences saw of him.

Now, Jack has returned, and both are from New York’s wealthy elite, who seemingly have a bitter distrust of Wilson Fisk at a dinner party. Fans also get a brief hint that Jack has been operating as a vigilante, as the BB Report features footage of a hooded figure known as ‘The Swordsman.’ Swordsman is Jack’s persona in the comics. He was initially a villain and a former mentor of Hawkeye before becoming an Avenger, and he even forged a romance with Mantis before his death. While that comic storyline is unlikely to happen, the fact that Jack is now operating as the Swordsman hints that the character might have a bigger role in the series or even Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 and possibly the potential plans for a rumored Hawkeye Season 2. With the Kingpin revealing he knows that Jack is Swordsman to his face, that certainly could put the two in conflict.

‘Daredevil: Born Again’s MCU Timeline Placement

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 has an interesting placement within the MCU timeline that we’ve previously outlined here. The opening action scene seemingly takes place in the Fall of 2025, shortly after She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. The first episode is in 2026, concluding with Wilson Fisk winning the New York mayoral seat. Episode 2 begins on New Year’s Day 2027.

Episode 5 of Daredevil: Born Again takes place on Saint Patrick’s Day, which means it takes place on March 17, 2027. This places the events of Episode 5 one month before the main storyline in Captain America: Brave New World, as the attack on President Ross’s life that kick-starts the events of that movie takes place on April 16, 2027. At the rate Daredevil: Born Again is going, the series finale episodes might be happening a little bit before or at the same time as the fourth Captain America movie.

Bullseye in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

The prologue to Daredevil: Born Again features the return of Wilson Bethel as Benjamin “Dex” Poindexter, aka Bullseye. He is wearing a pared-down version of his iconic comic book costume, with the notable addition that his mask covers everything but his mouth. Despite fans knowing that Bullseye is Daredevil’s archenemy, he was never identified as the character in the original Netflix series. In Daredevil: Born Again Episode 4, “Sic Semper Systema,” Frank Castle calls him Bullseye, marking the first time in the MCU the character has been identified by his comic book alias.

Daredevil: Born Again pulls a lot of references from Bullseye’s comic book history. The moment of him killing a guard using a tooth is pulled from Daniel Way and Steve Dillion’s Bullseye: Greatest Hits #5, published in January 2005. In that comic, an agent punches Bullseye in the mouth, dislodging a tooth, which Bullseye uses as a projectile to kill the man. This shot of Bullseye holding a tooth in his mouth is almost exactly like the one in the comic.

Finally, when Bullseye has Vanessa lined up in his sight to take a shot, the camera flips upside down, and the watercolor changes to reflect Bullseye’s perspective and world. It is deep blue, similar to Bullseye’s comic book outfit. Even though Captain America: Brave New World introduced adamantium into the MCU, the series isn’t adapting the fact that the character has an adamantium-infused spine in the comic. That could explain how he survived that massive fall from the top of a building in the Daredevil: Born Again premiere episode.

Callback to ‘Daredevil’ 2003

In the penultimate episode, Matt Murdock finds himself at a black-tie event hosted by Wilson Fisk. This is eerily similar to 2003’s Daredevil starring Ben Affleck, where Matt Murdock and his partner Foggy Nelson (played by the MCU’s first director Jon Favreau) attend an event that features Wilson Fisk (played by the late great Michael Clarke Duncan). In the 2003 film, that is where Murdock and Fisk cross paths for the first time.

While Daredevil: Born Again takes place well after Murdock and Fisk first meet, the scene notably does feature the party being interrupted by Bullseye. In Daredevil 2003, he kills Elektra’s father, but in Born Again, he takes a shot at Vanessa Fisk, only for Matt Murdock to jump in the way of the bullet and take the shot. Even though Daredevil might not be considered one of Marvel’s best movies, after 20 years, it does have a lasting impact on the character’s public perception and shades of it can be found in Daredevil: Born Again. Daredevil: Born Again is streaming now on Disney+.