Daredevil: Born Again is building the foundation for another MCU team, one that will get its hands dirty in a way the Avengers never have. Season 2 of the Disney+ series introduced Mr. Charles, a CIA operative played by Matthew Lillard, who was in cahoots with Mayor Wilson Fisk and using him to smuggle weapons into America. But Charles also had his eyes on a bigger prize: superheroes.
When Jessica Jones arrived on the scene later in the season, she informed Matt Murdock that Charles had tried to recruit her and was doing his due diligence on numerous enhanced individuals. She couldn't suss out his goal, but his connections to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine put viewers ahead of the game.
The freshly dubbed New Avengers pulled a fast one on Val at the end of Thunderbolts*, using Project Sentry as a way to blackmail her into following their lead. Losing out on her enhanced pets left Val in between a rock and a hard place. Well, it appears that Charles is working to rescue her by putting together a new team, maybe even a live-action version of the Dark Avengers.
Obviously, Charles is going to need all the help he can get if he plans to challenge the MCU's other Avengers teams. There's just too much firepower to go around. He's in luck, though, because Born Again just made a new addition to its cast that's likely to pick up what he's putting down: Elektra.
Presumed dead after the end of The Defenders, she's back for Born Again Season 3. While her motivations are unclear, it's hard to imagine that Charles will allow her to roam free the entire season without reaching out. Her skillset, which allows her to go toe-to-toe with Daredevil and senior members of the Hand, would be an asset to the CIA and whatever shady business it's up to.
Elektra's appearnce on the board also ensures that Charles has a full roster at his disposal. The original Avengers lineup had six heroes, after all, so the only way to one-up Iron Man and Co. is by recruiting at least seven cutthroat individuals.
Potential Dark Avengers Members Already Lurking In The MCU
Luke Cage
Jessica didn't get off scot-free when she turned down Charles' offer. Her partner, Luke Cage, with whom she has a child, joined the operative's crew in her stead. Cage travelled overseas and did work that he didn't seem all that pumped up about.
While it's unlikely that Cage and Charles ever get on the same page, their partnership may be far from over. Charles could call on the Cage again in the future and potentially give him a leadership position, allowing the street-level hero to follow in his comic book counterpart's lead.
Bullseye
The moment Cage returned home, Charles moved on to his next target. Bullseye turned over a new leaf in Born Again Season 2 and started helping out the good guys. Even the governor of New York got a positive visit from the reformed villain.
At some point, Charles gave Bullseye a sales pitch and got him to agree to work for him. Born Again's next outing will dive into what that relationship looks like and what Bullseye's new motivations are. His focus might be on doing the right thing, but he's always been susceptible to suggestion.
Scorpion
After a botched deal in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Mac Gargan found himself behind bars and with a vendetta against the Wall-Crawler. While it's taken nearly a decade for him to get another shot at the hero, he's back in Spider-Man: Brand New Day with a major upgrade, the Scorpion suit.
Gargan doesn't stay Scorpion forever in the source material. At one point, he came into contact with the Venom symbiote and joined the Dark Avengers as a Spider-Man replacement. The MCU has the opportunity to hand the symbiote to live-action Gargan and turn him into more than a forgettable bad guy.
Skaar
Hulk's last appearnce in the MCU, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, featured a massive status quo change for the hero. His son, Skaar, came into the picture after growing up on Sakaar.
Most likely due to She-Hulk's lukewarm reception, Marvel Studios is taking its time bringing Skaar back. However, he's a perfect candidate for the Dark Avengers. He was a member of the team in the comics, going undercover to bring down Norman Osborn's operation from the inside.
Red Hulk
Prior to the release of Thunderbolts*, many assumed that Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, one of the people responsible for tearing the Avengers apart, would assemble the group. His nickname is close to the team's name, after all. The movie opted to leave him out, though, having the titular group's name come from Yelena Belova's childhood soccer team.
But Ross finds himself in a tough spot after unleashing the Red Hulk on Washington, DC, in Captain America: Brave New World. He's not going to want to stay in jail forever, and working with Charles might present him with a way out.
Punisher
The Disney+ special Punisher: One Last Kill threw Frank Castle into the deep end as a crime family with an axe to grind against him threw everything it had at him. Once all the bodies dropped, Punisher decided it was time for him to be a vigilante for the people, no longer focusing on his own wants.
The sudden change in attitude makes Frank worthy of working with Spider-Man in Brand New Day. Marvel Studios can take things a step further by having Punisher work with a group of like-minded characters. He's sure to butt heads with a few people, but the job will get done.
