'Daredevil: Born Again': Here's when neo-noir action-thriller sits in MCU timeline — and why it matters
Putting an end to the long wait, the sophomore season of 'Daredevil: Born Again' is finally here. With the first episode of the second instalment now streaming on Disney+, the show featuring the Man Without Fear has finally answered a long-standing question about its place in the larger scheme of things in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). As Mayor Wilson Fisk's grip over the city tightens with every passing moment, Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock is faced with increasing odds as he must face the vindictive Anti-Vigilante Task Force alongside bringing down the Kingpin's empire.
As of this writing, 'Daredevil: Born Again' Season 2 is the second most recent addition to the MCU. The Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley-starrer 'Wonder Man' remains the latest chapter in the MCU, suggesting that Simon has yet to discover his superpowers as the events of the sophomore season of 'Daredevil: Born Again' unfold. Judging by the present timeline, every event in the MCU other than those depicted in 'Wonder Man' has already transpired before 'Daredevil: Born Again' season two kicked off. It is interesting to note that the terrifying events portrayed on 'Thunderbolts', including The Void, have already taken place in the MCU timeline by the time Murdock resumes his fight against Fisk.
Alongside Cox, Vincent D'Onofrio stars as Fisk, Wilson Bethel appears as Benjamin Poindexter, aka Bullseye, and Krysten Ritter reprises her role as Jessica Jones from the Netflix show. The official synopsis of the second season reads, "In Season 2 of Marvel Television’s Daredevil: Born Again, Mayor Wilson Fisk crushes New York City underfoot as he hunts down public enemy number one, the Hell’s Kitchen vigilante known as Daredevil. But, beneath the horned mask, Matt Murdock will try to fight back from the shadows to tear down the Kingpin’s corrupt empire and redeem his home. Resist. Rebel. Rebuild."
Another important highlight of Season 2 is the romantic development between Murdock and Karen Page. Following Foggy Nelson's death, Karen had briefly left for New York. However, she returned to shoulder some of the struggle alongside Murdock, and this turn of events brought the two of them closer. Speaking in an interview with The Wrap, Cox commented in this regard, "Having Matt and Karen finally kind of come together in a romantic sense has been something we’ve been waiting for; the audiences, I think, have been waiting for since the beginning of this show, over 10 years ago. So it’s immensely gratifying to see them together, and give the characters the space to kind of explore that relationship." He further added, "There’s something kind of tragically beautiful about it happening whilst the city is in the worst state it’s ever been in, and Matt and Karen and the resistance are kind of more frightened and more isolated than they’ve ever been."
