Born Again Needs To Stay Away From The Obvious Misdirect

The return of Daredevil to the small screen has fans buzzing with anticipation, but also with plenty of speculation. Daredevil: Born Again promises a fresh chapter in Matt Murdock’s life, yet there are some lingering teases that could color the rest of this new season. Chief among them is the fate of Foggy Nelson, Matt’s best friend and longtime legal partner. The first episodes of the new series laid down a tragic and deeply emotional blow with Foggy’s apparent death, a turning point that sent shockwaves through Matt’s world. However, rumors have begun swirling that this loss might not be as permanent as it seemed.

A particular theory has gained traction among fans, largely fueled by an Easter egg spotted in the show—Nelson, Murdock, & Page’s law office address being 468. This is a direct nod to Daredevil #468, an issue titled The Secret Life of Foggy Nelson, in which Foggy fakes his death. While this kind of connection might seem like a clever comic reference, it could also set up an all-too-predictable twist. Bringing Foggy back from the dead may seem like an easy emotional win, but it would ultimately undercut the weight of the loss and weaken the narrative that Born Again has worked hard to establish.

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The Problem With Fake-Out Deaths Especially In Daredevil: Born Again

Fake-out deaths have become a frustrating trope in modern storytelling, particularly in comic book adaptations. While they may work when carefully executed, too often they feel like cheap emotional manipulation rather than a well-earned plot development. In Daredevil: Born Again, Foggy Nelson’s absence is not just a minor detail—it is a pivotal emotional wound that has deeply altered Matt’s path. It isn’t just that Matt lost his best friend; it’s that this loss fundamentally changed how he interacts with the world and the people in it.

The repercussions of Foggy’s death, particularly in how they affected Karen Page, are too significant to be undone without serious consequences. The grief that tore Karen and Matt apart wasn’t some small misunderstanding—it was a deeply personal fracture in their relationship, one that would feel cheapened if Foggy were to suddenly reappear. If he had merely been in hiding, or if his death had been an elaborate scheme, then why did the show spend so much time investing in the pain his absence created? These are the kinds of missteps that can take audiences out of the story and diminish the credibility of the show’s emotional stakes.

The Better Story Lies in the Daredevil Gap Years

It seems to be a given that Foggy will make a return at some point. He’s been inked for Season 2. But there’s a better way to handle his “return” than actually having him return. Rather than revisiting the well-worn trope of a faked death, Daredevil: Born Again would be better served by focusing on the missing years between the end of the original Netflix series and the new Disney+ iteration. Those years contain a wealth of untold stories, challenges, and personal growth Matt, Karen and Foggy went through.

There is already a vast amount of unexplored territory between Daredevil Season 3 and Born Again. With Daredevil popping up from time to time in other MCU movies and shows, what he was doing would be an interesting question. How did the fallout of Wilson Fisk’s return reshape Hell’s Kitchen? These are the questions that should take center stage, not a last-minute reveal that Foggy never really died.

A Stronger Daredevil: Born Again Narrative Without the Misdirect

Marvel has an opportunity to make Daredevil: Born Again a bold, character-driven story that doesn’t rely on tired narrative tricks. Bringing Foggy back might create a brief moment of excitement, but it would ultimately do more harm than good. Fans have already experienced the gut punch of his loss—reversing it would feel like an unearned reversal rather than a compelling development.

There are more than enough storylines, conflicts, and character arcs to explore in Born Again without needing to resort to the predictable route of a fake death reveal. Matt’s journey has always been one of sacrifice and loss, and while that makes for painful storytelling, it’s also what makes his character so compelling. Keeping Foggy’s death intact maintains the gravity of Matt’s struggles and forces him to continue evolving as a hero.

At its core, Daredevil: Born Again has the chance to tell a story about moving forward rather than clinging to the past. That’s a far more interesting and emotionally honest approach than backtracking on a major loss. If the series wants to truly do justice to the legacy of Daredevil, it should leave the misdirect behind and commit to the narrative weight it has already built. People might be sad that Foggy isn’t all the way back, but the story will be more compelling moving forward.

Daredevil: Born Again

5/10

Release Date

March 4, 2025

Showrunner

Chris Ord

Directors

Michael Cuesta, Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Jeffrey Nachmanoff

Writers

Chris Ord

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  Charlie Cox

  Matt Murdock / Daredevil

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  Vincent D’Onofrio

  Wilson Fisk / Kingpin

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