When the Marvel Cinematic Universe moved its way onto Netflix, it chose to start by telling the complicated story of Matt Murdock, better known as Daredevil, who viewers have watched for two seasons balance his Catholic faith with his vigilantism as he works to protect the citizens of Hell’s Kitchen, New York City, from itself.
The show’s second season saw Murdock face a variety of challenges: between his crumbling relationships with his girlfriend Karen Page and best friend Foggy Nelson, the return, and subsequent death, of his ex-girlfriend Elektra Natchios, and the arrival of the Hand, a near-immortal crime ring, Season 2 really nailed home how difficult it was becoming for Murdock to balance his life as Daredevil with his obligations to the friends, and others, who knew his life as Matt Murdock.
And still his life got more complicated during the events of “The Defenders,” which brought Murdock into contact with the other Marvel characters with Netflix shows (Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Danny Rand) as they teamed up to fight the Hand, now led by the resurrected Elektra, out of New York City.
The season ended with Murdock and Natchios trapped in a building as it explodes and crumbles. Naturally, the series ends with Murdock’s friends believing him to be dead, but an ending scene shows him waking up surrounded by nuns.
It had been confirmed for a while that “Daredevil” would be receiving a third season to cover the events following “The Defenders,” although there had been no news on the series until Thursday, when the show’s Twitter account posted both the official poster for the season, the release date and a teaser trailer.
The teaser indicates that this season will show a changed, much more tough Murdock, and one who might not play by the same rules he had been operating on in previous seasons. As mentioned, Murdock is a practicing Catholic and therefore tries to prevent having to kill any of the criminals he fights as Daredevil, but all of that might change this season. The Murdock we see in the trailer appears no longer interested in pursuing justice through the law, as he often did as an attorney, and so murder might become more of what he views as a legitimate option to solving the city’s crime problem.
It has been hinted that Season 3 will follow a loose storyline similar to the famed “Daredevil” comic book storyline “Born Again,” when Murdock loses nearly everything after it is revealed that he is Daredevil. If the television series chooses to follow this aspect of Murdock’s storyline, then it would explain the darker tone well. In the comics, Fisk’s constant assault against Murdock drive him toward paranoia and insanity, and that is probably the direction the show will head towards as well.
There’s a lot of speculation that this season will feature Fisk, who was arrested in Season 1, being released from prison, making the “Born Again” story that much more probable.
However, no matter what the reason, viewers should brace themselves for an all-new, no-holds-barred version of Daredevil. Season 3 drops Oct. 19 only on Netflix.
