Daredevil Season 1, 2, 3 Recap: Catch Up on Matt Murdock's Story Before Born Again

It’s been 7 years since Daredevil’s 3rd and last play wrapped up connected Netflix, but the Man Without Fear is yet backmost successful his ain bid again successful Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again. And he’s not alone, with plentifulness of acquainted faces similar Foggy Nelson, Karen Page, Kingpin and adjacent The Punisher each backmost arsenic well… which means there’s a batch of characters and batch of past you mightiness request a refresher on, beyond recalling the information that Daredevil is large astatine warring successful hallways!

So earlier Matt Murdock is Born Again, here’s everything you request to cognize astir Daredevil – and his friends and enemies – truthful far! (And if you don't consciousness similar reading, you tin besides ticker the video astatine the apical of this page...)

The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen

As a child, Matt Murdock bravely saved an aged antheral from being deed by a truck, lone to beryllium blinded by spilled toxic worldly successful the accident. However, helium soon discovered each of his different senses were present heightened to a singular degree. And aft his father, small-time boxer “Battlin’” Jack Murdock, was killed by mobsters for failing to instrumentality a fall, Matt was motivated to proceed to hone his ain warring skills - and was concisely taught by the mysterious Stick, a skilled and determined warrior who was besides blind. Matt grew up to go a New York City lawyer who moonlights arsenic the alleged Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, AKA Daredevil, a masked vigilante who steps successful erstwhile the instrumentality can’t oregon won’t. At first, Matt wore a elemental achromatic costume and mask, but yet upgraded to protective assemblage armor and a multi-function instrumentality billy nine designed by the talented but troubled Melvin Potter.

Matt and his champion person since college, Foggy Nelson, began their ain instrumentality practice, Nelson & Murdock, and ended up hiring 1 of their archetypal clients, Karen Page, arsenic their 1 and lone employee, with the 3 rapidly forming a adjacent bond. However, aft Foggy recovered retired Matt’s concealed identity, it began to enactment a strain connected some their relationship and partnership.

Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of Crime

Though he’s battled assorted thugs and ninjas – truthful galore ninjas! – Daredevil’s superior and astir persistent force has been Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin. Once a meek boy, Fisk’s interior rage archetypal manifested erstwhile helium utilized a hammer to termination his abusive begetter erstwhile helium was 12 years old. He past grew up to go a cunning and almighty transgression lord capable to manipulate and coerce similar fewer others, portion besides proving much than susceptible of utilizing his formidable spot to get physically progressive erstwhile angered oregon provoked.

Fisk primitively kept himself retired of the nationalist eye, but aft newsman Ben Urich began to analyse him, helium attempted to manner himself arsenic a benevolent antheral of the people. He past discovered Ben had spoken to Fisk’s parent arsenic portion of his investigation, and went to Ben to termination him.

Though helium treats astir radical astir him arsenic disposable pawns, Fisk wasn’t lone conscionable highly protective erstwhile it came to his mother, arsenic helium fell caput implicit heels for creation trader Vanessa Marianna and was consenting to bash thing to support her. Seriously, you bash not want to enactment Vanessa successful information oregon you’re going to regret it.

When the instrumentality began to adjacent successful connected him, Fisk yet sent Vanessa distant for her ain protection. And though helium rapidly was breached retired of captivity by his men aft his archetypal arrest, helium was taken backmost successful soon aft acknowledgment to Daredevil’s intervention, arsenic the 2 physically fought for the archetypal time.

Elektra, the Punisher, and the Defenders

Compared to Fisk’s root of stableness done Vanessa, Matt’s emotion beingness has been much chaotic. He had a little fling with Claire Temple, a caregiver who often helped him with the aesculapian attraction helium truthful often required. Then helium and Karen began to research the anticipation of their narration becoming much romanticist lone for that to beryllium derailed by the instrumentality of Matt’s assemblage girlfriend, Elektra, who turned retired to really beryllium a highly trained assassin trying to bring Matt successful connected a plan, alongside their communal mentor, Stick, to halt the radical known arsenic The Hand. Elektra was killed battling The Hand and then resurrected by The Hand, though present corrupted and moving with them, arsenic they intended to usage her arsenic portion of their past quest to execute immortality. Look, we’ve each been there, right?

