Why did Bullseye kill Foggy in Daredevil: Born Again? Explored in detail

Daredevil: Born Again shocks the audience in the very first episode as Foggy Nelson is killed at the hands of Benjamin "Bullseye" Poindexter. Foggy is a returning character from Netflix’s Daredevil, whose friendship with Matt Murdock forms an integral part of the storyline.

However, the revival series swings into action right from the word go, as Dex shoots and kills Foggy, deeply affecting Matt and Karen Page. The attack seems to come out of nowhere, leaving everyone wondering why Bullseye targeted Foggy.

Bullseye seems to have killed Foggy as an act of revenge against Matt, the seeds for which were sown back in the third season of Daredevil. By taking away someone close to the vigilante’s heart, Bullseye manages to break Matt emotionally.

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Daredevil: Born Again—Why did Bullseye kill Foggy in the series premiere?

With Daredevil: Born Again episode 1, Matt, Karen, and Foggy return to the screens after a long wait of seven years. However, Foggy’s character is short-lived in the revival series. The trio heads to Josie’s Bar to celebrate the retirement of a police officer named Cherry.

They seem to be in a good mood and joke around, unaware of what is going to hit them soon. While Karen and Matt keep chatting with each other, Foggy interacts with a named Kirsten McDuffie, and soon he gets a phone call from a worried client.

Matt immediately senses something is wrong. However, before he can react, Foggy is shot in the back. The killer is Benjamin “Bullseye” Poindexter, a dangerous assassin. The most likely reason Bullseye kills Foggy is that he wants to hurt Matt in the worst way possible, by taking away someone he loves.

Back in Daredevil season 3, the assassin was left broken after Wilson Fisk shattered his spine in a three-way fight that also involved Matt. At the time, Bullseye did not know that Matt Murdock was actually Daredevil. Hence, something seems to have changed between the events of the two shows.

One theory is that Bullseye somehow found out Matt’s secret identity before Daredevil: Born Again. By murdering Foggy, he might have wanted to hurt Matt emotionally rather than physically.

Another possibility is that Bullseye did not act alone. In the past, Kingpin had threatened to kill both Foggy and Karen, but he and Matt later made a deal. However, Kingpin and Bullseye were never allies, as Kingpin tried to kill him at his own wedding. This makes it unlikely that Kingpin ordered the attack.

So, was someone else involved? This will likely be answered in further episodes of Daredevil: Born Again. Meanwhile, Foggy’s death changes everything for Matt. He almost loses control, beating Bullseye and throwing him off a roof in anger. Heartbroken, Matt gives up being Daredevil and focuses on his law career instead.

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Daredevil: Born Again showrunner explains why killing Foggy was necessary

Foggy’s death has left fans devastated. In an interview with Radio Times, showrunner Dario Scardapane explained that it is hard to digest the twist, but it was necessary to send Matt Murdock on a new journey:

“It's the loss of a part of himself that was holding him in check, that was maybe making him stop from crossing a line, and that has a ripple effect through this entire season, into the next season, and probably into the life of this character. Foggy will live within him, and that loss and its process of grief and rebuilding is a huge portion of our storytelling.”

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Daredevil: Born Again episodes 1 and 2 are now streaming on Disney+.