WhenDaredevil: Born Againwas first announced, fans were ecstatic about the return ofCharlie Cox’sMatt Murdock, but there was a noticeable — and quite egregious — absence in the initial plans, when it was revealed two of Hell’s Kitchen’s most beloved characters, Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson). The duo, who played crucial roles in Netflix’sDaredevil, were initially not included in Marvel’s revival. But afterBorn Againunderwent a significant overhaul during the 2023 writers’ strike, their return became a priority, thankfully.
As showrunnerDario Scardapane(The Punisher) came on board to retoolBorn Again, one of his first demands was ensuring that Matt Murdock’s closest allies were reinstated. “That was actually one of the first things I said to the bosses,”Scardapane revealed to Empire, in an exclusive interview about the new series. “You can’t do this show without Karen and Foggy. They’re Matt’s family. They’re the heart of his world. You can’t take them out without explaining why, and if that explanation doesn’t ring true, don’t take them out.”
While the original vision forBorn Againwas set to take the series in a new direction, Scardapane believed it had lost touch with what madeDaredevilso popular in the first place with audiences. “It was much less the world we knew, and more trying to blaze a new trail,” he explained. “But in doing so, they’d forgotten some things that really were necessary to the engine of the story.”
“You Can’t Ignore That Dream”
Scadapane continued, adding that the decision to bring back Karen and Foggy wasn’t a nostagla thing, or a chance to inhale some member berries — he felt you had to honour the legacy of what came beforehand, since the original show ended with Matt, Karen and Foggy renaming their firm to Nelson, Murdock & Page.Scardapaneadded that he felt
abandoning that thread would have been a betrayal of the story’s emotional core. “
I was willing to lose a job over this one. Because Season 3 of the Netflix show ended with a dream, with the names on that napkin. If you don’t pay that off, you’re not giving your characters context. You can’t ignore that dream.”
Thankfully, the trio have been rightfully restored, and come what may, we’ll see the family together one more time.Daredevil: Born Againpremieres on Disney+ on March 4. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Daredevil: Born Again
