We get one of those classic Daredevil fight scenes (although without a hallway moment), where it’s also revealed that Cole North (Jeremy Earl) was behind the death of Hector Ayala/White Tiger (played by the late Kamar de los Reyes). Despite Daredevil and Punisher getting the better of the AVTF, Matt’s apartment is blown to smithereens, and with it, his impressive collection of suits goes with it. Sadly, this means all the hard work of She-Hulk’s Luke Jacobson (Griffin Matthews) is wasted, including that red and gold suit. Set photos from Born Again season 2 have already confirmed that ‘Red’ will be getting a new look, with his black and red suit from the “Shadowland” comic arc making an appearance.
Fans have been eagerly anticipating the debut of this legendary comic book suit, with Variety asking D’Onofrio if we can expect season 2 to dive into the events of “Shadowland.” The man behind Big Willy told the outlet: “That’s a very good question. I don’t know if I can answer that question. But it’s a good one. You’re obviously following the story in a good way.” Similar to how the MCU has previously used the likes of “Civil War” as background reading material, and Born Again season 1 only used elements of “Devil’s Reign” like Fisk being Mayor of New York, don’t expect the next run of episodes to be a totally comic-accurate adaptation of “Shadowland.” After all, we’re not sure the MCU will include the part about Daredevil being possessed by a demon.
2010’s “Shadowland” has DD return from a trip to Japan as the new head of the Hand Ninja Clan and construct a prison/temple in the ruins of Hell’s Kitchen. With Matt’s building being reduced to rubble, it could become his remodeled base of operations. The big hint that the MCU’s take on “Shadowland” is coming is the cliffhanger of Bethel’s Bullseye. One of the comics’ major plot points includes Daredevil brutally killing Bullseye with his own sai to mirror how the villain killed Elektra. Swap in Born Again’s shooting of Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), and the pieces neatly fall into place.
Although Shadowland Daredevil’s brutal methods put him at conflict with street-level heroes, including Luke Cage and Iron Fist, buzz about the Netflix-era Defenders making a return means the likes of Mike Colter and Finn Jones could join Daredevil’s Army that’s forming at Josie’s Bar in the season finale. It just so happens that “Shadowland” Daredevil is joined by Angela del Toro’s White Tiger, which would bring Camila Rodriguez’s underused Born Again alumni back into the fold. It feels like the first season had a distinct lack of Defenders, but with constant whispers of Krysten Ritter reprising her role as Jessica Jones, the prospect of more Netflix-era characters returning for a “Shadowland” arc is a promising one.
In terms of what else we can expect from Born Again season 2, the return of Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page has teased an interesting dynamic between Murdock and Frank Castle after it seems they’re almost on best buddy terms. Matt’s relationship with Heather Glenn (Margarita Levieva) is likely coming to an end after he woke up and asked for Page when in the hospital, while her new role as Fisk’s admin commissioner of mental health seemingly puts her on Team Kingpin moving forward. Even though Karen’s return might be setting Daredevil’s pulse racing, one key moment in the finale saw Matt take note of both Castle and Page’s racing hearts when they were with each other. Murdock and Page did briefly date in Daredevil season 2, but the return of Elektra Natchios (Élodie Yung) saw them stick to the ‘friends code.’ Although the trio might be busy trying to recruit an Anti-ATVF team in Born Again season 2, a twisted love triangle could be a well-placed spanner in the works.
We know Daredevil: Born Again season 2 is heading in a darker direction, with Cox praising Scardapane to Collider and explaining: “What he’s done so far with this new season is so cool and so different and so sinister, and I’m really, really excited about it.” Given this and D’Onofrio’s coy response, the fact that “Shadowland” is considered one of Daredevil’s darkest storylines (complete with a brooding suit) makes it a popular choice for season 2’s light reading. Either way, with Born Again hopefully back next year, the prospect that the Defenders could soon be back in action is an exciting one.
