Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 finally showed the first look at Matthew Lillard's mysterious villain, and it appeared that he is a formidable foe for both Daredevil and Mayor Wilson Fisk. Lillard's casting in the sophomore run of Marvel Television's acclaimed action series has been a major point of discussion among fans, especially after it was confirmed that he will be playing a sinister antagonist named Mr. Charles, who could forever change the hierarchy of power in the worlds of both Fisk and Matt Murdock. Marvel's Head of TV and Animation, Brad Winderbaum, described in a previous interview that Lillard's character is a high-level figure representing international power and diplomacy who is poised to challenge Wilson Fisk on the political stage.
The official trailer for Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 unveiled a brief yet impactful look at Matthew Lillard's Mr. Charles, showing the character arriving at a presumed crime scene at the 0:31 mark.
The fact that Mr. Charles is not wearing any costume suggests that he is more of a grounded villain rather than a costumed vigilante. Given his place in the grand political scheme of things, it seems that Lillard's character will directly challenge Kingpin's authority as Mayor of New York.
Some have theorized that Mr. Charles is actually walking into Fisk's prison for those who wronged him (the same location where Frank Castle escaped from in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 's post-credits scene). This could be one way to expose the true color of Mayor Fisk, giving Mr. Charles a clear advantage in the political landscape.
Watch the official trailer below:
Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 will revolve around Matt Murdock's journey in recruiting allies like Jessica Jones to fend off Mayor Fisk and his Anti-Vigilante Task Force as they try to save New York from the brutal Martial Law enforcement. Joining Lillard is a long list of MCU mainstays, headlined by Charlie Cox, Vincent D'Onofrio, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Ayelet Zurer, Wilson Bethel, and many more.
The series is set to premiere on Disney+ on March 24.
Why Mr. Charles' Arrival in Daredevil Season 2 Could Actually Benefit Matt Murdock
Matthew Lillard's Mr. Charles is already making history ahead of his debut in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 because he is positioned to be more of an adversary of Wilson Fisk rather than being directly in conflict with Matt Murdock and his team of heroes. This is an interesting decision for the show's writers because it indirectly helps Daredevil in the looming conflict against Mayor Fisk and his Anti-Vigilante Task Force.
It actually makes sense because Mr. Charles and Daredevil operate on a different level of power, and it would be odd for the show to pit them against each other. This would make Mr. Charles the perfect new rival for Wilson Fisk in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, which could be the main reason for his imminent downfall.
While Mr. Charles is clearly a villain, the character's position in Season 2's narrative makes him a threat to Wilson Fisk's regime rather than Murdock's mission of saving New York. Although there is still a chance that a verbal showdown between Mr. Charles and Murdock could happen in Season 2, some of Fisk's attention and resources will be divided because he will deal with Matthew Lillard's character in addition to Daredevil and his army.
Having a divided focus is poised to weaken Fisk, allowing Murdock, Jessica Jones, and their allies to have an opening and deliver a strike that would exploit even more cracks in Kingpin's regime.
