‘Daredevil: Born Again’ showrunner on how that big courtroom reveal sets up Season 3

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This story includes spoilers for Episode 8 of “Daredevil: Born Again” Season 2.

As a huge fan of the ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ series, I learned that the showrunner, Dario Scardapane, had a clear plan from the start. Even by the end of the first season, he already knew we were building towards Matt Murdock revealing his identity as Daredevil in Season 2. It was exciting to know they had that long-term vision!

The latest episode of the Marvel series, now streaming on Disney+, features Matt Murdock, portrayed by Charlie Cox, publicly revealing his identity as the crime-fighting hero Daredevil.

I didn’t have a complete picture of where the story was headed when we started Season 1,” Scardapane explained in a recent video interview. “But I knew, from the moment Daredevil revealed his identity in court, that we were on a path towards that reveal.”

Iain B. MacDonald, the director of episodes 7 and 8, explained that everyone on set knew they were filming a very important scene.

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Vincent D’Onofrio is reprising his role as Wilson Fisk in the upcoming ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ series. He’s talked about what it’s like to return to the character, the story behind the diner scene with Daredevil, and a surprising new development for Fisk – marriage counseling.

Once that scene airs, it’s out there for everyone to see,” MacDonald explains. “It really sets off a chain reaction for the rest of the episode. I’m really looking forward to seeing how fans react, because as a director, I love being involved in major moments, and this is definitely one of them for me.”

“Born Again” is a new series on Netflix continuing the story of “Daredevil,” which originally ended in 2018. It follows Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) as he goes from a powerful crime boss to the mayor of New York – though he hasn’t truly changed. Fisk’s harsh leadership and focus on eliminating vigilantes force Daredevil into hiding, where he attempts to gather a team to take down the Kingpin.

The season ends with a highly anticipated confrontation in court, taking place during the trial of Karen Page, played by Deborah Ann Woll.

Director Shamus MacDonald and his cinematographer, Jeffrey Waldron, studied many courtroom dramas to find fresh and creative ways to tell those stories, specifically tailoring their approach to the style of ‘Daredevil.’ MacDonald admitted it was challenging, but he thoroughly enjoyed filming the scenes.

Even though Murdock won his case, his disclosure will have repercussions, as hinted at in the latest episode. According to Scardapane, these effects will be a major focus in Season 3.

According to Scardapane, the final scene of Season 2 hints at the show’s future direction. When asked if they’re adapting a particularly popular comic book storyline, he suggests the answer is clear from that scene.

In the episode, Murdock faces the consequences of his actions with his arrest and imprisonment. The finale ends with him being locked up at Rikers Island. Though he seems to accept his fate, a slight smile suggests his story isn’t over.

I recently spoke with the director, and he explained a key decision regarding the film’s ending. He and the lead actor, Charlie, specifically wanted to conclude with a tight close-up on his face. They debated how to play that moment, ultimately deciding on a complex emotion. It wasn’t just about resignation or accepting a difficult fate after making a huge personal sacrifice – revealing his true self for the greater good. They also wanted to subtly suggest a flicker of hope, a hint of a smile that said this wasn’t an ending, but a new beginning, a fresh adventure, and a thrilling challenge ahead.

Scardapane talked about the character development of Murdock and Fisk in Season 2, how the themes of “Daredevil: Born Again” connect to current events, and what viewers can anticipate in Season 3. This conversation has been edited for both clarity and a more concise length.

When did you realize the events of Season 2 would lead to Matt Murdock being arrested?

It really gained momentum over time. The initial work on the show happened before I joined, focusing on establishing the character of Mayor Fisk in a more by-the-book way with a different overall feel. They did six episodes like that, and then I came on board to connect it more directly to the previous Netflix series. Putting Fisk in a position of power as mayor raised the stakes. So, the first season showed how Fisk rose to power, and the second season is about the emergence of those who will try to stop him – the resistance.

