Charlie Cox in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’. Photo:

©Disney+/Marvel Studios /Courtesy Everett Collection

Daredevil: Born Again began its first season with a bang and ended with an even bigger one.

The Disney+ series kicked off with the shocking death of Daredevil/Matt Murdock’s (Charlie Cox) best friend and law firm partner, the quick-witted Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson). While he was killed by notorious villain Bullseye/Ben Poindexter (Wilson Bethel), seemingly out of vengeance, it turns out there were higher stakes at play.

The season’s penultimate episode confirmed that Kingpin/Wilson Fisk’s (Vincent D’Onofrio) wife Vanessa (Ayelet Zurer) orchestrated the hit on Foggy’s life by freeing Bullseye from prison. By doing this, the Red Hook port, where she conducts illegal activity in a legally exempt area, wouldn’t be uncovered. 

Meanwhile, Fisk goes full Kingpin as he shuts down power to the city in an attempt to kill Daredevil. What happens next both brings back iconic Daredevil characters and puts the future of the city in very uncertain hands.

Here’s everything to know about Daredevil: Born Again’s shocking season 1 finale and how it sets up season 2.

Warning: Daredevil: Born Again spoilers ahead!

Charlie Cox in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’. ©Disney+/Marvel Studios /Courtesy Everett Collection

In the lead-up to the final moments of Daredevil: Born Again season 1, Kingpin takes control of the city’s government, police force and resources. Daredevil escapes Kingpin’s murder attempt as fan favorites Frank Castle/the Punisher (Jon Bernthal) and Karen (Deborah Ann Woll) return to help him. 

After Daredevil instinctively throws himself in the way of a bullet to save Kingpin’s life during the season’s penultimate episode, the villain appears more ruthless than ever. He shuts down power in the city so that he can kill Daredevil while also creating complete chaos so that the city will be forced to turn to him as their savior.

Although wounded, Daredevil escapes from the hospital he’s recovering in to return to his apartment. He learns that the Punisher has been called by Karen as Kingpin’s corrupt police officers are about to attack and try to kill them.

The duo narrowly escape a violent brawl as Kingpin continues ravaging New York in its dark hour of mayhem. He not only has his new Deputy Mayor for Communications, Daniel Blake (Michael Gandolfini), blackmail the city council so he can implement martial law but also murders Police Chief Gallo (Michael Gaston) in one of Marvel’s most gruesome scenes yet.

“He’s definitely in power all by himself. He still has to keep his position as mayor somehow,” D’Onofrio told Variety. “The killing of Commissioner Gallo is done in front of his task force, so he wants them to be as nasty as he is. Nobody has seen that killing, and it will, I’m sure, eventually be covered up.”

Daredevil and Karen figure out that Foggy was murdered by Bullseye on behalf of Vanessa because he had uncovered the Red Hook Port — an area immune from federal and municipal jurisdiction — where Kingpin plans to set up a complex for his crimes.

By the end of the finale episode, Kingpin has essentially taken control of the entire city and the Punisher is kidnapped by the corrupt police but Daredevil is assembling his own army to combat the tyrant.

“The … oddly emotionally satisfying thing about that conclusion, is that the good guys lost. Matt Murdock lost. Fisk won,” Daredevil: Born Again director Justin Benson told Comicbookmovie.com. “There’s something beautiful about them being, ‘Yeah, we lost. There’s not a lot of hope, but we’re going to have the grit to … keep going.’ ”

Vincent D’Onofrio in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’. Marvel©

Daredevil: Born Again shockingly began with the death of the esteemed, comedic lawyer Foggy Nelson, Matt Murdock’s best friend and business partner from the original 2015 Daredevil series.

Notorious villain Bullseye shot and killed him, but it wasn’t until the season’s penultimate episode that fans learned who ordered the hit: Vanessa Fisk.

The finale then confirmed that Foggy was involved in a case with a thief, Benjamin Cafaro, and that Vanessa felt that this case “would shine unwanted light on some of [her] business practices.” She had been laundering money so she freed Bullseye from prison to carry out the hit on Foggy.

In the last episode, Karen and Daredevil realize that Foggy had discovered that his client hadn’t committed a crime because of the Red Hook Port’s unique location, which was exempt from legal jurisdiction, federally and municipally.

This revelation also brought to light that Kingpin and Vanessa were building a complex there where they could commit as many crimes as possible from gambling to money laundering to false imprisonment and more. Kingpin even suggested they could use Red Hook to make “billions.”

