The trailer forDaredevil: Born Againwhich debuted at New York Comic-Con 2024 finally confirms one of the longest-running MCU questions.Daredevil: Born Again’s storyis highly anticipated by many, primarily due to the popularity of Netflix’sDaredevilshow. As one of the few confirmedupcoming MCU TV showsleft to air, it is safe to say thatDaredevil: Born Againis the most hyped-up series Marvel has yet to release in 2025.
A large factor in the excitement building for the show isDaredevil: Born Again’s cast. Not only are Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio reprising their roles from Netflix’s show as Daredevil and Kingpin respectively, but so too are the likes of Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Wilson Bethel, and Jon Bernthal. Despite these returning characters, one of the biggest lingering questions in the MCU of late has been whetherNetflix’s Marvel TV showsare canon to the franchise. At long last, it seemsDaredevil: Born Againhas finally provided this answer.
Kingpin Knows Matt Murdock Is Daredevil… Which Means Season 3 Is Officially Canon
Marvel’s Wider TV Universe Is Canon To The MCU After All
Despite Cox and D’Onofrio appearing in MCU projects likeSpider-Man: No Way Home, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Hawkeye,andEcho, Marvel Studios still did not give a definitive answer to the aforementioned canon question. Many were left wondering whether these versions of the characters were multiversal variants, fully canon to Netflix’s show, or whether they connected very loosely to Netflix without overt references, thus keeping the answer ambiguous. However, one plot point inDaredevil: Born Againconfirms that Netflix’s shows are canon, once and for all.
In the trailer for the show, shown exclusively to those in attendance at New York Comic-Con 2024, it was confirmed that Kingpin is aware of Matt’s secret identity…
The plot point in question is whether Kingpin knows Matt Murdock is Daredevil in the MCU, something he discovered in Netflix’sDaredevil.In the trailer for the show, shown exclusively to those in attendance at New York Comic-Con 2024, it was confirmed that Kingpin is aware of Matt’s secret identity, somewhat resolving aNetflixTheDefendersSaga cliffhanger.This confirms that the events ofDaredevilseason 3 are canon toDaredevil: Born Againand, therefore, the wider MCU, which means big things going forward for the future of Marvel Television.
Daredevil (& Punisher) Don’t Work Without The Other Marvel Netflix Shows
All Marvel Netflix Shows Must Be Canon, Or None Of Them Should Be
To further build on the confirmation that the first three seasons ofDaredevilare canon toDaredevil: Born Again, Marvel needs to solidify that the other Netflix shows are too. It seems as thoughThe Punisheris being treated as such, given Bernthal’s return as the titular character inDaredevil: Born Again.However, the other shows are less certain for now. Nonetheless, these shows need to be confirmed as canon, as they go a long way to makingDaredevilandThe Punishertruly work.
The Punisher
July 06, 2025
As ashared Marvel TV timeline/universe on Netflix,DaredevilandThe Punishertied heavily to the other Netflix shows. While it could be argued thatThe Punisherwas mostly self-contained, there were still small references to the wider Netflix sect of the MCU.Daredevilwas especially tied to the other shows given his appearance and seeming death inTheDefenders, which was then referenced at length inDaredevilseason 3. With so much of the storytelling background of these characters linking to the Netflix shows, all must be canon to the MCU now thatDaredevilhas been confirmed as such.
Marvel Netflix Was Woven Into The Wider Marvel Television Universe
Shows From Studios Outside Of Netflix Should Now Exist Within The MCU
To make matters more interesting, Marvel’s Netflix shows are tied heavily to the wider TV universe based on Marvel Comics characters. These other shows includeAgents of SHIELD, Runaways, andCloak and Dagger.While there were no explicit appearances of characters from either side appearing on the other, there are several Easter eggs woven together. One example fromAgents of SHIELDsees a Judas Bullet being used to destroy a speaker’s podium, a weapon introduced inLuke Cageas a way of harming the indestructible titular character.
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Luke Cagein turn is connected to another Marvel TV show,Cloak and Dagger. In one scene in season 2, episode 9, a newspaper clipping of Luke is shown and one of the characters drops his name. Luke’s friend, Misty Knight, is also referenced inCloak and Daggerseason 1, as are multipleDaredevilcharacters like Ben Urich and Karen Page. WhereCloak and Daggeris concerned, the titular characters once appeared in Marvel’sRunaways.
IfDaredeviland Netflix’s shows are now canon to the MCU asDaredevil: Born Againall but implies, so too are the likes ofAgents of SHIELD, Runaways, andCloak and Dagger…
The duo appears in a crossover episode, specificallyRunawaysseason 3, episode 8.Runawaysalso features many references to the wider MCU, from mentions of Wakanda and the Dark Dimension to the Darkhold, the version that also appears inAgents of SHIELD. As evident,Daredeviland the other Netflix shows have a huge web of connections to the wider TV universe of Marvel characters. IfDaredeviland Netflix’s shows are now canon to the MCU asDaredevil: Born Againall but implies, so too are the likes ofAgents of SHIELD, Runaways, andCloak and Dagger.
Marvel Just Introduced A Lot Of Continuity Problems… But It’s SO Worth It
The Multiverse May Be Needed To Explain Marvel’s Continuity Issues
With all of Marvel’s live-action TV shows being considered canon thanks toDaredevil: Born Again,the MCU now has many continuity issues. Admittedly, the Netflix shows do not present too many issues of this ilk, as they were mostly disconnected from the wider events of MCU movies save a few references to theAvengersmovies. Where most of these continuity issues arise is withAgents of SHIELD. For the first three or four seasons,Agents of SHIELDconnected closer and more overtly to the MCU movies than anything in Netflix’s Marvel roster.
However, as the show progressed,the showrunners decided to move further away from the foundations of the MCU moviesas a means of not limiting their storytelling potential. This saw many continuity issues arise, particularly in seasons 5, 6, and 7. For instance, the latter two seasons are chronologically set within thefive-year time gap established inAvengers: Endgame. However, Thanos' snap from the ending ofAvengers: Infinity Waris not mentioned at all, with the show taking its own direction.
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While it may be difficult for Marvel Studios to explain these continuity inconsistencies, there are ways it could be done and, after all, it is worth it so that the franchise can connect to these characters and stories.Agents of SHIELDespecially is highly regarded as one of Marvel’s strongest-ever TV shows, as are the characters it possesses. Although the quality of some other Marvel TV shows may have left a little to be desired, the potential of these myriad characters being part of the MCU afterDaredevil: Born Againmakes the timeline headaches so worth it.
Daredevil: Born Again
Cast
Daredevil: Born Again follows blind lawyer Matt Murdock, who uses his heightened abilities to pursue justice in New York. As he manages a bustling law firm, former mob boss Wilson Fisk navigates political ambitions, leading both men toward a confrontation as their pasts resurface.
