Which characters in the MCU's upcoming Disney+ series, Daredevil: Born Again, could end up being recast from the Netflix series?
MCU fans were thrilled to learn that Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio would come back to play their roles as Daredevil and Kingpin in the MCU when their Disney+ series was confirmed in 2022. But considering Daredevil's small screen history, plenty of mystery is still present for Born Again's release, especially on the casting/recasting front.
Recent news confirmed that Marvel Studios cast Sandrine Holt in the role of Vanessa Fisk for this new series, marking the first official recast for the Disney+ show after Ayulet Zurer played the Kingpin's wife in Neftlix's Daredevil.
And with questions still ever-present about whether the Netflix shows are definitively canon with the MCU, fans are anxiously awaiting more casting news to find out what other roles could be played by new actors.
Ahead is a look at eight of the most important characters from Daredevil and the greater Defenders Saga on Netflix, along with the chances that they'll be recast for Daredevil: Born Again.
Potential Actors Being Recast for Daredevil: Born Again
1.) Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson)
Foggy Nelson played as big of a supporting role as anybody in the Netflix series, with Elden Henson playing Matt Murdock's best friend and business partner in all three seasons. The two ran a law firm under the name Nelson & Murdock: Attorneys at Law, strengthening their friendship and partnership while Foggy came to terms with Matt's secret life as a vigilante.
Reports indicated that Elden Henson wasn't on the call sheet for Born Again, meaning that he's not set to reprise his role as Foggy from the Netflix show for the time being. Considering Foggy's deep connections to Matt in the comics, which were also shown through Jon Favreau's portrayal in Ben Affleck's Daredevil movies, it would be a shock not to see the character come back in some form.
While Henson could certainly find his way into the series later during shooting, there's at least a feasible chance that this role could be recast for Daredevil: Born Again. And while he hasn't commented on the chances of coming back, fans have expressed disappointment in the news that's been released thus far, with hope still pushing through for the "Avocado at Law" to come back.
2). Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll)
Deborah Ann Woll embodied the role of Karen Page in the original Netflix series, eventually becoming Matt and Foggy's office manager and then moving on to write for the New York Bulletin. She would later help out Frank Castle during his court battle and assist Matt and Foggy in taking down the Kingpin, all before agreeing to start up a new law firm before the series came to an end.
In the lead-up to Daredevil: Born Again's confirmation, Woll was incredibly vocal about being open to coming back as Karen Page, often speaking about her experience working with Cox and Hensen on the Netflix show. But she, like Henson, wasn't on the call sheet for Born Again, leading many to believe she'll be recast.
It's gotten to the point where Woll herself has cast doubt on her return since she hasn't heard back from Marvel, making the chances of a recast higher the same way they are for Henson. While this would certainly be disappointing for Woll and a sect of the fan base, it would be a surprise to see Karen absent from the series as a whole, although who plays her remains to be seen.
3.) Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson)
Nobody connected Marvel TV's Netflix shows more than Rosario Dawson's Claire Temple, who served mostly as a nurse and a friend to Matt Murdock in Daredevil. She also has the distinct honor of being the character with the most appearances in the Defenders Saga, showing up in every single series except for The Punisher.
Dawson expressed hope to reprise her role as Claire in Daredevil: Born Again, saying that Disney and Marvel know where to find her if they want to bring the character back. Unfortunately, she wasn't on the call sheet for the initial round of casting for the new Disney+ series, leaving doubt as to whether she'll come back.
Claire would seemingly be an important part of the Daredevil story that could even be worked into other parts of the MCU as well. This could mean that she'll end up being recast for Cox's next round as the anti-hero. And with Dawson now busier than ever with her role as Ahsoka Tano in the greater Star Wars saga, only time will tell if she'll have the time to reunite with Marvel again.
4.) Elektra (Elodie Yung)
Elodie Yung's Elektra was introduced in Season 2 as an antagonist/complicated love interest for Matt Murdock, bringing in one of Daredevil's most iconic supporting characters from the comics. Initially working with The Hand to take Matt Murdock down, the two eventually formed a relationship with one another to overcome Stick and Alexandra Reid, although Elektra died both at the end of Daredevil Season 2 and in Episode 8 of The Defenders - the latter being permanent.
