Did the Daredevil: Born Again set up the return of the Defenders?

Daredevil: Born Again Finale, "Straight to Hell", released on Disney+ on April 15, 2025.

In the closing moments of the episode, the bad guys have won the day as Mayor Wilson Fisk manages to enact martial law on New York and ban masked vigilantes in the city. Furthermore, he has imprisoned his enemies, including Jon Bernthal's Punisher, in Red Hook.

Fisk hasn't imprisoned Daredevil yet, but The Man Without Fear has gone underground. Matt also has managed to assemble a small army to oppose Fisk, consisting of Cherry, Angie Kim, and a couple of unnamed police officers. Karen and Josie might also play a part in this team.

But the concluding minutes of the Daredevil: Born Again finale didn't include the heroes Matt teamed up with previously, The Defenders. Released in 2017, The Defenders was the crossover event for the Netflix Marvel Universe, consisting of characters like Daredevil, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage. None of these characters are visible in the season 1 finale.

But their absence doesn't mean that none of the Netflix Marvel heroes are returning. They might return in the near future, as hinted by Marvel executive Brad Winderbaum in an Entertainment Weekly interview:

“I can't say much, but I'll tell you that it's so exciting to be able to play in that sandbox. Obviously we don't have the unlimited storytelling resources like a comic book. If you can draw it, you can do it. It's dealing with actors and time and the massive scale of production in order to build a cinematic universe, especially on television. But I can just say that all those variables taken into account, it is certainly something that is creatively extremely exciting and that we are very much exploring."

Now, given how the first season of Born Again ended, Jessica, Luke, and Danny may return to the MCU, if Winderbaum is to be believed.

The defenders might reunite to fight Fisk's rule in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2

As the finale of Daredevil: Born Again reveals, Fisk has taken off his mask and has become a complete despot. He has imposed an 8 PM curfew under martial law, and there are no masked vigilantes who can oppose him openly. He has also imprisoned all of his dissidents in Red Hook, including The Punisher. We meet Matt's army in the closing minutes of the episode.

But as noted before, the only one who might be adept at fighting off Fisk and the anti-vigilante task force in Matt's army is Matt himself. While the others might possess investigative skills, they may not be that adept in combat. That's where Matt's fellow heroes like Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist may come in. They will know Matt the most and thus will be his valuable allies in the fight to end Fisk's reign of terror.

Other than the Defenders, Matt might also receive the help of Angela Del Toro's White Tiger and Frank Castle in the second season. While it is true that Frank is one of Fisk's captives, he manages to escape captivity.

Daredevil: Born Again finale's post-credit scene hints at Frank possibly allying with Matt in the next season:

The post-credit scene of the Born Again Season 1 finale sets up the Disney+ solo Punisher special. The plot for the solo series is currently under wraps, but given Frank's escape from Fisk's captivity, it seems that the special will follow Frank attempting to fight off Fisk's forces. The special may end in a stalemate, leading directly to Daredevil: Born Again Season 2.

If Frank and The Defenders do join Matt, then his army will receive a huge boost over Fisk's largely human task force.

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As of now, the status of The Defenders is unknown. Daredevil: Born Again is currently filming and doesn't have a release date. But Dario Scardapane, the showrunner, did confirm a March 2026 release window for season 2.

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