As Daredevil: Born Again prepares to begin filming, a new photo that emerged online featuring a mainstay from Marvel's Netflix series may hint at a potential comeback to the Disney+ series.
Speculation has been ramping up on which other actors from Netflix's Daredevil series will jump ship to the MCU to join Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio's respective Marvel characters.
While Luke Cage actor Mike Colter isn't entirely sure if he will return, Jessica Jones' Krysten Ritter previously added fuel to the rumors of her comeback by posting Marvel-related images on social media.
Amid fan campaigns to bring back certain cast members like Karen Page actress Deborah Ann Woll, one actor seemingly teased his return.
Will 1 Marvel Actor Return for Disney+'s Daredevil Show?
Royce Johnson, the actor who portrayed New York Police Department officer Brett Mahoney in several episodes of Marvel's Daredevil and Jessica Jones, posted a new image of himself on Instagram wearing a police uniform, with the caption “...somewhere in New York:”
In the Defenders universe, Mahoney assisted Foggy Nelson and Matt Murdock with their law cases that ultimately led to an investigation of Wilson Fisk.
Johnson's post instantly led to speculation from Instagram users that he could return as Brett Mahoney in Daredevil: Born Again.
@mahmoud_zoghlof14 asked the right question in his comment:
"Bruhhhhh hells kitchen???"
@calebjameslucas said that Johnson might be in Daredevil's reboot series after all:
"You best be in Born Again otherwise Marvel is tripping"
@benryanmills is contemplating if Mahoney is really back in the series:
"Brett Mahoney is back isn’t he"
@Iglassboy pointed out that Foggy Nelson should have more cigars if Mahoney returns:
"Nelson better have more cigars"
Some users also theorized about Johnson's comeback as Mahoney on the Marvel Studios Spoilers subreddit.
Infinity-Gauntlet mentioned that Johnson is "possibly returning" as Mahoney in the reboot series:
"Possibly returning as Detective Mahoney in Daredevil: BA"
Rising-Jay is all hyped up about a potential Brett Mahoney comeback:
"We got BRETT MAHONEY up in this?!?"
Adrian_FCD hilariously pointed out that Marvel soft rebooted Mahoney for the series:
"Damn, they soft reboot my boy back to beat cop lol"
However, @bryanrusso44 pointed out that Johnson appears to be wearing a Philadelphia Police uniform, adding less credence to the actor's comeback:
"That patch looks like it is for the Philadelphia Police."
Still, this could be an older photo that Johnson used to represent Mahoney due to the New York-related caption.
Which Actors From Netflix’s Daredevil Will Return?
Royce Johnson's Instagram post could be his way of campaigning for Brett Mahoney to return in Daredevil: Born Again instead of teasing his confirmed comeback. The fact that he wears a different kind of uniform (Philadelphia Police instead of NYPD) supports this claim.
If true, this isn't the first time a cast member from the Netflix series acknowledged the Disney+ reboot. Past Daredevil stars like Geoffrey Cantor and Amy Rutberg expressed their excitement over the series, with some speculating that they could be hinting at their comeback.
Aside from Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock and Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk, there's no evidence that other Daredevil mainstays will make a surprise appearance in Born Again, especially after a huge wave of casting news previously emerged that could hint that those actors will portray similar characters from the past series.
Still, Marvel Studios could surprise fans by keeping some of the notable returns (Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson) a secret. As filming is set to start soon, it's also possible that some of these actors (Johnson included) could be spotted on set, putting an end to the speculation.
Daredevil: Born Again is set to hit Disney+ sometime in Spring 2024.
