Marvel's process of revamping Daredevil: Born Again has been full of rumors and repots about what supposdly will and won't change from the original three seasons. Just a week after a prior recasting report was debunked, it appears as if one or more actresses who were previously part of the Born Again cast list might've been fired by the upcoming Disney+ series. Rumors are swirling, with Nikki M. James and Sandrine Holt at the center of it all, as it looks like neither will be involved after the creative revamps.
James was rumored to appear in Daredevil: Born Again as Assistant District Attorney Kirsten McDuffie, who served as Matt Murdock's love interest for a time in the comics. The actress posted on Instagram celebrating her casting in the series when it was first confirmed, but as @DDevilUpdates has reported, that post has since been deleted, and the actress hasn't been featured in any of the set photos or early BTS buzz.
If James is indeed out of Daredevil: Born Again during the first nine-episode stretch that recently concluded filming, it doesn't mean she's out of the series indefinitely. After all, if she was indeed meant to portray Kirsten McDuffie, that potential romance could always factor into the story further down the line once the Disney+ universe is established.
We can only speculate so much here, considering we don't know officially about the situation or James' role. Is it possible she accidentally deleted the post at some point? Maybe, if not exactly the most probably option.
A similar situation has happened with actress Sandrine Holt, who was previously cast to allegedly play Vanessa Fisk, Kingpin's highly capable significant other. The initial casting report was free from such character details, but the Wilson Fisk connection was reported on months later, with quite a few fans reacting angrily to the idea of Vanessa being portrayed by someone else.
Whether or not that impacted producers' mindsets or not is unknown, but the Daredevil series seemingly shifted things around and brought back actress Ayelet Zurer, who was spotted filming with Vincent D'Onofrio. Soon after, it was announced that Holt joined Jon Hamm's upcoming Apple TV+ drama Friends And Neighbors in a recurring capacity. But did that only happen because she was let go from the MCU drama, or will she still show up in some capacity?
Casting decisions have been the biggest news surrounding Daredevil: Born Again, as we still don't know for sure when to expect the first episode to arrive for those with a Disney+ subscription. January brought the wonderful news that Elden Henson and Deborah Ann Woll would return as Foggy and Karen, and in April we saw awesome pictures of Jon Bernthal's Punisher in fine bloody form.
The most positive news is that all these castings and set images seem to indicate the series is making progress after reports in October the series underwent massive behind-the-scenes changes after Kevin Feige and others were left unimpressed with what was filmed thus far. Casting additions and reported firings are at least evidence that the latest iteration of Daredevil: Born Again is something the MCU heads will be more thrilled about. Hopefully, fans will feel the same way, because we've waited a long time since the Netflix cancellation to see Daredevil and these other iconic characters back on the small screen.
Daredevil: Born Again is still in the works for an eventual release on Disney+ beyond the 2024 TV schedule. Here's hoping we'll see it in the first half of 2025, but I'll continue to cross my fingers and toes we'll see it sooner rather than later.
