Warning: SPOILERS ARE AHEAD for the fifth and sixth episodes of Daredevil: Born Again, available now with a Disney+ subscription after releasing on March 25.
Disney+ is finally expanding on the show that started it all for the Netflix corner of the Marvel universe with Daredevil: Born Again, which arguably feels more like a Season 4 of the original series than a brand new entry. One major difference in the 2025 TV schedule has been Disney+ releasing episodes weekly rather than a whole season at once like back in the Netflix days. While that took some getting used to, I’ve come to be a big fan of it. That said, after watching Episodes 5 and 6 – called “With Interest” and “Excessive Force,” respectively – I’m glad that Disney+made an exception to release two episodes this week.
Technically, this is the second exception to the rule, as the first two episodes both released on the same day, but that felt more like an extended premiere event than two separate installments. Episodes 5 and 6 were definitely distinct from each other, and that’s actually the big reason why I’m glad they were grouped together. “With Interest” felt largely like a standalone episode, with the biggest development seeming for most of the episode to be the ties to Ms. Marvel with Mohan Kapur guest-starring as Yusuf Khan.
It did end with Matt finally snapping – quite literally, when it comes to the leg of one of the bad guys – and going full Daredevil, driven to his limit after enduring an attempted bank robbery. He was even back in a mask, although it wasn’t one of his iconic Daredevil masks.
This was an essential episode for Season 1's ongoing story thanks to the ending, but I can admit that it felt pretty standalone aside from those final few minutes. While I personally love standalones that develop character instead of just moving the plot ahead, I was somewhat dreading seeing the reactions of fans who don’t agree on that front. For me, "standalone" doesn't equal "filler," but perusing social media makes it clear that's not the unanimous opinion among viewers.
And oh boy, was it a relief and a treat when Episode 6 went back to the plot enough to incorporate Matt’s character development from Episode 5! Admittedly, I was initially disappointed that Jon Bernthal's name didn’t appear in the credits for him to make his second appearance of the season as the Punisher, but we did finally get some major developments on Muse.
Fisk, the police force, and eventually Matt finally found out that there was a serial killer with a shocking body count who had been painting murals across the city with the blood of victims. For Fisk, it was the opportunity to recruit the worst of the NYPD to form his Anti-Vigilante Task Force. For Matt, it was the excuse for him to pass on calling 911 and finally say “fuck it,” donning his Daredevil costume once more to go down into an abandoned subway tunnel to battle Muse and save young Angela, who was determined to get answers about White Tiger’s death.
The result was a pretty epic fight that totally made me forget that I’d been hoping to see the Punisher again, with Daredevil finally back in action. For me, the wait was worth it, as spending several episodes with civilian Matt made his return to his vigilante identity all the more rewarding. And it might not have been as rewarding if we’d had to wait a week after the more standalone Episode 5, as its last-minute momentum leading directly into Episode 6 might have been lost by the break.
As for why I’m still a fan of the weekly release format despite enjoying the double feature this time around… well, it’s fun to be able to debate Daredevil: Born Again and spin theories over the course of the days between episodes, which wasn’t possible with the Netflix model. Would I binge all the episodes if Disney+ released them now? Of course, but I’m happy to go along for the weekly ride at this point. Besides, with how hard Charlie Cox has been crushing this season, why not enjoy his performance across two months rather than one day?
Keep signing in to Disney+ on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET for the latest in Daredevil: Born Again now that Matt has suited up again once more. He has more obstacles than ever with Fisk embracing his own dark side again, the Anti-Vigilante Task Force being unleashed, and Muse still out there to cause havoc. Throw in the likely return of Bullseye based on early trailers, and here’s hoping I get that Daredevil/Punisher team-up sooner rather than later! Matt could probably use all the help he can get.
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