One fan-favorite Netflix-era Marvel villain team will reportedly be resurrected for an upcoming MCU project. After Marvel Studios seemingly turned its back on the super-powered streaming stories that ran on Netflix between 2015 and 2019, the iconic comic brand changed its stance on the former hard-nosed corner of its interconnected universe.
This has led to titles like Daredevil: Born Again hitting the (metaphorical) airwaves, and to beloved characters such as Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock, Jon Bernthal's Punisher, and Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones returning to the franchise. Simply put, what was once old is new again when it comes to the MCU's former Defenders saga, leaving the door open for even more connective tissue to be laid between the current Marvel story and the one that came before it.
According to a new report, yet another mainstay of the now-defunct MCU Netflix era is getting set to reemerge from the shadows, albeit this time on Disney+. Insider Daniel Richtman shared on his personal Patron page that The Hand, a villainous group of ninja-like characters seen across the Netflix Defenders saga, is being eyed for a return in Daredevil: Born Again Season 3.
The shadow-lurking outfit was a significant part of the later seasons of the original Daredevil series and the Defenders crossover event. It was in Defenders where the MCU's original take on the Hand was officially disbanded after Elodie Yung's Elektra was given the reins to run the villain team.
At the end of the original Defenders series, the show's titular team buried the leaders of The Hand, essentially putting the group to rest for good. Now, it seems the conniving cabal will be back and will play a part in the soon-to-start production of Daredevil: Born Again Season 3.
This comes on the back of recent reports that The Hand would appear in another upcoming MCU title, Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Back in December, it was reported that the former Netflix villains would return to the franchise to take on Tom Holland's wall-crawler, though, like these most recent claims, that report remains unconfirmed.
Daredevil: Born Again is set to start its second season on Disney+ on March 4. The show's third season is set to go into production over the next few weeks, lining itself up for an assumed Spring 2027 release.
What Could The Hand's Return Mean for the MCU?
Over the last six months or so, fans have heard plenty about the return of The Hand. The criminal outfit has been reportedly attached to several projects at this point, with Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 being just the latest.
There was, of course, the prior mention of the classic Netflix-era Marvel villains popping up in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but that was on top of a previous rumor pegging them as the potential threat in the still-unannounced Shang-Chi sequel, seemingly set for a Phase 7 debut.
If/when the group comes back from the dead, it could have massive ramifications for the MCU, particularly in the Daredevil revival corner of the on-screen comic book canon.
The last fans saw of the group, they had essentially been dismantled by Daredevil and the Defenders, leaving their former ally Elektra to die with them. If The Hand is coming back, then so too could Elektra. There have been rumors of Elodie Yung's potential return as the character for some time, so perhaps this ties into all that.
Another way the story could go would see Daredevil himself assume the mantle of leader of The Hand, taking the crown from Yung's former Netflix character. There has been talk about Born Again leading to an adaptation of the beloved Daredevil: Shadowland comic run, in which Matt Murdock returns to New York City and leads the Hand in a war against Kingpin (read more about the Shadowland storyline here).
If that is the case, then The Hand may not be coming back as the villains they once were, instead being a place for the Scarlet Scrapper to hang his bully sticks in his ongoing battle with Vincent D'Onofrio's crime-boss-turned-New-York-City-mayor.
