Marvel Studios Says Goodbye to Fan-Favorite MCU Netflix Character

One beloved Marvel character met an early grave to begin Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+.

The MCU is known for its profound death scenes, even though some are later reversed. For example, Tom Hiddleston's Loki has died several times in the MCU, and Marvel Studios also killed off half of its biggest characters in Avengers: Infinity War.

The most impactful death in the MCU was Tony Stark's at the end of Avengers: Endgame. This death seems permanent despite Robert Downey Jr.'s return as Doctor Doom in Avengers 5 (which could be a terrible mistake).

In 2025, the latest MCU Disney+ series has given fans what may go down as the most significant death since Endgame.

Warning - The rest of this article contains spoilers for Episode 1 of Daredevil: Born Again.

Marvel Kills off This Fan-Favorite Daredevil Character

To open Daredevil: Born Again, the first sequence ends with the death of Matt Murdock's (Charlie Cox) best friend, Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson).

Since Season 1, Episode 1 of Netflix's Daredevil series, Matt and Foggy have been the show's heartbeat. Their friendship drives the story forward, as does their joint law practice.

A lot has happened since that 2015 season, but one truth has always remained: audiences love Foggy. Give the seven projects to watch before Daredevil: Born Again, this opening quickly re-focuses on the small story of three friends.

This makes the decision to open Born Again with his death all the more painful, mainly as fans were given a look at Foggy, Matt, and Karen Page's (Deborah Ann Woll) evolved, yet familiar friendship, to begin the new episode.

The trio's night led them to their favorite dive, Josie's Bar, where a cop named Cherry (Clark Johnson) was celebrating his retirement. The atmosphere was lively, filled with laughter and toasts, making it all the more tragic in hindsight. 

Karen and Matt sat together, exchanging playful banter about their so-called "friends code" while Foggy stood by the bar, chatting up fellow attorney Kirsten McDuffie (Nikki M. James). It was a lighthearted moment. Karen slyly looked over to the bar to spy on the conversation while Matt used his enhanced hearing to eavesdrop.

But then, everything shifted.

Foggy received a phone call from one of his clients, Benny. Matt's heightened senses instinctively turned on (leading to a remarkable camera focus and sound mixing) as soon as Foggy picked up. He could hear the panic in Benny's voice saying, "There's someone downstairs."

Matt and Karen go outside to talk with Foggy about what's happening. After some explanation that Benny is in Foggy's apartment, it's heard over the phone that someone has broken in and attacked Benny. Matt immediately leaves to suit up as Daredevil.

The last thing Foggy says to Matt is, "Look, I'm sorry. Maybe I didn't want to give you an excuse." The show then cuts to Daredevil grappling through the rooftops but then hones in on Matt, hearing the phone conversation between Foggy and Benny. The intruder wanted to know where Foggy was, and it cuts to Dex (Wilson Bethel) looking down a sniper scope, masking his face.

As it cuts back to Karen and Foggy in front of the bar, both are confused. Suddenly, a gunshot rings out, hitting Foggy in the abdomen. Dex notably also shoots two cops that come out of the bar but doesn't shoot Karen.

Dex approaches the bar, tossing in smoke grenades, and says, "Hi Karen," while holding up a suppressed pistol. Then Matt comes flying in as Daredevil. As Daredevil and Bullseye fight throughout the bar, working their way up to the roof, Matt can hear Foggy's heartbeat.

Karen is applying pressure on the gunshot wound. The ambulance is on the way, but it seems too late. Daredevil has bested Bullseye, but then silence, and Foggy's heartbeat stops.

At this point, something in Matt snaps. He begs Dex to tell him why, and instead of answering, the villain smiles. Rather than follow his standard moral code, a massive part of the original series, Matt pushes Dex off the roof.

Karen, watching from below, has a moment of pure horror. Was that Matt who fell? But no, somehow, unjustly, Bullseye survived the fall. At this moment, Matt gives up being Daredevil, tossing his horned helmet to the ground.

The death of Foggy is going to have a lasting impact on not only the characters within the show but the viewers that have made Henson's performance a fan-favorite since 2015. Foggy's death was originally supposed to be off-screen, before the creative overhaul happened. Even with the series redirection, his fate remained unchanged, making his loss even more devastating for longtime viewers.

The Future of Foggy in Daredevil

The shadow of Foggy's death significantly impacts Matt, who, a year later, has become a full-time lawyer and is no longer the vigilante Daredevil. In addition, at the trial for Foggy, it becomes clear that Matt and Karen's friendship has disintegrated after their best friend's death.

However, to the surprise of many, Marvel Studios' Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation Brad Winderbaum confirmed that Foggy will return in Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again. Speaking with Brandon Davis, Winderbaum confirmed that Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson will be back for Season 2:

"Without going into spoiler territory, I will say that both Deborah and Elden are coming back for Season 2."

This indicates that Karen may not have a big role in Season 1 of Born Again, and Foggy will most likely return in potential flashback sequences. The flashbacks wouldn't be a major shock as Daredevil notoriously used those in-the-past scenes to develop Matt's character, especially in Season 1.

Daredevil: Born Again Episodes 1 and 2 are streaming on Disney+.