Daredevil: Born Again’s Opening Twist Was Its Worst Kept Secret, So Why Are People Complaining?

The first two episodes of Marvel Television’s Daredevil: Born Again have finally been released on Disney Plus, and the consensus has been mostly positive with a few valid complaints of how the new writers handled fan-favorite characters. The fandom has waited years for the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen to return and to be the lead of a show after countless cameos in adjacent projects, but the opening left them stunned.

It is refreshing to see Marvel Studios acknowledge the success of older Netflix series, but some would argue there are better ways to fill in the gaps and propel storylines further. While some fans applaud the writer’s boldness, some are still upset about how certain characters were treated.

Major spoilers will be discussed beyond this point.

Daredevil: Born Again Kicked It off With a Bang to the Chest

It is time to address the elephant in the room, and that is the writer’s decision to kill off Elden Henson’s Foggy Nelson in the first 10 minutes of Daredevil: Born Again. Initially, Elden Henson wasn’t meant to appear on screen and the writers revealed he was always meant to die before the show started as a catalyst for Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock to retire from a life of crime fighting for good.

Marvel Studios was unsatisfied with the original direction and ordered a significant creative overhaul, paving the way for older cast members from the Netflix series to reprise their roles. Unfortunately, fan favorites like Karen Page and Foggy Nelson from the first three seasons would only appear for a few quick scenes and were overshadowed by new supporting characters.

The show began with Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye causing mayhem at Josie’s Bar and killing a handful of innocent bystanders to draw out Daredevil. It was no secret that this iteration would feel like the original show, but the violence and profanity were dialled to a new level. While the death is shocking, some can’t help but see it from a mile away, especially since they filmed the episode on an open set and whispers of a major death would rock Matt’s world.

Some fans have already figured that Foggy will bite the dust, but some can’t help but feel disappointed. The main reason is that they have waited years to see these characters return and were swept under the rug to progress Matt’s storyline. Nelson, Murdock, and Page had great chemistry and were one of the best parts of the original Daredevil show.

It is safe to assume that the Marvel fandom will take a while to recover from this tragic loss.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe was always criticized for lack of stakes and character deaths, and the not-so-shocking twist in the first episode was meant to counter that. Perhaps this is only a fraction of what the first season of Daredevil: Born Again, and fans should avoid getting too attached moving forward and realize that this version is much more mature than the original show.

For more Thumb Wars coverage, check out what director Neil Druckmann has to say about The Last of Us Part 3 being made, and how constant reshoots affected Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World.

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Rouvin Quirimit

Rouvin Josef Quirimit is a Content Writer, an avid gamer (on his PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch), and film enthusiast. He was fortunate to grow up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was enamored by the storytelling of a shared universe full of heart and spectacle. His love for movies led him to great single-player games and he intends to cover major franchises for years to come!