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Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again just wrapped up, and whew the finale didn’t hold back. The last episode delivered some serious shockers that could completely shake up the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s more grounded, street-level stories in the future.
This season followed Matt Murdock as he slowly stepped back into his role as Daredevil after suffering a major loss: his best friend, Foggy Nelson. For most of the season, we only knew that Foggy was gone but the big reveal came in episode 8, when Matt discovered that Bullseye was behind it and he wasn’t acting alone. He was taking orders from none other than Vanessa Fisk, Wilson Fisk’s wife.
The finale went deeper into that twist, showing why Vanessa wanted Foggy dead and how she pulled Bullseye’s strings. It was a brutal reminder that Vanessa isn’t just the mob boss’s wife, she’s got her own plans, and they’re deadly.
But instead of wrapping everything up neatly, the season 1 finale mostly served as a launchpad for what’s coming next. Marvel is laying the groundwork for season 2 and possibly even larger MCU plans. They didn’t just drop bombshells, they also brought back some familiar faces, teasing bigger conflicts ahead.
One major plotline that came to a head? Wilson Fisk’s run for mayor and his war on vigilantes. Let’s just say, Fisk isn’t pretending to be a nice guy anymore. By the end of the season, he’s fully stepped back into his role as the ruthless Kingpin, and he’s more dangerous—and more powerful—than ever.
Now, Matt Murdock finds himself at rock bottom. His world has been flipped upside down, his enemies are growing stronger, and the city is slipping into chaos. Season 2 will be all about Daredevil picking up the pieces, reclaiming his purpose, and facing threats that feel more personal than ever.
So yeah, Daredevil: Born Again didn’t just give fans a thrilling season, it set the stage for a whole new chapter in the MCU’s darker, grittier corner. Buckle up.
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Daredevil: Born Again episode 9 spoilers and key story details
A flashback shows Vanessa Fisk talking to Dex (Bullseye) a year ago. She convinced him to kill Benjamin Cafaro and Foggy Nelson because they were lawyers who could expose her illegal businesses. She gave him a two-day deadline. Wilson Fisk didn’t know she had Dex released for this job, but in the present, he finds out and confronts her about it.
Matt Murdock finds out the truth too and tells Kirsten that Vanessa was the one who ordered Foggy’s death. Meanwhile, Fisk tells his enforcer Buck to kill Matt and make it look like a heroic sacrifice. But Matt gets unexpected help—Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, is waiting at his apartment when he arrives. Karen Page, now back in the picture, was the one who called Frank to protect Matt.
Soon after, the Anti-Vigilante Task Force storms Matt’s place. Frank starts killing the intruders while Daredevil takes them down without lethal force. During the fight, it’s revealed that Officer Cole North, wearing a Punisher-style vest, is the one who killed White Tiger. A grenade goes off in the apartment, but both Matt and Frank manage to escape safely.
Karen reunites with Matt, but he starts feeling jealous seeing her reconnect with Frank. At the same time, the villains are making moves—Daniel and Buck threaten city council members to keep Fisk’s control tight. Fisk also promotes Heather as Commissioner of Mental Health and declares all vigilantes illegal. He puts New York City under martial law, turning it into a police state.
Meanwhile, we find out Red Hook is being used as a free port, and some key characters like Frank Castle and Jack Duquesne are now locked in cages by Fisk’s people. The Punisher continues his rampage against dirty cops but eventually gets overpowered. He refuses to join the Anti-Vigilante Task Force, so they all take turns punching him.
Fisk goes full monster mode and kills Police Commissioner Gallo with his bare hands. Matt says he’s had enough and tells his allies he’s going to take the city back. They start putting together a team at Josie’s bar.
At the end, Bullseye quietly returns, seen in a room full of broken glass, hinting at more danger to come. In a post-credits scene, Frank Castle tricks a guard into coming close, then breaks his hand and gets ready to escape.
Daredevil: Born Again ending explained: What was Kingpin’s Masterplan?
Wilson Fisk was trying to keep his plans for Red Hook under wraps, acting like it was just part of a city clean-up project. But things didn’t stay secret for long. Daniel, one of Fisk’s associates, got drunk and accidentally spilled the beans to BB Urich, a journalist. That leak made it to the press, and Fisk was not happy. His angry reaction made it clear that Red Hook meant way more to him than he was letting on.
Turns out, Red Hook isn’t just any neighborhood—it’s actually a free port. That means it’s legally treated as if it’s outside U.S. and New York law. This gives it a strange loophole status, where certain activities—like moving money and goods—can happen without the usual legal oversight. Basically, it’s a perfect place to hide shady business.
As Matt dug deeper into the case Foggy was working on before he died, he started to piece things together. Foggy had discovered something big about Red Hook, and that knowledge made him a threat to Fisk’s empire. That’s why Vanessa had Bullseye kill him—Foggy knew too much, and if the truth came out, it could’ve destroyed everything Fisk built.
Working alongside Karen, Matt uncovered the truth: Fisk and Vanessa were using Red Hook to launder money, using the free port’s legal gray area to make their criminal activity seem legit. That’s the real reason Fisk was so obsessed with “revitalizing” Red Hook—he wasn’t fixing the city, he was protecting his dirty money pipeline.
