When Marvel Studios first began to develop plans for Disney+, it was unclear what it would mean for the Marvel originals that premiered on Netflix – with Daredevil being the standout title. For a while, it was unclear where the fan-favorite series stood in regard to the franchise canon… but then along came both Spider-Man: No Way Home and Hawkeye. The blockbuster and the series respectively reintroduced Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk a.k.a. Kingpin, and as though that weren’t exciting enough, they are reuniting in the upcoming Disney+ original series Echo, and we are getting a special revival titled Daredevil: Born Again.
With a title taken from one of the most famous arcs in the titular character’s comic book history, Daredevil: Born Again was officially announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, and it is being planned for release in 2025. While Matt Corman and Chris Ord (Covert Affairs, The Brave) were originally on-board as head writers, Dario Scardapane is now serving as the showrunner, and the series is putting together an excellent ensemble cast. Below you’ll find a list of all the actors who are presently attached, and we’ll continue to update this feature as more new names are announced.
Charlie Cox
It was back in May 2014 that Marvel Studios originally hired Charlie Cox to play Matt Murdock a.k.a. Daredevil, and he had a successful run as the character between 2015 and 2018 – not only starring in three seasons of Daredevil, but also the Defenders crossover series. Following Daredevil’s cancellation in November 2018, the character went M.I.A., but he has since come back not only for his aforementioned cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but also for a couple episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law (where he sports a spiffy yellow costume, referencing the hero’s original look). We last saw him make a brief appearance in the Disney+ series Echo.
We don’t presently know what Matt Murdock will be up to when his story starts in Daredevil: Born Again, but it is worth mentioning that the eponymous comic sees Daredevil’s greatest enemy learn his secret identity and use the information to systematically destroy his life. And speaking of his number one foe…
Vincent D’Onofrio
Vincent D’Onofrio left one hell of an impression on Marvel fans with his brilliant turn as Wilson Fisk on Daredevil, and his arrival back into the MCU in Hawkeye is tremendous. We’ll next be getting to see the character in action in Echo, but then his on-going battle with the Man Without Fear will continue in Daredevil: Born Again (as was confirmed at SDCC 2022). The actor recently starred in the EPIX series Godfather Of Harlem with Forest Whitaker, and on the feature side he's been working on projects including F. Gary Gray's crime drama Lift as well as Craig Gillespie's based-on-a-true-story dramedy Dumb Money.
Michael Gandolfini
In 2021, Michael Gandolfini – the son of the late James Gandolfini – made a splash in Hollywood starring in both Joe and Anthony Russo’s Cherry as well as Alan Taylor’s Sopranos prequel The Many Saints Of Newark. He has followed up those roles with an episode of the Paramount+ limited series The Offer and director Amy Rice’s film The Independent, and now he is preparing to make his first step into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Gandolfini’s casting was announced in December 2022 by Deadline, though the trade report didn't provide any specific details about his character.
Ayelet Zurer
In December 2022, Variety reported that Sandrine Holt had been cast in Daredevil: Born Again – and while the plan was for her to play Vanessa Fisk, the wife of Wilson Fisk, that plan didn't carryover when the project was retooled with Dario Scardapane as showrunner. Now, Ayelet Zurer is set to play Vanessa, reprising the role that she first played in the Netflix Daredevil series. Zurer is also known to comic book fans from her part as Lara Lor-Van in Zack Snyder's Man Of Steel, but she has more recently been making recurring appearances on shows like You, Legacies, and Law & Order: Organized Crime.
Margarita Levieva
The same trade news that originally reported Sandrine Holt’s casting in Daredevil: Born Again also revealed that Margarita Levieva is going to be on the show, but Levieva is still on the project following the creative overhaul. On the small screen, Levieva’s professional acting career dates back to a 2005 episode of Law & Order: Trial By Jury, but she is probably best known for her part as Amanda Clarke on Revenge and as Abigail ‘Abby’ Parker on The Deuce. In addition to being on the Marvel series, she is also on the upcoming Star Wars Disney+ series The Acolyte.
Nikki M. James
Nikki M. James was announced as being part of the Daredevil: Born Again cast in January 2023, and it's been reported that her character's name is Kirsten McDuffie, but that's all we know about her part. James is best known for her work on Broadway – having been the first to play female lead Nabalungi in the Tony Award-winning The Book Of Mormon – but her filmography also includes series such as Severance, The Good Fight, and Proven Innocent as well as films including 2022's Spoiler Alert and 2020's Here After.
Jon Bernthal
Daredevil and The Kingpin aren't the only characters from the Marvel Netflix shows being integrated into the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. In early March 2023, it was confirmed that Jon Bernthal is now set to reprise his critically acclaimed role as Frank Castle a.k.a. The Punisher, and he'll be doing so in Daredevil: Born Again. It's unclear how the antihero will be used in the Disney+ show's plot, but it will be the first time that Bernthal has played the part since The Punisher Season 2 started streaming in January 2019.
Deborah Ann Woll
Had things gone as originally planned for Daredevil: Born Again, Deborah Ann Woll was not going to reprise her role as Karen Page... but that's no longer in the case. When the show was reworked behind the scenes, the friend and close confidant of Matt Murdock's returned into the picture (along with another original Daredevil star who will be discussed next). Since being on Daredevil, The Defenders, and The Punisher shows on Netflix, Woll's biggest career successes have been on the big screen – starring in the horror films Escape Room and Escape Room: Tournament Of Champions. In 2023, she appeared in an episode of the series Quantum Leap.
Elden Henson
In addition to Karen Page, Franklin "Foggy" Nelson is also going to be back in Daredevil: Born Again, and the part will not be recast. Elden Henson will be returning to play Matt Murdock's best friend and law partner for the Disney+ revival series. Henson doesn't have a bunch of credits since the end of Daredevil Season 3, but he does have a pair of notable ones: he reprised his role as Fulton Reed for two episodes of the TV series The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers and worked with Martin Scorsese on the film Killers Of The Flower Moon.
Wilson Bethel
In January 2024, it was reported that Wilson Bethel will be another one of the few actors from the original Daredevil series to return for Daredevil: Born Again. Unlike Charlie Cox, Vincent D'Onofrio and the other veterans, however, Bethel only appeared in the Netflix show's third season. He'll once again be playing Benjamin "Dex" Poindexter, a psychotic FBI agent who fans are waiting to see make his full transformation into Daredevil nemesis Bullseye. Since Daredevil, Bethel has been a part of the main cast of the network drama series All Rise.
This feature will continue to grow as more cast members are announced for Daredevil: Born Again, so be sure to come back to read about the new names. In the meantime, you can plan your next big MCU rewatch with our Marvel Movies In Order feature, and learn about everything in the works from the franchise with our Upcoming Marvel Movies and Upcoming Marvel TV guides.
