For several years, Marvel TV and Netflix teamed up to produce a line-up of more mature heroic series including Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist, which culminated in the blockbuster team-up The Defenders. After a well-received introduction in the Daredevil's second season, The Punisher was even spun out into his own series.
Over the past few years, since the series were all canceled as the television was absorbed into the big-screen studio, fans have been calling for the street-level heroes to join the wider MCU.
WARNING - This article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home and Hawkeye Episode 5.
After years of waiting, viewers recently got their wish finally as Charlie Cox's blind hero made a cameo appearance as Peter Parker's lawyer in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Meanwhile, in the same week, Vincent D'Onofrio's Daredevil villain Kingpin made his own Marvel comeback as he was teased as the big bad of Hawkeye.
Looking ahead, the future appears bright for Matt Murdock in the MCU as the doors are opened to the New York street hero popping up in an assortment of projects. So what does the MCU future look like for Daredevil?
Going to Court in She-Hulk
Recent rumors have already suggested Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock will return in the She-Hulk Disney+ series and suit up in his classic yellow Daredevil costume - unlike his No Way Home appearance, which was strictly in a legal capacity.
Even putting aside leaks and rumors, She-Hulk was always a natural place for Murdock to pop up next as the series has already been described as a legal comedy. Perhaps the two superhero lawyers will go head-to-head in the courtroom before teaming up for some heroic action.
For now, the size of Cox's She-Hulk role remains unclear, but the safest bet would be to assume he would take on a guest role in one of the series' ten half-hour episodes. It's tough to imagine how exactly Daredevil will fit into the legal comedy as his character's tone has typically been somewhat darker.
Fighting Kingpin with Echo
Hawkeye's recent fifth episode set the stage for the upcoming Echo Disney+ solo series as Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin was revealed as the man behind the death of Maya Lopez's father. Given Daredevil's relationship with the deaf hero in the comics and his history with Wilson Fisk in the MCU, an appearance from Charlie Cox in Echo is almost a sure thing.
Past rumors from reliable scoopers have suggested much of the Daredevil cast will appear in Echo and it may even feel somewhat close to a fourth season, while still very much being her story. Based on this, it appears Matt Murdock and his legal companions will play key roles in the series, likely to help out in the fight against Kingpin.
Helping Happy in Armor Wars
After he was accused of stealing Stark Technology, something which he was later revealed to be guilty of, Murdock told Happy Hogan he will need a really good lawyer. With Armor Wars focussed around Iron Man's legacy and what happens when Tony Stark's tech falls into the wrong hands, it'd be a fitting place for this storyline to continue.
While this is far less certain than his rumored appearances in She-Hulk and Echo, Murdock could also pop up in a smaller capacity in Armor Wars to represent Happy in court and offer him legal advice as the charges against him proceed.
Reuniting with Spider-Man
Now that Daredevil and Spider-Man have finally met in live-action for the first time after a long-running comic relationship, perhaps they may reunite again in the near future. Even though Murdock will have forgotten Peter Parker as a result of No Way Home's ending, the duo could easily be reintroduced for a heroic team-up in a future project.
While Matt Murdock served strictly as Peter's attorney as he was accused of murder and vigilantism in No Way Home, any subsequent reunion would probably see Daredevil suiting up to join the action against a mutual antagonist.
The two red-suited crime fighters are some of the most renowned street-level heroes in all of Marvel, so as Daredevil's MCU presence increases, they're bound to cross paths often. Unfortunately, it will likely be a long wait before Spider-Man and Daredevil fight side-by-side on-screen, probably in one of the promised wall-crawler sequels on the way.
Joining the Avengers
Naturally once Daredevil has gotten a few MCU appearances behind him, the next logical step is for him to make an appearance in a larger blockbuster, potentially the Avengers' next big team-up which ought to release in a few years time.
After fighting alongside several of the MCU's top Avengers, of course, Matt Murdock would be invited upon to defend Earth and his New York home from whatever major threat may be coming next.
Daredevil Goes Solo
With all that said and done, Daredevil's popularity ought to be at an all-time high and many will be eagerly awaiting a solo project. Additionally, by then, enough time should have passed for the Netflix series to have fallen out of memory, leaving fans ready for a solo big-screen outing or Disney+ series.
Whatever may be the case, Marvel Studios will surely be keen to distance itself from the Netflix iteration to avoid confusion or inadvertently promoting a rival streaming service. Even if Daredevil's next solo outing takes the form of a series, it will almost certainly restart from Season 1, although a theatrical outing would prove less confusing.
Hopefully Matt Murdock's legendary cast of side characters - including Karen Page, Foggy Nelson, and Claire Temple - will be coming along with him as the Marvel TV hero makes the jump to the wider MCU. Perhaps Alaqua Cox's Echo will even come along for the ride due to their bond that may be established in her own series.
For now, it remains impossible to guess what threat Daredevil may take on next although the Netflix series previously dealt with Kingpin, Punisher, the Hand, and Bullseye.
With the blind hero finally reintroduced into the wider MCU, it's anyone's guess as to what the future may hold. But for now, Daredevil is streaming now, exclusively on Netflix.
