All nine episodes of Daredevil: Born Again are streaming now on Disney Plus! The Man Without Fear's TV return has been an incredible ride, with Matt Murdock returning once more to do battle with his greatest enemy, Kingpin, who has risen to become the Mayor of New York.
This page, however, is all about Daredevil: Born Again Easter Eggs. Here, you can find every reference and hidden detail that we spot, from deep cut comic book characters, to allusions to the Netflix shows, and more.
Episode 9 - Straight to Hell
FBI Agent Ray Nadeem: The episode opens with a flashback to one year previously. Vanessa Fisk pays Benjamin Poindexter a visit in prison and hires him to assassinate Foggy. At the start of their little chat, she explains that Wilson has been acquitted from the charges brought against him after the end of the Netflix show, referencing FBI Agent Ray Nadeem, who was murdered by Bullseye in season 3.
Fisk's suit: We saw Fisk don his iconic white suit last episode, and he continues to wear it throughout this episode, now fully embodying the persona of Kingpin.
Lockdown: In the wake of the attempt on his life by Bullseye, Fisk puts New York on lockdown. This echoes a plot point from the 2021 Marvel comics arc 'Lockdown,' which saw Elektra – who had taken on the mantle of Daredevil while Matt is in prison – go after Bullseye when he begins targeting random civilians. The arc runs through Daredevil #32–#35.
Punisher meets the Punishers: In one of the episode's big set pieces, Frank Castle finally meets – and beats – the corrupt police officers who have been co-opting his symbol.
"Hey Red": Frank Castle trots out his classic nickname for Daredevil.
"Inspector Gadget bullshit": The Punisher prefers guns to Daredevil's more specialized crimefighting tools. He is, of course, referring here to the classic cartoon series, which launched in 1983. Inspector Gadget was half-man, half-machine and had access to a fearsome arsenal of tools. The show ran for five seasons and was later adapted into a couple of live action movies.
Avocados at Law: While Matt is going through Foggy's belongings he finds a plaque inscribed with "Avocados at Law," a direct callback to the Netflix show. Matt explains the gag here, saying that a drunk Foggy once said "avocados" instead of "abogados" – the Spanish word for "lawyers."
"It's not dark. It's like a thousand suns." In the first season of the Netflix show, Matt said that his vision was like "a world on fire." Here he compares it to "a thousand suns."
Rabbit in a Snowstorm: Let's hear it one more time for Fisk's blank white, but blood-splattered, painting which makes another appearance this episode as Wilson and Vanessa celebrate their victory.
Angela del Toro: As we've previously noted, Angela del Toro becomes the second White Tiger in the comics. Perhaps we're getting a hint of this towards the end of the episode, as we see her eyeing several members of Fisk's anti-vigilante task force suspiciously.
A city without fear: In the season's closing monologue, Matt says, "Resist. Rebel. Rebuild. Because we are the city without fear." This is, of course, a reference to Daredevil's age old nickname, the Man Without Fear.
Episode 8 - Isle of Joy
A world of blue: The episode opens intriguingly with an eerie light and the image of a blue rose, before cutting to Benjamin Poindexter – AKA Bullseye – in prison. This feels like a nod to the color of his costume in the comics, perhaps, but also is mirrored at the end of the episode when Matt is seen in blood red. Fans of Twin Peaks: The Return, meanwhile, will be yelling "Blue Rose Task Force!" at the screen, as this echoes the symbol of the FBI's secret paranormal division in that show.
Rabbit in a Snow Storm: For the second time this season we catch a glimpse of the white painting that originally brought Wilson and Vanessa Fisk together. You can see it as Kingpin reveals that he's been holding Adam prisoner.
Back to the bar: Matt and Cherry return to Josie's Bar. She pulls out a bottle of O'Melveny's and reveals that Foggy "never finished his final round," which raises Matt's suspicions. As we learned earlier in the season, Foggy only ever drank that particular brand of whisky when he'd won a case and was celebrating early. This makes him realise that, rather than killing him out of revenge, Bullseye had been hired by someone to assassinate poor old Foggy.
Swordsman goes to the ball: Jack Duquesne shows up at Fisk's ball alone, quipping that he is "always the stag." This suggests that he's not met another woman following his fiancé Eleanor Bishop's arrest in the Hawkeye TV show.
Clothes maketh the man: Fisk arrives at the Black and White Ball wearing a pristine white suit – his classic Kingpin look from the Netflix show and the comics. Vanessa is dressed in blood red, a fitting styling giving her recent murder of her ex-lover Adam.
