Daredevil: Born Again Season 2’s Thunderbolts Connection Breaks The Rules Of The MCU

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Warning! This article contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again season 2, episode 1.

The new series Daredevil: Born Again includes a connection to the Thunderbolts storyline, but it also seems to ignore some established rules of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first episode of the season ended with a hint that Bullseye, a key character in the show, would connect to another important figure in the MCU. While presented as a surprise, this connection was fairly predictable given Bullseye’s significant role in Daredevil: Born Again.

The first episode of Daredevil: Born Again included several hidden references to the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe, in addition to the tease about the Bullseye character. One of the most notable additions was a brand new character named Mr. Charles, played by Matthew Lillard. Mr. Charles is an enigmatic figure who appears to be working on both sides of the law, seemingly helping and hindering Wilson Fisk.

In the season 2 premiere, a dramatic entrance by Matt Murdock (as Foggy Nelson) into Wilson Fisk’s office resolves a legal issue – the Attorney General’s threat of increased oversight – with a quick phone call. This moment subtly connects to the upcoming Thunderbolts movie planned for 2025, and surprisingly goes against how the Marvel Cinematic Universe has typically handled connections between its shows and films.

Thunderbolts* Connects To Daredevil: Born Again – But Not How We Thought

Charles starts to threaten the Attorney General, and right as he does, the Attorney General’s phone rings. After answering, he pledges his full support to Fisk, taking orders from someone named Miss de Fontaine. This is clearly a nod to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who, at the end of Thunderbolts, announced her team would be the new Avengers.

It seems de Fontaine is working with Fisk, and she’s using Mr. Charles to facilitate that. This creates an unexpected link between the Daredevil: Born Again and Thunderbolts storylines. After New York City was covered by the Void, many fans thought Daredevil: Born Again would deal with the aftermath, but that hasn’t been the case.

As of the first episode’s ending of Daredevil: Born Again season 2, the show has only made a small reference to Miss de Fontaine, which is the sole connection to Thunderbolts. Surprisingly, there’s been no further mention of the Void – the strange event experienced by the Daredevil characters – which goes against what many viewers expected after the movie’s release.

Daredevil: Born Again’s Easter Eggs Break The MCU’s Biggest Rules

The new series Born Again doesn’t mention the Void from Thunderbolts, which is unusual for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Typically, major plot points and characters carry over from one project to the next, so this omission is noticeable.

Major storylines in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, like HYDRA’s emergence in Captain America: The Winter Soldier continuing into Avengers: Age of Ultron, or the fallout from Avengers: Infinity War impacting Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, Loki, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and beyond, are frequently revisited across multiple films and series.

For years, ever since 2008, fans expected the Daredevil: Born Again series to connect to the Thunderbolts through a shared element called the Void – a terrifying force that exploits people’s deepest fears and once threatened an entire city. This expectation seemed logical, based on established patterns within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, Born Again surprised everyone by ignoring this connection, effectively breaking one of the MCU’s most important rules about how its stories link together.

The first episode of Daredevil: Born Again didn’t just lack a connection to the ‘Void’; it also broke a common rule for Marvel Cinematic Universe Easter eggs. The show surprisingly mentioned Jessica Jones without any prior hints or build-up, even though she’s confirmed to appear in season two.

Karen directly states that Jess can access the Northern Star’s ship manifest, showing the writers didn’t try to hide her connection to the story. This is similar to how established characters are typically introduced in the MCU. For example, Spider-Man: No Way Home heavily promoted the return of characters like Electro, featuring him in a major battle scene with his signature music.

Interestingly, Jessica Jones was mentioned briefly in the first episode of Daredevil: Born Again. This, along with a more understated connection to Thunderbolts *, has led the show to undo some established rules within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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2026-03-25 17:39