Daredevil: Born Again - The Devil is back and New York hangs in the balance

Now, this is Daredevil.

Don’t get me wrong. The ‘first’ season of Daredevil: Born Again was wickedly fun to watch. Bringing back the high stakes tension of the original series, Marvel’s resurrection of Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio (mostly) hit its target. But, at the same time, it’s also fair to say that the first season was a little uneven in moments due to the creative reset that it took upon itself during filming. While the series was an absolute win, it still came across as a little unfocused on its overall goals.

But not this time.

With the release of its second season, Born Again truly lives up to its name. With Dario Scardapane fully steering the ship this time around, Daredevil is focused, furious and fueled by the same sort of character that made this series the streaming success that it became. It’s dark, brooding and very, very violent when given the opportunity. In short, Born Again is back to being appointment television.

The second season of Daredevil: Born Again picks up shortly after the attack on Wilson Fisk’s life in last year’s finale. Having taken a bullet for the Mayor, Matt Murdock is missing – but the Daredevil has returned. As a result, Mayor Fisk has intensified his search for vigilante’s, especially the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen himself. Meanwhile, as he builds his resistance in the shadows, Murdock pushes back against Kingpin’s corrupt empire in a desperate attempt to save his home.

While the first season focused on the growth of Fisk’s power within the mayoral office and returned Matt Murdock to the mask he’d put away, the second season can be summed up with one word: escalation. With Mayor Kingpin’s reach continuing to grow, the Anti-Vigilante Task Force has become more aggressive in their search. At Fisk’s urging, the hunt for Daredevil and others like him is on. To him, the rules no longer apply when his reign… er… the safety of the good people of New York hangs in the balance. (And, without question, whether or not the series intentionally does so, there’s no question that these moments feel like they mirror recent political events.)

And, for Murdock, S2 also brings out a more aggressive side to his approach. Though he lives in the shadows, Matt Murdock also knows that the Devil needs to up his game. Enlisting help from old friends (and foes), Daredevil is fully on the attack, attempting to break the grip that Fisk has upon the city.

But part of the magic of this series stems from the similarities between these two men. Just as in the first season, Scardapane manages to draw out the moments where both characters are exhibiting traits that mirror one another. As the primary duo, Cox and D’Onofrio have always brough out the best in one another but they really do sparkle in this season. For example, in one particularly interesting moment, Fisk and Vanessa are chatting in bed while Matt is having his own nighttime conversation with his lover. (Nope, no spoilers here). While both are sharing their desire to save the city, the two men begin speaking about saving the city yet, as things progress, we see the ways that they differ. As a staple of the series these moments are marvelous pieces of editing that elevate the performances by its leads.

After all, in the city of New York, one man’s vigilante is another man’s hero.

Having said this though, it’s also worth noting that S2 also allows another primary character to enter the chat. (No, this isn’t a tip of the hat to Bullseye or any of Murdock’s other MCU or Defenders co-stars.)

It’s the people of New York itself.

As Fisk and Murdock battle each other, they’re also fighting for the soul of the city and Scardapane ensures that they have their say. Each episode features newsreels and interviews with people who share their opinions on topics ranging from Fisk’s role in office to the risk of vigilantes. While these moments might be considered throwaway pieces of storytelling, they actually become essential to the narrative. Every comment in Fisk’s favour demonstrates who much the people of the city base their opinions on what they’re told, as opposed to the truth. Despite their violent outbursts in the street, there are many who support Fisk and his band of thugs as they attempt to ‘keep the peace’. In fact, for Murdock and Fisk, this push for public support almost feels like the real battle at hand.

It’s that tension that adds a new element of ferocity to Daredevil: Born Again. With New York’s soul hanging in the balance, the series really does feel fully revitalized. Grounded, gritty and sharply-written, there’s an urgency to this season that comes to life onscreen. And frankly, it will leave you hoping that the Devil reign will continue for a third round.

Daredevil: Born Again S2 begins streaming on Disney+ on March 24^th, 2026 at 9pm ET