"Shall I call you Swordsman, the vigilante?": Fisk definitely knows Jack Duquesne's secret, then. It would be a little weird to make Swordsman a major presence with only one episode left, so perhaps this is setting stuff up for season 2?
Gallo confronts BB Urich: Commissioner Gallo, who you may recall seriously hates Wilson Fisk, tells BB that the mayor was the main suspect in her uncle Ben Urich's murder. BB reveals that she's known this all along and that she's trying to infiltrate Kingpin's inner circle.
Bullseye ruins another Fisk party: Benjamin Poindexter escapes from prison and immediately goes after Fisk to take revenge. While not an Easter Egg, as such, this feels like a reprise of his attack at the end of season 3 of the Netflix show, when he violently interrupted Wilson and Vanessa's wedding reception.
Matt is shot: Earlier in the episode, Poindexter says, "In another life you might be defending me, because thats what good men do, right? Defend their worst enemies." This takes on a whole new light when Matt throws himself in front of Fisk, taking the bullet that was intended for the Kingpin. The episode ends with Matt bleeding on the ballroom floor, visually calling back to Foggy's death at the start of the season.
Episode 7 - Art For Art's Sake
Angela's nightmare: Matt may have rescued Angela del Toro from Muse, but she's clearly traumatized by the experience. She's also now had first hand experience of both the dark side of the city and of being saved by a vigilante – something that may set her along the path to becoming the next White Tiger.
Matt's necklace: Early in the episode we see Matt take a shower after his battle with Muse. He's wearing a crucifix necklace – very likely the same one that Matt's mother Sister Maggie gave him in season 3 of the Netflix show.
"I used to have this whole other life." Matt reflects on his past life with Foggy and Karen in Hell's Kitchen, saying that his new situation – no Foggy, no Karen, but a relationship with Heather Glenn which, let's be honest, has gotten serious very fast – feels "fake." Not the sort of thing you should say, Matt!
"10 years I built that operation!" The show has been finding parallels between Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk all season long. Shortly after Matt talks about his past, Kingpin rehashes his feud with Daredevil to his assistant Buck. He also reveals that Murdock "took down my entire business," seemingly confirming that after season 3 of the Netflix show Matt continued to tear apart Fisk's empire, forcing him to rebuild things from the ground up.
Buck Cashman: Speaking of Buck, this is the episode where he finally steps out of the shadows. So far we've only really seen him as a shifty minor politician. This episode confirms, however, that he's from a criminal background and is working as an enforcer for Wilson Fisk. That sort of matches with the comics, where Buck Cashman is the real name of the villainous Bullet – an agent of the US government and sometime mercenary who has worked with Wilson Fisk. The characters are otherwise quite different, however, with the comics Buck having superpowers, including enhanced strength, speed, and durability.
Bastian Cooper: This episode reveals that Muse is, in fact, one of Heather Glenn's patients. This is quite the divergence from the comics, where Muse's real identity was never revealed. The comics Muse was also an Inhuman and, well, Marvel doesn't talk about those much on screen these days.
"Anybody who wears a mask is a coward." Heather is, of course, talking about Muse here, but her statement also – unknowingly – reflects back on her boyfriend, Matt Murdock. Will she feel the same way after the events of this episode?
Muse's death: Guess that's it for Muse, then! The character is shot dead by Heather Glenn. He's dead in the comics too, but in very different circumstances. Daredevil #600 sees Muse tackle the vigilante Blindspot, who defeats but doesn't kill him. To spite him, Muse takes his own life by walking into some burning debris.
Dinner at Bamonte's: The address that Vanessa gives to Luca, 32 Withers Street, is that of Bamonte's, a historic Italian restaurant in Brooklyn. Fisk uses it as the location for a trap, with Buck shooting Luca as soon as he arrives. In reality, Bamonte's was a favored haunt of mobsters from New York's infamous Five Families in the 1950s.
Episode 6 - Excessive Force
Swordsman is still active in New York: In the latest instalment of The BB Report we see a brief video showing a figure battling thugs with a blade, suggesting that Tony Dalton's Jack Duquesne/Swordsman is operating as a vigilante on the city streets. This is later confirmed when we see Duquesne at Fisk's fundraiser.
"You've represented a few, right?" Heather Glenn mentions that Matt has worked as a lawyer for several vigilantes, notably Frank Castle and Daredevil. The Punisher was Matt's client in season two of the Netflix show.
