Highlights

  • Fans of Netflix's Marvel shows have been excited by set photos of Daredevil: Born Again, as it appears that another character from the Netflix continuity has joined the MCU.
  • Despite doubts about whether Daredevil and Jessica Jones are canon to the MCU, the inclusion of Detective Sergeant Brett Mahoney in the upcoming show suggests that the more grounded elements of the Netflix shows will be maintained.
  • The recent news surrounding Daredevil: Born Again has sparked speculation about the potential return of other less prominent characters from the Netflix shows, leaving fans eager to see who else may make a comeback.

Daredevil: Born Again set photos continue to excite fans of Netflix's Marvel slate of shows as yet another prominent character appears to have jumped from the Netflix continuity to the Marvel Cinematic Universe canon by joining the cast of the upcoming show.

Daredevil was easily the centerpiece of Netflix's interconnected Marvel universe, tying together other shows like Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage that would eventually converge for the miniseries The Defenders. While successful, the shows were canceled by Netflix, but a deal required Disney to hold off on using the characters featured in Netflix's shows for two years, starting in 2018. By 2020, Disney had honored that obligation to its competition, and fans clamored for Charlie Cox's Daredevil to return since he wasn’t off limits anymore.

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This fan outcry would be answered with the announcement of Daredevil: Born Again, which has since seen a radical shift from the original idea after MCU boss Kevin Feige fired several Daredevil: Born Again creatives to save the show due to his dissatisfaction. Since then, the show has picked up, and fans have been greeted with good news concerning returning cast members from the Netflix era. Most recently, New York City-based illustrator Tristan, who has recently given BTS looks at the production of Daredevil: Born Again, took to X to post a few pictures showing marked trailers from the set, with fans immediately gravitating to one labeled Brett and interpreting it as confirmation that Netflix-era character Detective Sergeant Brett Mahoney will join the MCU as part of the cast.

Mahoney, an officer of the New York City Police Department portrayed on the Netflix shows by Royce Johnson, featured extensively in Daredevil and appeared in Jessica Jones and even The Punisher series. Known for helping Matt Murdock's law firm, Nelson and Murdock, with legal matters and forming an uneasy alliance with Daredevil, Mahoney played a prominent part in the Netflix shows, including taking the Kingpin to task via the legal system on more than one occasion. Despite this prominent role and his connection with Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin (who was the first additional cast member drafted from the Netflix series), it seems a lot of fans weren’t exactly expecting him to join the MCU, especially after Marvel Studios seemingly made Daredevil and Jessica Jones non-canon to the MCU, alongside the other Defenders series.

The inclusion of Mahoney, a character that has no superhero alter ego but played a key role in the pivotal legal proceedings of the original series, can be seen as a good sign that the show is on the right path in terms of keeping the more grounded elements of the Netflix shows front and center. While the potential return of Jessica Jones and news of a new Iron Fist for the MCU have been the talk of the town recently, Mahoney's seeming inclusion has gotten fans talking about their less prominent favorites from the shows that could also potentially return.

All the recent news concerning the project has made it even more unclear if Daredevil: Born Again is a reboot or continuation, and fans seem to be excited for either eventuality as long as their favorite characters make it over the line. At this point, viewers must wait and see what form the final product takes and how much of the past the new show brings forward.

Daredevil: Born Again is currently set to debut on Disney Plus in 2025.

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Source: Tristan