How Marvel Television's 'Daredevil: Born Again' Goes to 'Dangerous and Scary' Places in Season 2

How Marvel Television's 'Daredevil: Born Again' Goes to 'Dangerous and Scary' Places in Season 2

All bets are off in Season 2 of Marvel Television's Daredevil: Born Again.

In his first act as the newly elected Mayor of New York City, Wilson Fisk/Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio) has outlawed vigilantism, turning the public against Daredevil (Charlie Cox). To expose the Kingpin's corrupt empire, Daredevil must learn to fight back from the shadows.

"Every great Daredevil story is ultimately a great Kingpin story," said Sana Amanat, who executive produces alongside Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, and others. "This is the ultimate Kingpin and Daredevil story; it's pedal to the metal. That was really fun and kind of dangerous and scary to explore, considering who these two characters are."

Noting the parallels between the two characters, Amanat continued, "They're constantly entwined and drawn to each other. They both want New York to love them. They both have violent tendencies. The similarities are so intriguing. They cannot exist without each other."

D'Onofrio teased, "There's a frustration between the characters, but for different reasons."

In Season 2 - premiering Tuesday, March 24, at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, exclusively on Disney+ - Fisk's propaganda campaign and Anti-Vigilante Task Force intensify that rivalry, creating what showrunner Dario Scardapane called a "polarized city." Whereas Daredevil and Kingpin once adhered to a code of "mutual respect, integrity, and honesty," tensions have escalated. "Now, those values go out the window when they're dealing with the other side."

In other words, D'Onofrio said, "The restraint doesn't last very long."

Things eventually come to a head when Daredevil seizes the opportunity to face his longtime adversary. "If you look at the amount of screen time that Charlie and Vincent have shared over the course of five seasons, it's minimal; they've been in maybe 10 scenes together," Scardapane said. "You've seen their interactions play out in the streets, through the ripple effects, so we were super mindful about building this moment. We provided a springboard for Wilson Fisk, Matt Murdock, Daredevil, and Kingpin to go to places we've never seen them go before. We had to top 'I beat you' from Season 2. We had to top 'It's not entirely unpleasant to see you again' from Season 1. So, we had to bring our A-game."

"What Forces You to Cross a Line?"

Thankfully, Daredevil isn't in this fight alone. Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) is back in Matt's life, using her connections to broaden the resistance and uncover Kingpin's crimes.

"It's really special for Matt to get real, connected time with Karen Page," Cox said. "That's something the show's been teasing for 10 years - a moment where the stars could align to bring them together in a romantic way. I think Karen Page is Matt Murdock's true love; she's his soulmate. There's something kind of tragically romantic about having them finally get together and seek comfort in one another during the darkest period in their lives."

Each character comes to a point where they have to make a decision and they have to choose a side - and each one of them, in making that decision, has to pay a price.

Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again will see the return of additional fan-favorite characters, including Benjamin Poindexter/Bullseye (Wilson Bethel) and Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter).

"At the end of Season 1, Daredevil said, 'We're going to need an army,'" Scardapane said. "People who don't know if they're going to take a side, by virtue of Fisk hunting down vigilantes, are forced into making a choice. What forces you to cross a line? What forces you to make a decision? This question is not just for Daredevil; it's for Kingpin, it's for Karen, it's for Bullseye, it's for Jessica, it's for BB [Genneya Walton], it's for Daniel [Michael Gandolfini]. Each character comes to a point where they have to make a decision and they have to choose a side - and each one of them, in making that decision, has to pay a price."

Amanat added, "We're ultimately telling a story about a villain rising to power and becoming a part of the system. And when a villain rises, so does a hero - or heroes, in this case."