Netflix’s ‘Daredevil’ was always MCU-adjacent, but with ‘Daredevil: Born Again,’ the debate ends—Matt Murdock’s world officially fits right in!

Matt Murdock is back and he is better than ever. It seems like we have been waiting for Daredevil to step into the MCU for ages now and with the first trailer for Daredevil: Born Again, let’s just say that we are not disappointed at all. From Wilson Fisk being the new mayor of NYC to Matt reuniting with Foggy and Karen, we have a feeling that March is going to be an unforgettable month for Marvel Studios.

Matt Murdock with Kingpin in Daredevil: Born Again | Credits: Marvel Studios

Fans have had a question since time immemorial – Is Daredevil: Born Again a continuation of Netflix’s Daredevil? Well, who knows, honestly? However, if anyone has seen the OG, they know that the MCU is pretty much canon in Matt Murdock’s world over at Netflix.

Daredevil: Born Again – a continuation or a fresh start?

Elden Henson, Charlie Cox, and Deborah Ann Woll in Daredevil | Credits: Netflix

Netflix’s Daredevil ended just after three seasons and it was honestly a shame. We could have gotten ten more seasons of Matt Murdock’s adventures and we would not have complained. So, thankfully, Born Again‘s announcement was like a balm to our souls.

Fans have been wondering for a while if Born Again is going to be a continuation of Daredevil or not. Thus, when an X user commented that Charlie Cox‘s Disney+ series is “going to have new seasons in a different continuity,” others begged to differ.

For example, take a look at @DiamondSpiderP’s counterpoint:

He’s right. While the Avengers don’t make an appearance in the show, their impact has been felt as the backdrop of Fisk’s operations. After the Chitauri invasion left the city in shambles, criminals like Fisk used it to their benefit, exploiting the chaos for personal gain.

The series has referenced the vast Marvel Cinematic Universe countless times in the three seasons. From Foggy saying “I could say I’m Captain America but it doesn’t put wings on my head,” to the show calling the Battle of New York “the incident,” there’s been far too many instances to ignore.

In Season 2 Episode 5, there is also a news clipping framed on the wall that reads, “Stark Tower ruined during Battle of NY.” Needless to say, the Netflix show has always been MCU-adjacent and will continue to fit right into the storyline. The only difference is that they will finally be able to say “Battle of New York.”

Marvel Studios’ head confirms the canonicity

A still from Daredevil (2015-18) | Credits: Netflix

Marvel’s Netflix shows always posed a question about canonicity. That is until the Marvel Studios Head of Streaming Brad Winderbaum himself confirmed that yes, the shows really are canon to the MCU.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Winderbaum revealed that The Defenders Saga is MCU canon, “spurred by the redevelopment of Daredevil: Born Again.”

He even talked about the two biggest films in the MCU, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and how the studio was working toward them during the time of the Netflix shows. He stated, “When the Netflix shows were coming out and being made, we were building towards Infinity War and Endgame. We were trying to balance all of these film franchises and get them to culminate onscreen in these two epic movies. To say it was a challenge is not even correct.”

Thus, bringing even more characters and storylines into those films would be simply impossible. Winderbaum said,

So, at the time, to say, ‘Alright, we’re also going to take this television show and wrap our heads around that,” it would’ve been too much, even though we were communicating back and forth’. Everyone on the television side and the film side knew what each other was doing, and you can see that there’s a continuity there. The references do line up, but it was just too much for us to wrap our minds around at the time/

Clearly, Winderbaum has confirmed the continuity aspect of Born Again, putting an end to the debate once and for all.

Daredevil: Born Again will be released on Disney+ on March 04. Daredevil is available to watch on Netflix.