Muse's murals: The murals that have been spreading throughout the city are made with human blood, just as in the comics.
"Hey, are you Muse?" This is neat. The scene where the two girls approach Muse and ask for a selfie is a direct lift from the comics – a very similar scene featured in Daredevil #598 by Charles Soule, Ron Garney, and Matt Milla. In the comic, however, Muse actually does pose for a photo before threatening them. The girls get away when the cops show up.
Detective Cole North: One of the corrupt police officers picked out by Fisk for his anti-vigilante task force is a character from the comics. Cole North in the books is an NYPD officer who is investigating a murder supposedly committed by Daredevil. Unlike many of his colleagues, North has little time or respect for Hornhead and manages to capture him – though Punisher later rescues Daredevil. North is later sent after Spider-Man by Mayor Fisk.
Episode 5 - With Interest
Yusuf Khan, Assistant Bank Manager: And father of Ms. Marvel! We don't know if this technically counts as an Easter Egg, given that Yusuf (still played by actor Mohan Kapur) is such a well-established part of the MCU, but it's a lot of fun to see him back and dealing with a very different sort of superhero.
Where's Kamala?: Ms. Marvel gets a direct shout out from her dad. "She's in California, visiting some friends there." Could that be a hint that she's visiting Kate Bishop, perhaps?
Yusuf customizes his Funkos: Yep, Yusuf even has a custom Ms. Marvel Funko Pop on his desk at the bank – presumably Kamala doesn't have her own merch line just yet in the MCU.
The robbers masks: This is a fun, if slightly weird, one. The bank robbers all have different colored masks: yellow, blue, green, red, and purple. Now what else has those colors in the MCU? The Infinity Stones. Ah, you might say, but there are six stones and no orange hood, and that's true. But do you know what is orange in this episode? The diamond that the robbers are trying to steal...
"On your knees Stevie Wonder." One of the robbers says this when Matt first infiltrates the bank. It is, of course, a slightly tasteless reference to the great musician Stevie Wonder who, like Matt Murdock, is blind.
"Exactly what kind of Lawyer are you?" Yusuf is bewildered at Matt's unexpected fighting prowess, offering him the chance to quip, "A really good one." It's a direct reference to what Matt says to Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home as he snatches a flying brick out of the air.
"I was raised in an orphanage." Matt briefly recalls his early life at St. Agnes Orphanage, the convent where he was raised following the death of his father. It's a direct call back to the Netflix show, which also revealed that one of the nuns, Sister Maggie Grace, was in fact Matt's mother.
Red hood: Matt wears one of the robbers' balaclavas later in the episode. It's red, recalling the color of his own Daredevil mask.
A trip to Jersey City: After the robert is foiled, Matt and Yusuf seem to be making plans for a dinner so that Matt can meet his family, including Kamala.
Episode 4 - Sic Semper Systema
The episode title: 'Sic Semper Systema' is a mangled version of the latin phrase "Sic semper tyrannis" (which translates to "thus always to tyrants"), which, roughly speaking, means that tyrannical leaders will always be overthrown. This tweaked version – "thus always to the system" – suggests that the system Matt is both serving and fighting will inevitably fail.
White Tiger's amulet: The previous episode ended with the assassination of Hector Ayala – AKA White Tiger. This episode picks up with his costume, including his mystical amulet, being picked up and put in storage. Something tells us we'll see that again sooner rather than later...
Meet Angela: Perhaps related to that, in the very next scene we are properly introduced to Angela Del Toro, as played by Camila Rodriguez. Angela is Hector's niece, and was mentioned in the previous episode. In the comics she becomes the next recipient of the amulet and takes on the role of the second White Tiger.
Muse: One of the more slow-burning plot threads this season is the arrival of this classic Daredevil villain. We finally get a proper look at him here before the opening title sequence rolls. He is also responsible for the mask mural we see on the side of the club that BB Urich and Daniel Blake leave shortly after.
Captain Planet: BB Urich dubs Blake "Captain Planet" – a reference to the ecologically-themed cartoon superhero created in the early '90s. Coincidentally, Captain Planet is making a comeback soon in the form of a new comic from Dynamite Entertainment.
The Skrulls are still out there: Leroy Bradford, the small time crook who has been arrested for robbing a bodega, suggests that a Skrull might have impersonated him. Matt responds with a blunt, "No."
Frank doesn't like his fans: We finally get our first proper look at the Punisher this season, and he confirms that he is not affiliated with the corrupt cops who bear his symbol, calling them "bullshit fanboys." Frank also calls Daredevil "Red" – his classic nickname for the Man Without Fear.