When Matt publicly reveals himself as Daredevil in court, it’s a pivotal turning point. We’d been building towards that moment throughout Season 1 and into Season 2, and its fallout—for both Matt and Wilson Fisk—really drives the story of Season 3.

Some Daredevil comic book storylines – which have been discussed before – really explore the difficult situation Matt finds himself in, and they do it well. When we started Season 1, I wish I could have said I had a complete plan. But from the moment Daredevil reveals his identity in court, I knew we were on a path toward that central conflict.

It felt significant that Matt and Fisk’s big showdown this season happened in a courtroom.

What’s always been compelling about Daredevil, since the original comics, is the contrast between his daytime life as a lawyer who believes in the legal system and his nighttime activities as a vigilante who breaks the law. He’s a lawyer fighting crime outside the courtroom – a real contradiction. The current storyline is particularly interesting because the villain, who leads an Anti-Vigilante Task Force, has essentially become the power structure and the justice system itself. This creates a unique challenge for Matt: how can he fight injustice when the system is the problem? He continues his vigilante work until things escalate and Karen gets caught up in the flawed system. This forces Matt to combine his two identities – lawyer and Daredevil – to finally defeat Fisk. Charlie Cox’s performance in the courtroom scene where this happens is arguably his strongest in the entire series. The build-up to that confrontation, with Fisk, Matt Murdock, and Daredevil all present in the same courtroom, was crucial to the story.

Fisk, the villain, ultimately loses this battle. Can you speak a bit about his arc this season?

Honestly, one of the best parts of my job is working with Vincent D’Onofrio. He’s incredible at making even a terrifying character feel human. When I write for Fisk, I don’t see him as a typical villain, and I don’t think Vincent portrays him that way either. That’s what makes the whole process so interesting and rewarding.

The writers carefully developed Wilson Fisk’s character – his ambition, loneliness, and desire for control – and always intended Vanessa to be his only connection to humanity. From the very beginning, they planned that Vanessa would ultimately pay the price for Fisk’s actions, mirroring her fate in the comics where she died twice. Her death shifts Fisk into a completely unpredictable state. Vincent D’Onofrio delivers a particularly compelling performance as Fisk in episodes 6, 7, and 8, portraying a drastically changed and dangerous character. We recently filmed an episode almost entirely focused on this new version of Fisk, and it’s incredibly powerful. Vincent is truly exceptional this season.

I realize the scenes with the Anti-Vigilante Task Force were filmed before the story and visuals unexpectedly became so relevant to current events.

The finale includes scenes deliberately mirroring real-world events. I wanted to explore how, currently, we’re losing important democratic values like respect and tolerance. It feels like if someone disagrees with you, it’s open season. I haven’t seen a time this divisive before. The story reflects this with both sides – the mayor’s supporters and the vigilantes – showing absolutely no mercy to each other. The scene where they storm the rotunda is a direct reflection of this, and that was intentional. Everyone sees themselves as the hero, while treating their opponents terribly, and there’s no attempt to learn from the situation. The core idea is that when large groups of people become involved, basic morality and empathy tend to break down.

You’ve talked about drawing inspiration from history for this show, both in the writing and filming. But what was your experience when the current actor started to reflect elements of what you’d already created based on that historical research?

The scene in Episode 2 where the bodega is raided and people are taken by the Anti-Vigilante Task Force was actually filmed before the events in Los Angeles and Minnesota—before any of the real-world incidents happened. It became a really unsettling experience, because reality started to feel unreal and exaggerated, and not in a good way.

As the creators of the show, we sensed a general feeling of anxiety and discontent. It was unsettling how closely some scenes – like people being forcibly taken away in vans – mirrored real events we started seeing on the news. It was difficult to process, both for us and for everyone involved in making the show.

We’ve also seen instances where the lines between fiction and reality blur, such as some Task Force officers displaying an affinity for the Punisher logo.