Daredevil: Born Again ending explained: Everything you need to know about Vanessa’s role in Foggy’s death
When Bullseye killed Foggy in the very first episode of Daredevil: Born Again, fans were left wondering why. Bullseye had a history with Karen Page, not Foggy Nelson—so his motive seemed unclear. But now, after the season 1 finale, everything finally makes sense. Episode 8 revealed the big twist: it wasn’t Fisk who ordered the hit, but Vanessa. And episode 9 opened with a flashback to a year earlier, where Vanessa met with Bullseye, real name Dex Poindexter, and told him to kill not just Foggy, but also a man named Benjamin Cafaro.
At the time, Dex was mentally unstable and clearly not in a good place. Vanessa took advantage of that. Meanwhile, Wilson Fisk had no clue what she was up to—he had actually promised Matt Murdock that he wouldn’t harm his friends, a deal he intended to keep. But Vanessa had her own secret agenda. While Foggy was working on Cafaro’s case, he accidentally uncovered some of Vanessa’s hidden crimes. He didn’t realize it, but his defense strategy could have exposed her illegal activities involving Red Hook. And that was too big a risk for Vanessa to take. She gave Dex a deadline—Foggy had to be dead in two days.
Why is Kingpin keeping people in cages?
Out of everyone in Daredevil: Born Again season 1, Wilson Fisk—aka Kingpin—comes out on top. Despite having plenty of enemies, he pulls off something huge: becoming the mayor of New York City. And he doesn’t stop there. He quickly brings his plan for an Anti-Vigilante Task Force to life, basically giving himself the power to crack down on heroes like Daredevil. But by the time we reach the finale, Fisk goes even further—he returns to his violent, ruthless roots. In one shocking moment, he literally crushes Commissioner Gallo’s head with his bare hands, showing everyone that the old Kingpin is definitely back.
By the end of season 1, Fisk is running the city like a dictator. He declares martial law, claiming it’s the only way to deal with vigilantes. And when people go against him? His solution is simple—he locks them in cages. We even see major characters like Swordsman (played by Tony Dalton) and the Punisher (Jon Bernthal) behind bars. It’s a chilling turn that hits close to home. The show makes it pretty clear that Fisk’s story has some strong political undertones, drawing comparisons to real-world figures like Donald Trump. Just like Trump faced heavy criticism for the “kids in cages” controversy during his presidency, Fisk is shown using similar tactics—except now, it’s superheroes being caged.
Daredevil: Born Again ending explained: Karen Page’s return and Daredevil’s new army
Deborah Ann Woll’s character, Karen Page, made a brief appearance in the first episode of Daredevil: Born Again. After Bullseye’s trial and Foggy’s tragic death, she and Matt had grown apart and she stepped out of the picture. But in the season finale, Karen makes a powerful return. It’s revealed that she was the one who called the Punisher to rescue Matt when Fisk’s Anti-Vigilante Task Force closed in on him.
Later, Karen helps Matt dig deeper into the mystery of Red Hook and uncovers just how important it really is—important enough for Vanessa to have Foggy killed over it. With the truth out in the open, Karen is now firmly back by Matt’s side. And it looks like she’s not going anywhere. As Daredevil prepares for war in season 2, Karen is expected to be a key part of his growing team—a kind of street-level superhero army.
So far, the list of potential allies for Daredevil’s fight includes some familiar faces:
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The Punisher (Jon Bernthal)
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The Swordsman (Tony Dalton)
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Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani)
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Spider-Man (Tom Holland)
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Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter)
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Luke Cage (Mike Colter)
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Iron Fist (Finn Jones)
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Hawkeye – Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner)
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Hawkeye – Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld)
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Echo (Alaqua Cox)
Alongside these heroes, Matt’s allies at home are stepping up too—Karen, Cherry, Angie Kim, and Josie (of Josie’s Bar fame) are all part of the team forming to take the city back from Kingpin.
Daredevil: Born Again ending explained: Bullseye’s details
Bullseye played a major part in Daredevil: Born Again episode 8. He broke out of prison and went straight for Kingpin, aiming to kill him. But he didn’t expect what happened next—Matt Murdock actually stepped in and took a bullet for Kingpin, the man he’s hated for years. That moment clearly shook Bullseye.
Oddly enough, in the season finale, Bullseye only makes a brief appearance. He’s seen alone, looking downcast in a run-down apartment with a shattered window. The scene is short, but it confirms he’s still around. Since he just tried to assassinate the Mayor and is still wearing the label of a costumed vigilante, it makes sense that he’s now laying low, probably hiding from the Anti-Vigilante Task Force that’s been hunting down people like him.
All signs point to Bullseye sticking around for season 2, and with all the chaos going on, he might either try to redeem himself, or go completely off the rails. Either way, he’s not done yet.
Post-Credits scene and MCU future explained
Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, plays an important role in the season 1 finale of Daredevil: Born Again. After rescuing Matt Murdock from danger, Frank goes on a brutal rampage, taking down corrupt cops left and right. But in the end, he gets captured by the very same officers and is thrown into one of Kingpin’s infamous cages.
However, the episode doesn’t end there. The post-credits scene gives a glimpse of Frank’s escape plan. Using his influence over a corrupt cop, Frank convinces the officer to come closer to his cage. Once he’s in reach, Frank breaks the cop’s arm to take his keys, setting the stage for his escape.
Fans of Jon Bernthal’s portrayal of Frank Castle, also known as the Punisher, can look forward to more of him in the MCU. Bernthal is set to return as the Punisher in a special presentation in 2026, which might tie into both seasons of Daredevil: Born Again. This could serve as a bridge between seasons, giving Frank time for a solo mission, possibly involving his escape and freeing other characters like the Swordsman. Given Frank’s connection with Karen and Matt, he’s a prime candidate for being recruited into Daredevil’s new army in season 2.