After a years-long fan campaign to resurrect the show and a near-miss continuity reboot, Daredevil: Born Again brought Matt Murdock back to TVs. While not officially announced, independent reporting in the Hollywood trades confirmed the series will end with the now-completed third season. Showrunner Dario Scardapane also exited Marvel with post-production still incomplete on the series. Both are startling developments.
Charlie Cox first suited up as the Man Without Fear in Daredevil, the first in a suite of series from Marvel Television for Netflix. Once Disney launched its own streaming service, the show was canceled and, three years later, the project was resurrected with the new title. Originally, the new show would have been set in a different continuity, but during the 2023 Hollywood Strikes, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige brought in Scardapane to retool the project, making it a continuation of the original show.
Daredevil: Born Again Ends With Season 3 As Showrunner Scardapane Exits
The cancelation was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter, and later confirmed in Variety and The Wrap. Originally, Born Again was meant to be 18 episodes, but the retooling cut that number in half. A second season followed with the third announced before it debuted. Filming took place last year with plans for the show to debut in late 2027. The second season ended with Wilson Fisk stepping down as mayor and leaving New York, while Matt Murdock exposed his identity as Daredevil and went to prison.
Dario Scardapane, who previously worked with Marvel on The Punisher for Netflix, shockingly exited the show before it was finished. The trades report that his contract simply expired and was not renewed. This is surprising because such deals typically end up extended so the showrunner can see the series through post-production. None of the reporting could point to a replacement producer, though the project’s completion is still expected. It’s also unclear if producers were aware the show would end giving it a proper finale instead of a cliffhanger.
Daredevil: Born Again was a critical success and was mostly well-received by fans, even with the disjointed nature of the first season. Yet none of the episodes ever broke into the Nielsen streaming Top Ten list. Season 2 brought back Krysten Ritter and Mike Colter as Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, respectively, both of whom appeared in their own eponymous series for Netflix. Social media posts also revealed that the fourth member of the The Defenders crossover series, Finn Jones, would be back as Danny Rand. Each Netflix series enjoyed positive reviews and fan reaction, though Iron Fist was the weakest of the group. This reunion led to speculation that Disney+ would build up a street-level suite of shows as they had before but Born Again ending proves it unfounded.
Ending Daredevil Continues Disney+ Slowdown for Marvel and Star Wars Shows
In October, VisionQuest from acclaimed producer Terry Matalas and starring Paul Bettany, James Spader, Emily Hampshire, and Todd Stashwick will debut on Disney+. This show marks the completion of a “trilogy” of stories that began with WandaVision — the first Marvel Studios show for the streamer — and 2024’s Agatha All Along. Daredevil: Born Again was the only Marvel show known to be in production. Though the trades reported a new show with the working title “Zodiac” is in development.
Original series from Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm were once the cornerstone of Disney+. However, with Born Again‘s cancelation, it appears that Disney is not interested in building any lasting series. Similarly, after Ahoska Season 2, there are no known live-action Star Wars shows in production or development. While key to the studio’s plans during and in the wake of the pandemic, it seems the company’s focus is back on the big screen. Yet, despite some successes, the box office is still volatile. The Mandalorian and Grogu is the lowest-grossing Star Wars movie in history.
Not only that, Disney also seems content to let the talent behind these shows slip away as well. Scardapane’s exit is as surprising as it is unceremonious, especially since he essentially saved Born Again from ruin. Similarly, despite Star Trek super-fan Kevin Feige snatching up Matalas after the success of Picard Season 3, there is no indication that the 12 Monkeys producer is sticking with the company. Daredevil: Born Again was a triumph for Marvel fans and the project that generated the most excitement in years. That it comes to such an ignominious end is not a good sign for the future of the MCU on streaming.
Daredevil: Born Again Seasons 1 and 2 are currently streaming on Disney+ with Season 3 expected sometime in mid-to-late 2027.