I’ve noticed a disturbing pattern while working on projects like “The Punisher.” It seems there’s a common playbook for those seeking autocratic power: create a private army, give them unchecked authority, identify a group to blame, and then round them up. This was a conscious element in Charles Soule’s “Mayor Fisk” storyline, and Tony Gilroy explored it in “Andor.” Every story about a rising autocrat follows this same basic structure. What’s unsettling is seeing that same script play out in the real world, and it’s been difficult to process. The irony is that with this show, anything I say will be interpreted as injecting politics or trying to preach a message. That’s not the intention at all. We’re simply telling a story about a criminal who becomes mayor and the lawyer who tries to stop him. However, it’s impossible to ignore the parallels to current events.

Some viewers strongly complain that Marvel movies are becoming “too focused on social issues” or that superhero stories are “getting too political.”

Early in Season 3, I shared a photo of our writers room – a really talented group of genre writers. I posted it on Instagram, excited to start working with them, but the very first comment was someone saying it looked like a “woke room” and asking us not to ruin the show. It was bizarre – what does a writers room look like being “woke?” It seemed like they were judging the people in the room and didn’t like their diversity. Honestly, I can’t worry about that. My job is to go in there and write good stories.

Superhero comics have explored stories about underrepresented groups and challenged authority figures before, so this isn’t new territory.

Comics aren’t just entertainment – they often address important social and political issues. This has always been true, and it’s even been recognized with prestigious awards, like the Pulitzer Prize that Art Spiegelman’s “Maus” received.

I’m curious about how Mike Colter’s Luke Cage appeared in the finale. Can you tell me how that came about? I feel like we’ve been waiting a while to find out!

Throughout this show, we’ve really focused on the fact that the characters have grown and changed since the original Netflix series. We acknowledge the time that’s passed and show how their lives have matured. In the comics, Luke Cage and Jessica Jones have a daughter, Danielle, and as a writer, I think that’s a fantastic storyline. It’s exciting to explore what life looks like for this interesting family, brought to life by Krysten Ritter and Mike Colter, and the possibilities for their future. The hint at the end of the show opens up a lot of potential stories, and I’m eager to see this world – including many characters from the Netflix series – continue. While the future isn’t entirely up to me, Luke, Jessica, and their family are central to the stories we want to tell.

Can you say anything more about what Luke has been up to since audiences last saw him?

Luke took on a job for a man named Mr. Charles, a character who will become important later in the story. Mr. Charles is particularly interested in people with unique abilities, and that interest connects to several characters. We see its impact on Luke and Jessica, and it will ultimately involve Bullseye as the season progresses, setting up future storylines.

Ever since Charlie Cox returned as Daredevil, fans have been wondering if other heroes from the old Netflix shows would reappear. With Matt Murdock back, and now Jessica Jones and Luke Cage also returning, many are hoping to see all of those characters team up again.

When it comes to answering that question, we really focused on existing comic book storylines, what fans wanted, and loose ends that needed tying up. With “The Punisher,” we had already started planning a third season. I also know Erik Oleson, who ran “Daredevil,” was preparing for a fourth. Unfortunately, all of that came to a sudden stop, and none of those shows really got a satisfying conclusion. The “Defenders” miniseries didn’t quite tie everything together either. There’s still a lot of potential left unexplored in those Netflix series. We actually had a clear idea of where the story involving Mayor Fisk would go next, and it’s interesting because we’re now revisiting those plans and figuring out what happens after that point.

I’m just going to throw it out there that I’d like to see Misty Knight and Colleen Wing back also.

Jessica Henwick, who plays Colleen Wing, has confirmed she won’t be in the third season, which is disappointing. It wasn’t due to a lack of effort on anyone’s part. I’m really hoping we can still explore a ‘Daughters of the Dragon’ storyline – it was set up in ‘The Defenders’ and would be fantastic.

I’d love to share more, but I need to keep some things under wraps for Season 3. We ended Season 2 in a way that really sets up some exciting storylines we’re currently working on, and I need to get back to finishing those.

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2026-05-06 19:32