Daredevil: Born Againhas the perfect opportunity to introduce one missingMarvelvillain who Daredevil first set up 10 years ago, and planned to feature in the original series more than once. FoldingDaredevil’s world properly intothe MCU timelinehas led a range of exciting figures to become a part of the franchise, withDaredevil: Born Again’s castbringing even more characters to the forefront by including the likes of Muse and Ben Ulrich’s niece BB in its story. With that said, though, the MCU show also has the potential to bring many more characters into the world in a way that benefits both it and the wider universe.
In fact, there is more than one character the originalDaredevilshow had plans to include, but who were unable to feature in the actual run of the Netflix Defenders show, even in the case of a figure the story had looked at making a part of the world and narrative from its first season. Mercifully,Daredevil: Born Again’s own release offers the perfect way to fix this a decade down the line, especially given the way its story ties into the previous narrative threads ofDaredevil- and its unused plans that have now ultimately become reality years later thanks to the directionsBorn Againhas taken.
Daredevil Set Up 1 Villain Since Season 1
Daredevilseason 1 showrunner Steven DeKnight discussed the run of the original Netflix series with season 3 showrunner Erik Oleson in 2020’s#SaveDaredevilCon event, with the two delving into much about the show’s story and providing some added behind-the-scenes context to the installment. Interestingly, both DeKnight and Oleson described having plans to bring the Marvel villain The Owl intoDaredevil, albeit at very different stages in the original series' narrative.
DeKnight first mentions that he had seen a question about Leland Owlsley’s son in season 1, explaining that “we were setting up…The Owl from the comics was going to be Leland Owlsley’s son, who was out for revenge for what happened to his father.“This makes sense based on the events of season 1, as Leland Owlsley is a notable ally of Kingpin before it’s revealed that he and Madame Gao conspired to kill Wilson Fisk’s partner Vanessa to make him focus on his criminal empire again, leading Fisk to throw Leland down an elevator shaft to his death.
GivenDaredevilmade sure to display the ramifications of many of the big events in the series - like Bullseye turning on Kingpin because he discovered Fisk had killed the woman he was obsessed with - having Owlsley’s son return with vengeance on his mind would have definitely fit into the show. Similarly, this version of The Owl could have worked as a foe for both Daredevil and Kingpin, making him a fascinating potential addition to the cast. Season 3 showrunner Erik Oleson also had intentions to bring Leland’s son into the cast, but these plans ultimately would never come to fruition.
Why Leland Owlsley’s Son Didn’t End Up Getting His Daredevil Villain Story Despite This Setup
After Steven DeKnight’s explanation of howDaredevilseason 1 was made to set up Leland Owlsley’s son debuting as The Owl later on, season 3 showrunner Erik Oleson described the later plans for the character, stating that “I was building on that in season 4… Owlsley was going to be one of the key figures in that season as well.” These plans would bring both Marvel villain Typhoid Mary and The Owl into the story, delaying Bullseye’s return until season 5 so that his recovery time from the major surgery he underwent could be factored into the show’s timeline.
However,Daredevilended up finishing with season 3, with the story threads set up here only now being properly followed up on thanks to the release ofDaredevil: Born Again, which serves as a successor of sorts to the original series, and thus has the ability to answer several lingering questions and cliffhangers. Until then, as Oleson alludes to, any ideas for stories further than season 3 were essentially scuppered, aswhile some solid plans had emerged for future chapters ofDaredevil, the show’s cancelation meant following up on concepts like The Owl’s season 4 debut was impossible.
Daredevil: Born Again Has A Perfect Chance To Bring Owlsley’s Son Into The Franchise
Daredevil: Born Againhas brought back a wide range of characters from the original series that it was easy to think might never be seen again, and followed up on story threads that had been set up for seasons ofDaredevilthat never came to pass - like showing Bullseye after the operation he undergoes at the end ofDaredevilseason 3 following Kingpin breaking his spine. As such,it’d be entirely in line with the show’s approach to acting as a sequel to the originalDaredevilto introduce Owlsley’s son into the mix.
Given a key part of Kingpin’s story inBorn Againis the concept of his past as a criminal boss coming back to bite him in his mayoral efforts - and the show has also delved into the idea of Marvel’s next generation through things like teases that Hector Ayala’s niece may take up his hero mantle after he is murdered inDaredevil: Born Againepisode 3- it would seem thematically appropriate for Leland Owlsley’s son to also enter the fray. This is particularly true given his appearance could help shift the balance of power in the show once more, and provide Kingpin with another unforeseen obstacle to his goals.
WithDaredevil: Born Againseason 2 already now filming - and plenty of hopes that the series can continue for at least a third season following that, based on the positive reception to season 1 thus far - it also seems there could be plenty of room to look at exploring story avenues like this. Following stories like the villain origin story of Owlsley’s son are especially interesting, since they can enhance the MCU show and retrospectively add further layers and meaning to the original series as well, without changing or retconning the events of the already massively successful original run.
Though any future seasons ofDaredevil: Born Againseem fairly set to focus on Daredevil and Kingpin’s reginited and once again escalating rivalry, the original show was able to balance this effectively with a range of other heroes and villains, andBorn Againalready looks to follow in its footsteps based on its use of characters like Bullseye, Muse, and the Punisher. That said, whether the series will decide to finally use a storyline that was built up over the course of the entire originalDaredevil’s run is as of yet still unclear.
Daredevil: Born Againseason 1 is set to release weekly until June 10, 2025.
