‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Is Finally Setting Up the Return of a Fan Favorite MCU Character

Daredevil: Born Again is slowly bringing more of Marvel's street-level heroes into the conflict between Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). Season 2 is set to bring Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) back into the fray, while set photos for Season 3 have shown that Luke Cage (Mike Colter) and Danny Rand (Finn Jones) will complete the Defenders reunion. However, a recent episode hints that the Man without Fear could potentially find a new ally in Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), strengthening its ties to Hawkeye.

Hawkeye first introduced Kate as a fan of Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), having witnessed the avenging archer's exploits during the events of The Avengers. She and Clint end up working together to fight the criminal organization known as the "Tracksuit Mafia," with Kate becoming a heroine in her own right. Hawkeye was arguably the first street-level series from Marvel Television, featuring a more grounded setting and strong emotional stakes. It also helped set the stage for Daredevil: Born Again, making it the perfect place to bring Kate back into the MCU.

'Daredevil: Born Again' Owes Its Existence to 'Hawkeye'

Hawkeye didn't just serve as Kate Bishop's introduction to the MCU. It's also the series that brought Wilson Fisk back as the Kingpin of Crime, revealing that he was a partner of Kate's mother, Eleanor (Vera Farmiga). Fisk was also the "uncle" of Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox), who sought revenge against Clint for supposedly killing her father once he took up the mantle of Ronin. Even though the connection between the MCU and Marvel's Netflix shows was tenuous at best, Vincent D'Onofrio revealed that he treated his portrayal of Fisk in Hawkeye the same way that he did for Daredevil.

"Early on in our first conversation, I was about his emotional life, and that how I approached, how I figured out how to play the character in Daredevil, and that I based my whole character on his emotional life. And that was how I needed to play him for Hawkeye. And they were just so excited that I said that, because it’s what they were thinking."

D'Onofrio would continue his portrayal of Fisk in Echo, which immediately picks up after the events of Hawkeye and features Maya Lopez coming to terms with her uncle's dark deeds. It also laid the groundwork for Daredevil: Born Again, as Fisk decides to run for Mayor of New York after his confrontation with Maya. His wife, Vanessa (Ayelet Zurer), continued to run his criminal empire in his absence, and continues to support him as he enacts martial law. The stage is set for a remake between Kate and Fisk, especially as she nearly buried him alive with the help of an exploding arrow in Hawkeye.

One Character in 'Daredevil: Born Again' Has Strong Ties to Kate Bishop

Daredevil: Born Again has featured its strongest tie to Hawkeye in the form of Jack Dusquene (Tony Dalton), better known as the Swordsman. Dusquene is Kate Bishop's stepfather, and while she initially thought he was the criminal mastermind behind the Tracksuit Mafia, the reverse was true. Jack is actually a vigilante, using his elite swordsmanship to fight crime. In Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again, Fisk tries to blackmail Jack into bankrolling his Red Hook project, and when Jack refuses, he is locked up alongside other people who dared to defy Fisk. In "The Scales & the Sword", Daredevil ends up freeing Jack and the other prisoners, giving him more allies in his fight against Fisk.

Though Daredevil: Born Again is setting the stage for Kate Bishop to make her MCU return, there's another team that she could potentially join with the Young Avengers. Kate was recruited by Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) in the ending of The Marvels, and Daredevil: Born Again hints that this mission is still ongoing. On top of that, Hailee Steinfeld is busy with another Marvel project, as Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse is set to release next year. Whether it's joining Daredevil or a new team of Avengers, chances are that fans will see Kate Bishop pick up her bow sooner rather than later.