The article contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again season 2 finale, “The Southern Cross.”
***Daredevil: Born Again ***season 2 finale has won over the court of public opinion.
The revived Marvel series just concluded its sophomore installment on Disney+, in which Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) did the unexpected, finally exposing Mayor Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) and his corrupt actions regarding the Northern Star. In an Iron Man-esque moment, Matt reveals his identity as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen at court, which helps drop the vigilante charges against Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll). While Fisk resigns and goes into exile, The Man without Fear is behind bars in the final moments of Daredevil: Born Again season 2 finale.
The *Daredevil: Born Again *season 2 finale is daring, and now the jury is in for the Marvel series. According to IMDb, the season 2 finale, “The Southern Cross,” currently sits at an astonishing 9.6 rating out of 10 stars, with over 9,300 votes in. As of writing, that currently makes it the highest-rated episode across all Marvel shows on Disney+, edging out *Loki *season 2’s finale, “Glorious Purpose,” which has a 9.5 rating.
The high ratings shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, given that the majority of season 2 episodes have been well-received. Many viewers have argued that the sophomore installment has been a massive improvement from season 1 due to the brewing and dark feud between Daredevil and Fisk. Of the eight episodes in season 2, half earned a rating of 9.0 or higher, including episode 4, “Gloves Off,” which has a 9.4.
Daredevil: Born Again season 2, episode 8, “The Southern Cross”
Loki season 2, episode 6, “Glorious Purpose”
Daredevil: Born Again season 2, episode 4, “Gloves Off”
Loki season 1, episode 4, “The Nexus Point”
*Agatha All Along *episode 4, “Death’s Hand in Mind”
Loki season 1, episode 5, “Journey into Mystery”
*WandaVision *episode 5, “On a Very Special Episode…”
WandaVision episode 8, “Previously On”
*What If *season 1, episode 4, “Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?”
*What If *season 1, episode 8, “Ultron Won?”
*Daredevil: Born Again *season 1, episode 8, “Isle of Joy”
Daredevil: Born Again season 2, episode 3, “The Scales & the Sword”
In general, season 2 has been described as a return to form with the gritty quality of the Netflix era, the brutal action sequences, and street-level aura. The story is more character-driven, with a tighter and more focused narrative about the conflict between Daredevil and Kingpin.
Viewers were also engaged with supporting characters like Heather Glenn (Margarita Levieva), Benjamin Poindexter (Wilson Bethel), and Daniel Blake (Michael Gandolfini), whose arcs were complex and deep. More importantly, D’Onofrio and Cox provided intense performances as Kingpin and Daredevil, which fueled the rivalry until the final moments, especially in light of Vanessa’s death.
Although it’s a major accomplishment for the Marvel series, it’s not without some viewership beating. Despite better *Daredevil: Born Again *season 2 reviews and positive audience reception, Luminate data (via Comicbook.com) revealed that the sophomore installment saw a massive 54% drop in total hours watched and a 46% dip in total views from season 1.
Although the huge viewership drop is a setback for the Disney+ series, Marvel Studios has already renewed *Daredevil: Born Again *for season 3, meaning audiences will see Kingpin and Matt back on the small screen sometime next year. Following Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) and Luke Cage’s (Mike Colter) return in season 2, the Defenders team will be back alongside Finn Jones’ Iron Fist, after season 3 set photos confirmed the reunion. Filming is expected to be completed sometime this July.
Beyond season 3, it’s unclear what the future holds for* Daredevil: Born Again* and Cox in the MCU. In the meantime, Marvel Studios will drop a special presentation,* The Punisher: One Last Kill*, which will release on Disney+ on May 12. Not only will Jon Bernthal reprise Frank Castle, but he will also be back in Spider-Man: Brand New Day later this summer.
All eight episodes of Daredevil: Born Again are streaming on Disney+.