‘Daredevil: Born Again’ review: A thrilling clash of nemeses 

Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio shine in this adrenaline-fuelled reboot/sequel of the beloved series

There are a lot of mirror images in Daredevil: Born Again, a reboot of the three-season show, which streamed on Netflix between 2015 and 2018. The reflections serve as visual cues to the dual nature of the principals, who are the same, yet radically different from each other. One is a lawyer and a vigilante, the other is a crime boss who wants to run straight and has a visceral dislike for vigilantes.

The first episode introduces the main characters in the drama while setting them on a collision course. A fair amount of time has passed since the events of season 3 of Daredevil when Born Again opens. A crushing tragedy involving Bullseye (Wilson Bethel) finds the blind lawyer, Matt Murdock, (Charlie Cox) giving up his vigilante alter ego, Daredevil. A year later, Matt is busy with his law firm, which he runs with his new partner, Kirsten (Nikki M. James) and retired police officer, Cherry (Clark Johnson). He is dating Heather (Margarita Levieva), a well known writer and therapist.

The mob boss, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), aims high in his new law-abiding avatar when he runs for and wins the mayoral elections in New York City. Sheila (Zabryna Guevara), his campaign manager, prefers he go slow, though he wishes to change things immediately. Buck (Arty Froushan) is Fisk’s 2IC and Daniel (Michael Gandolfini) believes wholeheartedly in Fisk’s special brand of Kool-Aid to the extent that Fisk adopts him as his protégé. 

Fisk’s wife, Vanessa (Ayelet Zurer), who was taking care of his criminal empire when he was away and grew it exponentially, is unsure of how to feel at his return and his decision to walk the straight and narrow. Needing to provide a united front, the Fisks try therapy with Heather. New media in the form of BB (Genneya Walton) dogs the Mayor and sundry vigilantes’ footsteps.

Though both Murdock and Fisk are trying to leave their old lives behind, circumstances will not allow them to do so. Hector Ayala’s (Kamar de los Reyes) fate finds Murdock questioning the justice system, while a new threat, a serial killer who calls himself the Muse and paints extraordinary graffiti using his victims’ blood (gosh), holds the city at ransom. Murdock and Fisk react to the threat in different ways — Fisk by setting up a task force of crooked cops with unlimited power, and Matt with Daredevil.

There was some move to Marvel-ise Daredevil, by making it lighter in tone, but following a creative overhaul during the 2024 Hollywood strikes, the darker, grittier tone was reincorporated with the return of Punisher (Jon Bernthal). The action is physical and you practically feel the thwacks and the burbling blood. The production design incorporates the city of New York as a character. While the return of Fisk, Murdock and others, including Karen (Deborah Ann Woll) and Foggy (Elden Henson) from the original series gives a sense of continuity, the introduction of new characters ensures first-time viewers’ engagement.

D’Onofrio imbues his larger-than-life Fisk with ambition, and heartache in equal measure, especially in his dealings with Vanessa, while Cox finds the sweet spot between strength and vulnerability in Murdock. Daredevil: Born Again offers a complete package with mystery, heartbreak, a ruthless killer on the loose, thrills, a bank heist where Yusuf Khan (Mohan Kapur), Kamala’s father from Ms. Marvel makes a welcome appearance, bone-crushing violence, and an almost Shakespearean character study.