Driven by his beardown Catholic beliefs, Matt has ever refused to termination his enemies, but past encountered different vigilante who precise overmuch went out of their mode to termination those helium deemed irredeemable successful the signifier of Frank Castle, the Punisher. After aggregate confrontations, Daredevil ended up redeeming the Punisher from mobsters, and successful the aftermath came to amended recognize the acheronian events that motivated Castle. After Castle was arrested, Matt’s content successful the value of the ineligible strategy and the close to a just proceedings led him and Foggy to service arsenic Frank’s defence attorneys. After Castle escaped from prison, helium yet amazed Matt by appearing to assistance him dispatch a radical of Hand ninjas successful the aforesaid combat wherever Elektra was killed - the past clip to day we saw Punisher and Daredevil interact. (We already cognize Punisher volition amusement up successful BornAgain, though!)

With Matt’s treble beingness and the escalating unreliability it caused starring to expanding hostility with Foggy, the 2 divided up arsenic instrumentality partners, with Foggy taking a occupation with the precocious illustration steadfast of Hogarth, Chao & Benowitz portion Karen had already near to prosecute a caller vocation arsenic a reporter. Following his rift with Foggy, Matt past decided it was clip to yet travel cleanable with Karen astir the reasons for his progressively unusual and erratic behavior, i.e. that he’s Daredevil.

Soon after, Elektra’s resurrection and the information New York was enactment successful arsenic a effect of The Hand’s plans led Matt to articulation forces with his chap street-level heroes Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Danny Rand arsenic the Defenders… successful what unluckily turned retired to beryllium a beauteous lackluster team-up story. Seriously, however tin you discarded Sigourney Weaver with specified a immoderate quality similar that?!

By the extremity of The Defenders series, Elektra had killed Stick and past an full gathering fell connected Matt and Elektra aft they battled, conscionable arsenic helium was opening to get done to the pistillate beneath The Hand’s manipulation. Elektra’s destiny remains chartless adjacent now, but portion Matt survived, everyone initially believed helium was dormant - thing helium allowed for a bit, arsenic helium came retired of the acquisition severely wounded and adjacent concisely feeling suicidal.

Daredevil: Season 3 (Born Again!)

This led into Season 3 of Daredevil. Matt was nursed backmost to wellness by the nuns astatine the orphanage wherever helium grew up, including Sister Maggie - who Matt yet discovered was his ain mother, who’d strayed from the religion for a little period, during which she’d had a narration with his father. (Funny enough, this play was inspired by the Born Again Daredevil comic story much than the caller Disney+ amusement appears to be!)

Foggy and Karen yet learned Matt was live but discovered helium was successful an particularly acheronian and nihilistic caput space, arsenic helium declared his aged beingness was over. And helium had abandoned wearing his reddish Daredevil costume for a saltation connected the simplistic achromatic cogwheel he’d worn during his aboriginal vigilante days.

Matt’s acheronian past got a caller absorption aft Wilson Fisk managed to get himself retired of situation and moved to cushy location apprehension wrong a penthouse, acknowledgment to making a woody with the FBI to springiness them names and accusation connected different criminals and past faking an effort connected his ain beingness by a chap captive to person his captors helium wasn’t harmless there. Now believing Fisk had excessively overmuch powerfulness and power to ever beryllium genuinely brought to justice, Matt planned to transverse a enactment helium ne'er had before: He was going to termination him erstwhile and for all.

During this period, the savvy Fisk managed to observe that Matt Murdock was Daredevil, but alternatively than uncover that accusation to the public, helium alternatively diabolically acceptable retired to destruct some halves of his enemy’s beingness - archetypal by attempting to framework Matt arsenic a corrupt lawyer and past by having idiosyncratic impersonate Daredevil and maliciously termination innocents, including Matt’s person and confidant, Father Lantom, who sacrificed himself to support the intended target, Karen.

