Why Spider-Man Didn’t Appear In Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 (Was It Sony’s Fault?)

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The second season of “Daredevil: Born Again” has firmly established Charlie Cox’s portrayal of Matt Murdock as a key figure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, despite being set in New York City, some familiar characters from the broader MCU were missing. Since Robert Downey Jr. first appeared as Tony Stark in 2008, New York has been a central and often chaotic location for Marvel stories.

New York City has faced numerous threats, from Loki’s invasion in the Battle of New York to the terrifying darkness of the Void. Despite the constant danger, heroes like the amazing Spider-Man consistently rise to protect the city and its people.

Now that Spider-Man is the main hero protecting New York City, it’s strange that the recent season of Daredevil: Born Again didn’t involve him at all. There were plenty of chances for Daredevil and Spider-Man to team up against threats like the AVTF and Kingpin, but those opportunities weren’t taken.

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Ignored Tom Holland’s Spider-Man

The second season of Daredevil: Born Again focused on the consequences of Wilson Fisk, now the mayor of New York, creating a special police unit called the AVTF, or Anti-Vigilante Task Force. This unit was given broad powers, including the ability to use excessive force, while trying to capture vigilantes operating in the city.

It’s obvious Daredevil is a prime target for the AVTF, and it would have been logical for Fisk’s crew to also go after another strong, young hero. Surprisingly, throughout the entire second season, there’s no indication that Spider-Man is even present in New York City while Daredevil and his friends are dealing with all the trouble.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe needs to explain what Tom Holland’s Spider-Man was doing while everything was happening in New York City. He might have been away, taken a break from being a hero, or simply stayed hidden to avoid trouble. Whatever the reason, fans didn’t see much interaction between Spider-Man and other heroes fighting on the streets of New York, which was surprising given how popular they both are.

Spider-Man & Matt Murdock Have Already Crossed Paths In The MCU

The situation is complicated by the fact that Spider-Man and Daredevil have met before. In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Mysterio publicly reveals Spider-Man’s identity, causing major problems for Peter Parker. Spider-Man: No Way Home dives into the consequences of this reveal, showing Peter seeking help from Doctor Strange, but their attempt to fix things actually makes the situation worse.

Before Peter seeks out Doctor Strange, the movie shows him consulting with a lawyer – Matt Murdock. Matt already knows Peter is Spider-Man, which is why Peter needs a lawyer in the first place, but Peter doesn’t know Matt’s secret identity. Later, the events of the film cause Matt to forget everything about his interaction with Peter, leaving him with a hazy memory of that time (and a sad goodbye to Foggy Nelson).

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Because Matt Murdock no longer remembers working with Peter Parker, he has no way of knowing who’s behind the Spider-Man mask. However, everyone else still remembers Spider-Man exists. It would have been logical for Matt to reach out to Spider-Man for help, but the story completely ignores him, acting as if he’s been forgotten too.

Sony’s Deal With Marvel Apparently Prevents Spider-Man From Appearing In Live-Action TV

There’s a reason why things are the way they are, and it all comes down to the agreement between Sony and Marvel. Sony has owned the rights to make Spider-Man movies and TV shows since 1990. At the time, Marvel was in serious financial trouble and had to license the rights to some of its most popular characters to other studios – like Universal with Hulk, and Fox with X-Men – just to stay in business.

With Marvel’s growing popularity, they’ve regained the rights to many of their characters. However, the agreement with Sony regarding Spider-Man is different. Sony still owns Spider-Man and related characters, but allows Marvel to use them in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This arrangement provides more freedom for animated projects like Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, while the live-action Spider-Man, played by Tom Holland, has more limitations.

Because of existing agreements, Marvel Studios can’t currently feature Spider-Man in live-action on their Disney+ shows like Daredevil: Born Again. However, there are still plans to bring Spider-Man and the MCU’s street-level heroes together, and a significant crossover is expected soon.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Has Already Done More To Cross This Divide

Okay, so Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the fourth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe featuring our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, and it feels like a fresh start – the beginning of a whole new trilogy with Tom Holland. What’s interesting is that alongside the agreements about where Spider-Man can show up in the bigger Marvel world, there’s also a deal that these Spider-Man movies will include appearances from other major MCU heroes. It’s a way to keep things connected, and fans excited, I think.

As a huge Spider-Man fan, I’ve really enjoyed seeing how Peter Parker’s relationships have evolved. In Homecoming, Tony Stark was this big brother figure, guiding him. Then, after Tony’s passing, Far From Home brought Nick Fury into the picture as a key mentor. And No Way Home? Well, that’s where Doctor Strange really became the go-to guy for all the crazy multiverse stuff happening in the MCU.

The upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day will feature Mark Ruffalo as Dr. Bruce Banner in a significant role. The film will also connect to the old Marvel Netflix shows by including Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle, also known as The Punisher.

Considering how Daredevil: Born Again season 2 ended, New York City probably won’t be drastically changed by the conflict between Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk. However, the fact that someone closely connected to Daredevil will appear alongside Spider-Man (played by Tom Holland) gives fans hope that we might see a team-up between Daredevil and Spider-Man in the future.

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2026-05-07 18:11