Elektra has been a complicated character in terms of her potential inclusion in Born Again, especially with no word from Yung about whether she would return. There's also already been rumors about the role being played by Eiza Gonzalez in the new series, although she's firmly denied that to be the case due to her own schedule.
With Electra only having been a part of two seasons of the entire Defenders Saga, Marvel Studios may decide to move on from Yung's take on the character, and Elektra may not even come into play during Season 1 at all. But if and when she does come into play, Marvel is sure to look for the right actress to embrace this important supporting character.
5.) Benjamin "Dex" Poindexter/Bullseye (Wilson Bethel)
After being played by Colin Farrell in 2003's Daredevil, Wilson Bethel took on the memorable Matt Murdock antagonist Bullseye for Season 3 of the Netflix series. Coming in as an ex-FBI agent with a deeply troubled past, he ended up being manipulated by Wilson Fisk into going after Daredevil, even going so far as to wear the Daredevil suit before Matt Murdock took him and the Kingpin down.
Considering how often Bullsye has been utilized in Daredevil stories on the big and small screen, this antagonist should be on Marvel Studios' potential list of characters to bring back, especially since he was used in the Born Again story from the comics.
As for casting, while Wilson Bethel put forth a solid performance, he only has less than a dozen episodes of work under his belt as this memorable antagonist. Marvel may look for a bigger name to play the part in the MCU, particularly given the chance that he could leak over into other parts of the universe in this story.
6.) Brett Mahoney (Royce Johnson)
Royce Johnson's Brett Mahoney served as an important figure throughout all three seasons of Daredevil, even showing up in episodes of Jessica Jones and The Punisher as well. Mahoney was a detective sergeant with the NYPD who formed a tenuous alliance with Daredevil, also working with Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson during their time as lawyers and eventually assisting them to take down Kingpin and investigate The Hand.
While Mahoney isn't normally the biggest supporting Daredevil character, there's a chance that the police detective may be brought back for Daredevil: Born Again. And thanks to some interesting social media activity from Johnson, there's even the possibility that he'll come back to reprise the role himself.
In January 2023, Johnson posted a photo of himself in his Daredevil costume with the caption “...somewhere in New York,” potentially teasing that he may be in line to come back into the MCU at some point. And while he's remained relatively quiet about the post since then, it's certainly driving conversation amongst fans about whether Brett Mahoney may be seen again in the next couple of years.
7.) Luke Cage (Mike Colter)
Mike Colter's Luke Cage became a major part of the Defenders Saga, starring in two seasons of his own solo series while also showing up in Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and The Defenders. He built some ties with Daredevil through their shared experiences in The Defenders, helping the group stop Alexandra Reid before Matt's supposed death.
With Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio already back as their respective characters, many fans remain hopeful that Colter will come back to his iconic role as Harlem's heroic defender. And while Colter admitted that he doesn't have a Marvel comeback definitively on his wish list, some intriguing photos have sparked a new interest in the topic.
Colter has been seen in public on a number of occasions with Jessica Jones star Krysten Ritter, who's been rumored for her own potential MCU comeback along with Colter. And while the two have publicly stated that those meetings have only been as friends, there's no way to tell definitively if they're hiding a possible collaboration with Marvel Studios.
8.) Danny Rand (Finn Jones)
As the fourth member of the Defenders, Finn Jones' Danny Rand served as a vital piece of the series as he became the Immortal Iron Fist in his own solo series. Also starring in The Defenders and Season 2 of Luke Cage, Danny Rand learned the ways of K'un-Lun and mastered the use of the Iron Fist weapon, eventually helping Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage in their battles.
Of the Defenders quartet, Finn Jones has always seemed to be the least likely member to return to his role, particularly given the mostly negative reception to his own solo series. Rumors even indicated that Jones himself didn't want to come back, although he dispelled those passionately by saying that he loves having "the ability to prove someone wrong."
For the time being, there appear to be no definitive plans to bring the Iron Fist into the MCU, although theories teased how he could potentially join the story in a project like Shang-Chi 2. Hopefully, Jones will have the opportunity to redeem himself from those past letdowns, although there's a chance Marvel could decide to go in a new direction with Iron Fist as well.
Daredevil: Born Again is currently filming and is set to arrive on Disney+ in Spring 2024.
Which characters do you think will be recast for the MCU Disney+ series? Which actors do you want to see return? Let us know on Twitter at @MCU_Direct.
