Did ‘The Defenders’ Finale Hint at Kingly Return for ‘Daredevil’ Season 3?
Many have already raced through Marvel’s Netflix Defenders, and we don’t mind saying Daredevil was left in a world of hurt for Season 3. The final shot in particular hinted at a famous Frank Miller tale, one that might see Wilson Fisk returning to raise hell.
You’re warned of full – and I mean FULL – spoilers for The Defenders from here on out, but concerns for Matt Murdock’s survival after Midland Circle were allayed with a final shot revealing him alive, and tended to by nuns in a convent. The sister by his bedside called for a “Maggie” (likely implying Matt’s comic mother Maggie Murdock), but the shot overall holds deeper significance for Season 3.
As Decider points out, the image of a bandaged Matt in a convent bed is almost a direct recreation of panel from “Born Again,” a 1986 Frank Miller Daredevil comic that also featured Matt’s mother:
“Born Again” is itself a notably controversial arc that featured Matt becoming homeless, along with Karen Page supporting a heroin addiction with adult films and the sale of Matt’s secret identity, so Daredevil Season 3 may only borrow select elements or imagery. All the same, it’s Wilson Fisk who sets out to ruin Matt Murdock’s life after purchasing said secret identity, just as Season 2 saw Vincent D’Onofrio’s Fisk swearing vengeance against Matt Murdock, and seemingly connecting him with Daredevil.
Might that mean D’Onofrio will be back full-time in Season 3? The actor previously claimed to know where Kingpin’s next appearance might take place, though he wasn’t entirely certain if he’d shoot in 2017. At the very least, Charlie Cox said in 2016 that he’d want the character back for Season 3, perhaps alongside fan-favorite Bullseye.
The “Born Again” arc also features a prominent role for “Nuke,” comic inspiration for Wil Traval’s Jessica Jones character Simpson, though it remains unclear if Traval will return for that second run, let alone Daredevil Season 3. There’s also been no indication Bullseye will make an appearance in Season 3, but if “Born Again” serves as our heading, either character could fit as Fisk’s weapon.
We’ll have a clearer sense of Daredevil Season 3 when filming reportedly begins in October, but how big a role might Maggie Murdock or the “Born Again” arc play? Is Fisk’s return all-bit-guaranteed? What about Elektra?