The imposter Daredevil was Benjamin “Dex” Poindexter, an FBI cause with psychopathic, murderous tendencies coupled with unthinkable abilities erstwhile it came to hitting targets dormant connected and besides utilizing astir immoderate entity arsenic a lethal weapon. And if this feline is sounding acquainted – you know, similar possibly idiosyncratic Colin Farrell erstwhile played successful a movie – Dex is so the MCU mentation of the Daredevil comic publication villain Bullseye, adjacent though we haven’t seen him usage that sanction conscionable yet.

Having blackmailed oregon paid disconnected assorted FBI agents to get them into his servitude, portion besides providing intel truthful the enactment astatine ample could bust his ain transgression rivals – each the amended for him to instrumentality backmost power – Fisk was exonerated for his earlier crimes. And aft years apart, helium besides was yet reunited with Vanessa, who returned to New York. She’d already known astir his transgression life, though not galore of the specifics, but present convinced him to discard immoderate past barriers betwixt them and judge her afloat participating successful each of his endeavors. And she rapidly proved she truly was the cleanable pistillate for him by instantly ordering her archetypal hit. Awww, see, Wilson and Vanessa truly are soulmates!

That deed was connected FBI Agent Ray Nadeem, who felt immense guilt for letting Fisk crook him and had agreed to attest against him, which some threatened to nonstop Fisk backmost to situation and brought Matt and Foggy backmost unneurotic arsenic lawyers, arsenic they began to mend fences. Except Fisk past threatened assemblage members, starring to him not being indicted - and past Vanessa’s bid led to Dex sidesplitting Nadeem.

Now much convinced than ever Fisk was untouchable, Matt decided to usage the nighttime of Wilson and Vanessa’s wedding to marque his onslaught and utilized Dex arsenic a distraction, turning Dex against Fisk by revealing Fisk been down the execution of Julie, a pistillate who rejected Dex aft she recovered retired helium was stalking her, but who Dex remained obsessed with. Now besides retired for revenge against Fisk, Dex drove himself and Julie’s frozen corpse – seriously, this feline is not good – to the wedding, causing murderous mayhem erstwhile helium arrived.

At the aforesaid time, it turned retired Nadeem, knowing helium was marked for death, had recorded a afloat confession that included circumstantial details astir Fisk’s caller crimes and accomplices, which would beryllium grounds admissible against him.

Inside Fisk’s penthouse apartment, Daredevil, Dex and Kingpin had a furious three-way fight, which yet went down to 2 participants aft Fisk broke Dex’s back. Daredevil yet got the amended of Fisk and had him astatine his mercy, acceptable to termination him, lone to beryllium swayed by Vanessa pleading for her husband.

Though Fisk, not wanting to beryllium locked up again, inactive tried to goad Matt into sidesplitting him, threatening Matt’s friends if helium was near alive, Matt past realized helium could usage Fisk’s emotion of Vanessa arsenic leverage, making a woody with Fisk some to support his individuality a concealed and to not spell aft Foggy and Karen, telling him he’d marque definite Vanessa would instrumentality the autumn for ordering the deed connected Nadeem if Fisk broke their terms. Fisk agreed.

As for Dex, helium was arrested arsenic well, and successful situation agreed to experimental country to effort to repair his backmost via the usage of Cogmium alloy arsenic a reinforcement for his mangled spine.

Having gotten done his darkest days, Matt yet decided to instrumentality to his aged beingness completely, not lone reteaming with Foggy, but reopening their signifier arsenic the renamed Nelson, Murdock & Page, telling Karen that she mightiness not beryllium a lawyer but they could marque usage of her terrific investigative skills.

As for the Punisher, to support things astatine slightest a spot much focused, we won’t spell into excessively overmuch item connected each of Frank Castle’s adventures during this aforesaid play that occurred done 2 seasons and 26 episodes of The Punisher series, but past we saw him, Frank had rejected an connection from the CIA to instrumentality assassination jobs for them and was sticking with doing what helium does best.

And his amusement besides reinforced the enslaved and relationship Frank had antecedently established with the sympathetic Karen, who ever seemed overmuch much consenting to judge the thought of sometimes outright sidesplitting atrocious guys than either Matt oregon Foggy - and adjacent had erstwhile proved she was susceptible of doing conscionable that herself with Fisk’s righthand man, Wesley, though it had weighed heavy connected her successful the aftermath.

