After Netflix's Defenders Saga began winding down in 2018, fans of the acclaimed series were distraught to say farewell to popular heroes like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, The Punisher, and more. Fortunately, 2021 offered a glimmer of hope for viewers as all six of the series made the jump to Disney+, while both Charlie Cox's Daredevil and Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin returned to the MCU.
As Marvel Studios begins to expand both Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk's roles, the debate has persisted whether the Netflix series are even canon to the main MCU, or if these are Variants of their original interpretations - a question that seems doomed to never be answered.
Either way, following recent rumors, Daredevil will officially be coming back to Disney+ with a new series written and executive produced by Matt Corman and Chris Ord. The highly-anticipated series may be some time away as writing only just gets underway, but there will be plenty of teases to come before then.
The MCU is Already Teasing Disney+'s Daredevil
Disney+'s Daredevil reboot may have just entered the writing stage under Matt Corman and Chris Ord, but the MCU has already begun teasing the series across four projects.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
After Daredevil was canceled in 2018, fans of the Netflix series were concerned that would be the last time Charlie Cox's beloved iteration of the hero would come to screens. That was until Spider-Man: No Way Home delivered a shocking surprise as Matt Murdock surfaced to represent Peter Parker after he was accused of murdering Mysterio.
For the most part, Murdock appeared in a strictly legal capacity, although there was a subtle tease toward his superhuman nature as he caught a brick that came flying through the window with only one hand. The brief cameo didn't offer much clarity in terms of what the blind lawyer had been up to since he was last seen, but his legal practice is clearly still going strong for him to be hired in such a high-profile case.
Hawkeye
Matt Murdock may not have been seen or mentioned in Hawkeye, but Vincent D'Onofrio did reprise his role as Daredevil's big-bad Kingpin. The series offered some interesting developments around the crime boss and his business, as he was revealed to be the man behind the Tracksuit Mafia, an operation he no doubt grew greatly during the five-year Blip as a survivor of the snap.
Fisk was also established to have close connections to Maya Lopez, aka Echo. The crime boss clearly often looked after Lopez in her younger years, leading to the deaf hero rising through the ranks for a key role in the Tracksuit Mafia later in life. But after Lopez discovered Kingpin was responsible for her father's death, she pursued and seemingly shot him just moments after he lost to Kate Bishop in a fight.
The current status of Kingpin remains to be seen, but there's no doubt he survived the off-screen gunshot and will go on to appear again in both Echo and Daredevil.
She-Hulk
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law offers an obvious place for Daredevil to appear once again. The titular star Jennifer Walters has already been revealed to be taking the lead in a superhuman law division, and Matt Murdock clearly has a vested interest in that area after representing Peter Parker's Spider-Man.
Reports have already indicated Charlie Cox's Daredevil will appear in a supporting role in several episodes of She-Hulk, and chances are that will be in both a legal and heroic capacity. Supposedly, Daredevil will be sporting a rather different costume this time around as he instead dons a comic-accurate yellow suit, as opposed to his dark red Netflix attire.
There's no telling whether She-Hulk will take place before or after Spider-Man: No Way Home, but it will no doubt offer a much better idea of what Murdock has been doing in the six years between his hit Netflix series and the current MCU, assuming the show is canon.
Echo
The Hawkeye spin-off Echo looks to offer a major step forward in Daredevil's MCU return as a recent listing seemingly confirmed both Cox's Murdock and D'Onofrio's Kingpin will appear, marking the first time the duo has appeared in the same project since 2018.
With Kingpin having presumably survived Lopez's murder attempt, she may well still be pursuing her father's killer in the Disney+ series. Given Daredevil's existing antagonistic relationship with Fisk, it's possible he will be teaming up with Echo to take on the crime boss once again.
In some comic runs, Daredevil has shared a romantic connection with Echo, with both similarly sharing sensory disabilities. But given the fourteen-year age difference between Charlie Cox and Alaqua Cox, the MCU doesn't appear to be interested in pursuing this romantic arc.
What Does Daredevil's MCU Future Look Like?
Echo may currently be the last MCU project with evidence pointing to a role for Daredevil, but that's not to say there aren't several other places he could easily slot into.
Spider-Man 4
Peter Parker may have already met Matt Murdock, but with the ending of No Way Home, the blind lawyer will no longer have any memory of his existence. That's not to say the two can't be reunited once again and form a new dynamic, this time as fellow heroes, perhaps to take on Kingpin. After all, fans have been clamoring for a street-level Spider-Man film for years.
It's unclear whether Spider-Man 4 will arrive before Daredevil, but it seems possible with Sony now in deep negotiations surrounding the film after consistently releasing a wall-crawler outing every other year since Tom Holland was cast. Each of Tom Holland's Spider-Man outings so far has united him with another MCU icon, and perhaps Daredevil may be next
Armor Wars
Matt Murdock's primary interest in No Way Home may have been in defending Peter Parker, but he also offered some legal advice to Jon Favreau's Happy Hogan. Tony Stark's closest friend had been accused of being involved in the disappearance of missing Stark technology, something that clearly proved true as several pieces were later found at his condo.
The blind attorney warned Happy that he was going to need a "really good lawyer," before going on to describe himself as a "really good lawyer" after catching a brick. A deleted scene even showed Murdock and Hogan in a corporate-looking room, indicating he will indeed be serving as his legal professional.
Interestingly, No Way Home left the missing Stark technology plot thread unresolved and Happy's current legal status unclear. With Armor Wars set to be a series all about Iron Man's legacy as his technology falls into the wrong hands, an appearance from Happy seems like a sure thing, and Matt Murdock may come along for the ride with him.
Daredevil
All of these appearances will ultimately build towards Disney+'s highly-anticipated Daredevil - whether that be Season 4 of the Netflix show, a sequel to the original series, or a complete reboot. Charlie Cox will undoubtedly be back in the titular role, with Matt Corman and Chris Ord taking on writing duties, but it remains uncertain how much of the original cast will be back.
Although Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin may be a safe bet, the MCU has yet to make reference to either Foggy Nelson or Karen Page, so it's unclear whether they'll be back. Both actors have expressed interest in reprising their roles, so any return will probably come down to just how interested Marvel Studios is.
Now that Charlie Cox's Daredevil will be starring in his first solo outing under Marvel Studios, the doors are open to appearances from other MCU heroes. Fellow lawyer She-Hulk could be one option, but there are countless more heroes that fans have been hankering for years to see Daredevil alongside.
With Daredevil being teased across so many projects, Marvel Studios is clearly eager to quickly begin building links between him and the other heroes. There's a strong chance the MCU is preparing for him to join a superhero team like the Avengers in the near future, making more crossovers in the years to follow a sure thing.
The three seasons of Charlie Cox's Daredevil are streaming now, exclusively on Disney+.
