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Born Again’ Quietly Hints Matt Murdock Will Never Join The Avengers
Daredevil: Born Again has pulled off what once seemed like an impossible feat, as it’s managed to strengthen the bond between the world that Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) inhabits and the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. Season 1 featured mentions of Spider-Man and Ms. Marvel, but Season 2 took things further by having a direct connection to Thunderbolts* in its very first episode. This raises the question: Will Daredevil eventually cross paths with the Avengers? After all, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are slated to reunite in Avengers: Doomsday, and presumably need all the help they can get against Doctor Doom.
While the idea of Daredevil becoming an Avenger might be a tantalizing one, Daredevil: Born Again might have closed the door on that idea with a single decision. In the latest episode, “Gloves Off,” Jack Duquesne (Tony Dalton) leaves New York City, but not before granting Daredevil access to one of his bank accounts. This essentially gives the Man Without Fear an unlimited budget since Duquesne was one of New York’s wealthiest citizens, and allows him to operate independently. It also means that he’d work far better as a solo act than if he ever joined the Avengers, but there’s another reason why Daredevil works better on his own.
Daredevil Works Better as a Solo Hero For This Reason
In addition to giving Daredevil access to his finances, Duquesne also tells the Man Without Fear that he’s become a symbol to the people of New York, and that he shouldn’t take that lightly. It’s another reason why Daredevil should remain a solo act instead of joining the Avengers, as having him be the person that New York looks up to further cements the need for his particular brand of justice. It also helps the MCU feel more diverse in terms of characterization and scope, similar to the comics that inspire the shows and movies. Not every hero in the Marvel Universe partakes in world-saving stakes, so it’s great to have something more down-to-earth in Born Again.
There’s also the fact that Daredevil is already part of a team. Matt briefly worked with Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter), and Danny Rand (Finn Jones) in The Defenders, and the trio is set to return in Daredevil: Born Again, starting with Jessica in Season 2 while Luke and Danny will play a role in Season 3. Bringing the Defenders back doesn’t just give Daredevil allies in his fight against Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), but it also will let him interact with heroes who are on his level. The Avengers tend to be full of heavy hitters like Iron Man and Thor, meaning that Matt would have potentially felt out of place if he did join that team.
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Daredevil Has a History With the Avengers in the Comics
The idea of Daredevil joining the Avengers was recently addressed by Charlie Cox himself. During a panel at GalaxyCon New Orleans, Cox was asked by a fan if he could ever see Daredevil joining the Avengers. Cox replied that he feels like Matt Murdock is fairly reluctant to do team-ups:
“That’s so funny. That’s a really good question. I think Matt Murdock would kind of think about it. He’s a lone wolf; he likes to work by himself. He’s a reluctant kind of team-up guy I think. A bit like Frank Castle is. Charlie Cox would be absolutely thrilled. I would be champing at the bit to do that.”
Ironically, Daredevil has quite a history with the Avengers in Marvel Comics canon. He rejected Steve Rogers’ offer to join the team in New Avengers #3 by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch, citing his recently revealed secret identity as the reason; years later, Daredevil would finally join an Avengers team led by Luke Cage. Ironically, a character associated with the Avengers owes their existence to Daredevil, as Bendis would reveal that Matt Murdock would have adopted the identity of Ronin to fool people into thinking he wasn’t Daredevil. This never came to pass, though Echo and Hawkeye would wear the Ronin suit when they joined the New Avengers.
Daredevil: Born Again shows that there’s no need for Daredevil to join the Avengers, as he now has his own resources and serves as a living symbol of justice. However, the door still remains open for the Man Without Fear and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to potentially join forces.
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