Hawkeye, Echo, Spider-Man and She-Hulk

What happened successful the years pursuing the enactment of Nelson, Murdock & Page is murky, but we bash cognize that some Daredevil and Kingpin were among the 50% of the colonisation who survived Thanos’ drawback and that astatine immoderate point, nether circumstances that stay unknown, Fisk managed to beryllium legally freed from situation again. As helium erstwhile much rebuilt his transgression empire, Kingpin betrayed 1 of his associates, Tracksuit Mafia person William Lopez, purposely leaking accusation to person Lopez taken retired by Clint Barton, AKA Hawkeye, who astatine this constituent was utilizing the individuality of Ronin and successful the midst of his ain Punisher-style sidesplitting spree.

Having agelong been successful her beingness arsenic her imposing yet protective alleged “uncle,” Kingpin besides began to usage William’s daughter, Maya, AKA Echo, arsenic an progressively trusted enforcer, portion it seemed that helium had grown adjacent much almighty and influential, with random New York constabulary officers present acquiescing to him connected sight.

Fisk became peculiarly impressed by Maya erstwhile she managed to clasp her ain successful a combat with nary different than his aged enemy, Daredevil. This led him to hone her lethal skills adjacent further successful the aftermath. All the while, successful his own, twisted way, Fisk genuinely did attraction for her.

Beyond that 1 tussle with Maya, which confirmed helium had erstwhile again begun wearing the afloat reddish Daredevil costume again during the years pursuing Thanos’ snap, the specifics of Matt Murdock’s beingness during this clip play haven’t been revealed. Later, months aft the drawback was undone by the Avengers, Spider-Man’s existent individuality arsenic Peter Parker was revealed to the satellite by the precocious Quentin Beck, AKA Mysterio, who besides framed Peter for his ain crimes. Needing ineligible help, Peter turned to Matt, who was capable to assistance exonerate him connected the execution charges helium was accused of, because, accidental it with us…“I’m a truly bully lawyer.”

As for Kingpin’s post-Avengers: Endgame escapades, aft trying to termination Hawkeye successful a quest for revenge, Maya yet recovered retired the information astir her father’s decease from Clint Barton - and past changeable Kingpin close successful his freaking Fisk look arsenic payback.

But twas conscionable a soma wound, immoderate oculus harm aside, and Fisk got better, pursuing Maya to Oklahoma and attempting to mend fences with her to bring her backmost into the fold, adjacent offering to springiness her power of his organization. And, successful a demented amusement of affection, helium besides tried to acquisition her with the hammer helium had killed his abusive begetter with erstwhile helium was a boy.

When that didn’t work, present filled with rage acknowledgment to her rejecting him arsenic a begetter figure, helium acceptable retired to termination Maya’s loved ones, lone to beryllium stopped by a recently powered-up Maya, who forced him to face the trauma of his childhood, portion she made her ain past loving effort to get him to determination past it each and possibly yet go a amended man.

Rattled by the experience, Fisk returned home, watching a quality study astir the hunt for the adjacent New York Mayor mentioning determination was nary wide frontrunner, which intelligibly sparked inspiration.

Meanwhile, with his erstwhile costume shaper arrested years earlier by the FBI aft helium made Dex’s copycat suit for Kingpin, Matt turned to the Los Angeles-based Luke Jacobson to marque him caller outfits - including 1 successful yellowish and red, conscionable similar Daredevil’s archetypal comic publication look. This travel to LA besides brought him into interaction with a chap lawyer, Jennifer Walters, the She-Hulk, who didn’t similar him astatine each astatine first. But past she began to alteration her tune…

And though an ongoing narration wasn’t successful the cards owed to their geographic distance, Matt inactive managed to person a repast with Jen’s household during a instrumentality sojourn to LA. And helium adjacent met the Hulk and that weird lad Hulk turned retired to have… that possibly they’ll get backmost to dealing with 1 day.

Though we’re guessing neither Hulk oregon his lad volition beryllium a portion of the story, we’ll spot what’s adjacent for Matt Murdock and his change ego successful Daredevil: Born Again!