Bullseye: Frank calls Benjamin Poindexter Bullseye – the first time he has been referred to by that name in the MCU.
Rabbit in a Snowstorm: Keep an eye out in the closing montage of Fisk and Matt and you'll see Kingpin walk past this painting – the iconic blank white piece of art that introduced Wilson Fisk to his future wife Vanessa way back in the first season of the Netflix show. It's still smeared with blood – a reminder of Kingpin and Daredevil's brutal fight in the season 3 finale.
Tools of the trade: We get a brief glimpse of some of Matt Murdock's numerous masks and his billy clubs as he begins to prepare to take on the persona of Daredevil once again.
Episode 3 - The Hollow of His Hand
The episode's title: This is a reference to an old Irish blessing: "May God hold you in the hollow of His hand." Heather Glenn tweaks it slightly when she raises a tribute to Matt and Foggy at the end of the episode, saying "May God hold them all in the hollow of His hand."
The premise: Daredevil: Born Again is not a direct adaptation of the comic of the same name. This episode, however, is a pretty solid riff on another Daredevil comic arc, 'Trial of the Century' by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artists Manuel Gutierrez and Terry Dodson. The three-part story, originally published in Daredevil (Volume 2) #38-40, also concerned the trial of White Tiger. There are a few key differences, however. The first is that at this point in his life, it's out in the open that Matt is Daredevil. The second is that rather than focusing on corrupt cops, prosecutor Paul Delacourt is out to turn people against superheroes. The biggest change is the ending, however: in the comic Hector is found guilty, and after fleeing the court, he is gunned down by police. In the show, Matt successfully defends him, only for one of the corrupt cops to assassinate Hector.
Pingo Doce: Keep an eye out for an advert featuring this fictional Brazilian soda which debuted in The Incredible Hulk, and then later appeared in Ant-Man, and Deadpool & Wolverine, as well as the What If...? and I Am Groot TV shows. You can actually buy it at the Avengers Campus theme park and, while we've not tried it ourselves, it apparently tastes of lemon and lime with a hint of vanilla.
Another old saying: While Officer Powell is giving his testimony, Matt asks about his black eye. "There's this thing they say in boxing: 'The best cure for a black eye is fast hand." It's never explicitly said where Matt would have heard this, but we can certainly assume he picked it up from his boxer Dad, Battlin' Jack Murdock.
The Punisher mural: This episode is pretty internal, spending much of its time in the courtroom, but we do get a brief look at a mural of the Punisher symbol with the word 'TRIGGERED' painted on it. Frank Castle probably isn't one for street art, so we can safely assume this is the work of the villainous Muse.
Hector's family: The trial confirms that Hector Ayala has a sister and a niece. This is more significant than it might seem, as in the comics his niece Angela Del Toro becomes the second White Tiger after Hector's death, with his sister Ava Ayala later taking the Amulet to become the third White Tiger.
Officer Morales: Matt shouts out some of the police officers who have commended White Tiger's bravery, including one Officer Morales. That's a name of significance in the Marvel universe, thanks to Miles Morales, the second Spider-Man. So is this a reference to his father? Possibly. In the comics, however, Miles father had the surname Davis, so it's not quite that clear cut – we dig into the mystery more here.
White Tiger's amulet: Matt once again references the mystical amulet that grants Hector Ayala "extraordinary strength and power."
O'Melveny's: Matt and Heather share a drink of this (fictional) whiskey after clearing Hector's name. The same scotch appeared in the first episode of the series – it's what Foggy was drinking in the bar before he was shot. Matt explains here that it's what he and Foggy would drink after they won a case in the early days of their law career.
Punisher logos: We've seen a few of these in the series now, starting in the first episodes and continuing here: one of the cops in the courtroom has one and, of course, the assassin who kills Hector at the end is wearing a shirt with a DIY Punisher logo. It's not like Frank Castle to work with a crew, so it feels like his symbol may have been co-opted by the dirty cops that Matt is facing this season.
Episode 2 - Optics
Times Square: The opening scene of New York reacting to Fisk being elected mayor is full of visual references. There's a billboard for Rogers: The Musical, as seen in Hawkeye. There's also a poster for Harlem's Paradise, the nightclub from Netflix's Luke Cage, while the PymVanDyne Foundation – belonging to Hope van Dyne – has a Happy New Year sign.