Charlie Cox and Deborah Ann Woll in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’. Marvel©

There may be a superhero love triangle coming up for Daredevil. While Karen briefly returned in season 1 prior to Foggy’s death, she left disappointed when Matt told her he was hanging up his Daredevil mask.

The superhero and Karen previously dated in Daredevil season 2, although his complicated relationship with fellow superhero Elektra Natchios (Elodie Yung) got in the way. However, this wasn’t enough time for Daredevil to get over Karen as he calls his Daredevil: Born Again love interest Heather Glenn (Margarita Levieva) “Karen” when she visits him in the hospital.

Heather had been working with the Kingpin as his marital therapist and had taken a strong anti-vigilante stance, so her boyfriend’s momentary slip was the straw that broke the camel’s back, making her turn to the dark side and team up with the Kingpin. By the end of the episode, she becomes his Commissioner of Mental Health.

“The time between the breakup with Karen and Heather, although it’s significant, it’s also emotionally not quite enough for Matt,” Levieva told Screenrant. “I think Heather knows that, and also is willing to sort of push that aside. But there’s a sense of it.“

Heather’s feelings are correct as Daredevil’s ability to hear heartbeats reveals that Karen still has feelings for him, but also that she has feelings for the Punisher, setting up a potential superhero love triangle.

John Bernthal in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’. Marvel©

After a violent romp with Daredevil following Karen’s request for him to help, the Punisher ends up ambushed by Kingpin’s anti-vigilante task force. He’s given the opportunity to join them but refuses and is locked in a cage with many of Kingpin’s other enemies at the Red Hook Port.

In the series’ post-credits scene though, fans see the Punisher get back to his normal ways. While talking to a guard, he convinces him to come shake his hand using his charisma. The Punisher then breaks his arm, seemingly grabbing a key so he can escape.

This is significant because Marvel has already announced that there will be a Punisher special, co-written by Bernthal, similar to the one-hour episode Werewolf by Night. This scene will likely set up that special.

“It’s like a shotgun blast of a story, but also has all the pathos and emotion that you want out of a Frank castle story,” Marvel Studios’ Head of Streaming Brian Winderbaum told Entertainment Weekly. “It’s so exciting.”

Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio ‘Daredevil: Born Again’. Marvel©

Kingpin and Vanessa end the season toasting after previously suggesting they could use the Red Hook Port to make billions while having “legally” locked up many of their enemies there in cages.

Kingpin gives a speech to the city that after his self-created power-out disaster, there will be an 8:00 curfew and his task force will be even more aggressive in taking out who they consider vigilantes. 

In an interview with Variety, D’Onofrio explained that Kingpin’s plans may expand even beyond New York.

“His grand plan is martial law, and while he can hold the city in martial law, to complete as many crimes as he can and get rid of the vigilantes,” D’Onofrio said. “That would be included in his mindset of being able, at some point, to expand his reach beyond New York.”

Daredevil then waxed poetic about how the “city without fear” will need to resist, rebel and rebuild as he referenced creating an army to stand up to Kingpin. This narration takes place as Daredevil is standing amongst citizens and police officers who aren’t corrupt, but it’s important to note that Daredevil: Born Again operates within the MCU.

This creates the opportunity to incorporate other New York heroes like Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Hawkeye/Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) and some other Netflix Marvel Defenders characters like Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter) or Iron Fist (Finn Jones).

“If you had had a bunch of other superheroes show up, it would almost give too much hope. It’s no longer about the grit and the uncertainty and just going for it and doing it even though you’re probably going to lose,” Benson told Comicbookmovie.com. “That’s a cool ending. That’s heroic. It’s just him and these people. Humans. They’re going to keep going because they’re going to do what’s right.”

‘Daredevil: Born Again’. Marvel©

According to Collider, Daredevil: Born Again was originally supposed to be 18 episodes, but was split up into two seasons instead. Winderbaum told Screenrant that he hopes Daredevil: Born Again will be an annual release with season 2 premiering in 2026.

“That is the plan. Season 2 will come out next year, and then hopefully season 3 and season infinity after that,” Winderbaum said. “I think this world is extremely rich, and there are many stories to be told on the streets of New York.”

Series director Aaron Moorhead explained that season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again will begin with Daredevil and Kingpin fully honing their alter-egos rather than trying to hide them.

“They’ve both pulled off their masks. ‘I am Daredevil, I am Kingpin.’ We’re just going to be those things. So, as we begin season 2, we get to see what that’s like as they feel fully self-actualized,” he told Comicbookmovie.com.