The MCU’s been a bit of a bore lately, gasping for air like a goldfish that leapt out of a fish tank and landed in the Mojave. But the gritty, violent “Daredevil: Born Again” on Disney+ resuscitates the cinematic comic book empire and delivers a riveting and eerily relevant story arc that speaks to the political upheaval and uncertainty of our times.
It’s a big surprise how great this series is given there was legit concern after showrunner/executive producer Dario Scardapane’s reboot was sent back to to the shop after Marvel honchos took a look at it. No matter what happened behind the scenes, the result is electrifying and pertinent, and advances the terrific previous three-season Netflix series about Hell’s Kitchen lawyer Matt Murdoch (Charlie Cox), who is blind, and his alter ego, Daredevil. It even improves on it by not going way overboard on the violence and peppering in just enough Easter eggs and tangential storylines and appearances of other characters — including the Punisher (Jon Berthnal) — without overshadowing its central story that strikes so many chords about upheaval right now.
The big ace it waves proudly is the square-off between Wilson Fisk/Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio, giving one of the best villain performances in any Marvel production) and Matt Murdoch.
After a horrific attack at Josie’s bar, Matt hangs up his Daredevil persona while Fisk re-enters the New York scene, goes on the couch for marriage counseling with his cunning wife (Ayelet Zurer) and runs for mayor. Matt and Fisk keep a wary eye on each other as Fisk plays on New Yorkers’ ‘fears of crime, and assures voters that once he comes in, there will be no pussyfooting around with the bad guys. “I don’t have much use for red tape,” he bellows. Chaos ensues as the psychopath blackmails and manipulates key critics — including a police commissioner — and demands all fall in line with his authoritarian ideas, or else.
Matt, played with real passion and the right dollops of angst and moral complexity by Cox, falls for a therapist (Margarita Levieva) and defends in court Hector Ayala/White Tiger (played with enormous appeal by Kamar de los Reyes, who died of cancer in 2023). He got involved in a subway fracas that left a bad cop dead amid hints of police corruption. The writing on the series couldn’t be better, and the secondary characters — including a sharp video journalist named BB Urich (Genneya Walton), Fisk’s right-hand guy Buck Cashman (a slithery Arty Froushan) and a villain (Hunter Doohan, in a creepy turn) bring more to the MCU.
The highlight, of course, is D’Onofrio’s raging-on-the-inside performance. He’s extraordinary here, especially in a stroke-of-genius sequence in which Fisk endures versions of Jefferson Airplane’s “We Built This City.” It’s an unbelievably funny moment, punctuated by the briefest of telling facial tics. The show also excels in its impressive urban production design, a mood-setting soundtrack and taut direction, particularly in the first episode helmed by the ace indie genre dynamos Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (“The Endless,” “Something in the Dirt.”). The duo were brought in for the redo and their influence as executive producers and directors (they helm episodes 8 and 9 too) and their energy and input remain undeniable. A highlight is a blistering, game-changing action sequence in the first episode involving Benjamin Poindexter (Wilson Bethel).
“Daredevil: Born Again” is easily one of the best series the Disney+ has offered and is also one of the best shows of 2025. It journeys into dark spaces with its contemporary power struggle and grazes, but doesn’t surrender to, the morally blurry lines set forth in “The Joker” and “The Batman.” So keep the kids away. All of what unfolds does bode well for a second season (also nine episodes) coming in 2026. Hopefully, the excellence on display here will extends into Marvel’s upcoming theatrical releases. They sure need it.
Details: 4 stars out of 4; two episodes are available on Disney+, with one additional episode dropping every week until April 15.