Fisk on vigilantes: "We don't need a gun toting vigilante who wears a skull on his chest. Or a man who dresses in a spider outfit. Or a guy who wears devil horns." These are very clearly references to the Punisher, Spider-Man, and Daredevil.
District Attorney Ben Hochberg: Hochberg is a minor character from Marvel Comics, first introduced in Daredevil (Volume 5) #2 from 2015. As in the show he is a New York District Attorney.
The title of Heather's book: Heather Glenn has published a book titled Life Without Fear: A Guide to Confronting Trauma by Heather Glenn MD. The first part of that title is a clear nod to Daredevil's longstanding nickname, "The Man Without Fear".
White Tiger's mystical amulets: Matt makes a passing reference to White Tiger having "mystical amulets". These are the Jade Tiger amulets, which originated in Iron Fist's heavenly city of K'un-Lun and which grant Hector superhuman agility and strength.
Punisher tattoos: An obvious one to finish off the episode, but one of the cops that tries to kill Nicky Torres – the key witness in Hector Ayala's trial – is sporting an adapted Punisher tattoo. It's not like Frank Castle to work with the police, so are these cops who have taken on some of the Punisher's lethal methods?
Episode 1 - Heaven's Half Hour
Josie's bar: Josie's bar was a frequent hang out spot for the trio of Nelson, Murdock, and Page. We see it again here, still run by Josie herself (Susan Varon), shortly before things go very badly for Foggy...
Kirsten McDuffie: The woman Foggy is flirting with is a recurring character from Marvel Comics, introduced in 2011's Daredevil (Volume 3) #1. In the comics, Kirsten is an assistant District Attorney who suspects that Matt Murdock is Daredevil. Over time their relationship becomes romantic and the two start dating. In later comics, having revealed his identity as Daredevil, Matt leaves Hell's Kitchen and moves to San Francisco with Kirsten. The two set up their own law firm, but when the Purple Children wipe everyone's memories of Daredevil's identity, Matt decides it's a good time to break up with her (Matt Murdock: never not a dick to his girlfriends). Despite this acrimonious split, however, she later helps clear Matt's name when he is falsely arrested for murder.
Hogarth, Chao & Benowitz: The firm that Foggy mentions having previously worked in is partially owned by Jeri Hogarth, Carrie-Anne Moss' character from the Jessica Jones show.
Fisk's breakfast: Kingpin is a man of routine. In the Netflix show he was shown making an omelette, which he eats again here, this time with a single stick of asparagus.
The BB Report with BB Urich: The TV show that we see intermittently pop up in the show is hosted by BB Urich, a new character played by Genneya Walton. We learn in episode 2 that she is the niece of Ben Urich, from season 1 of the Netflix show, where he was played by Vondie Curtis-Hall. Alas, the character was murdered by Wilson Fisk, which adds an extra resonance to his meeting with BB in episode 2, where Kingpin admits that he "knew" Ben.
"He supposedly crushed a guy's head!": In The BB Report segment an irate talking head refers to an infamous scene from season one of the Netflix show where Kingpin killed a man using a car door.
Kingpin references Echo: Matt and Wilson sit down for a catch up. While talking about family, Fisk notes, "I tried to mentor someone… Well, that's the closest I've come." He is, of course, talking about Echo here, in a reference to her Disney Plus show. Matt can't help but snipe back, "Didn't she try to shoot you in the face?"
Fisk is a man of his word: In the meeting Fisk also says, "About your friend. I had nothing to do with his death, I kept that promise," referring to a pact that Daredevil and Kingpin made in the Netflix show to not target each other's loved ones.
Heather Glenn, MD: Meet Matt's latest love interest. Heather Glenn is a fairly important character in the Daredevil comics, and we have a full explainer for Heather Glenn. Having said that, the TV version and the comics character are really quite different.
Fisk becomes mayor: This isn't an Easter Egg, as such, but it is something that happens in the comics. We have a guide to Fisk becoming mayor if you're eager to know more.
Spectrum News NY1: The real life news station (also sometimes called NY1 and Spectrum NY1) that reports on Fisk's election is a regular fixture of the MCU, having featured in The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Spider-Man: Homecoming and No Way Home, the Netflix seasons of Daredevil, Punisher, and Jessica Jones, WandaVision, and Hawkeye. Anchor Pat Kiernan, who has also appeared in various MCU projects, also recurs here.
Daredevil: Born Again season 1 is streaming now on Disney Plus. Click to find out about the best Daredevil comics, how to watch the Marvel movies in order, and how to watch the Defenders saga in order.
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