Daredevil: Born Again is bringing The Man Without Fear’s archenemy, The Kingpin, back into action, but even more exciting is the return of Wilson Bethel as Bullseye.
Following Charlie Cox’s cameo as Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home and his supporting role on Disney+’s She-Hulk, the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again was set to fully bring Daredevil back into the spotlight before production on the series was unexpectedly halted in 2023. Reportedly, Marvel Studios reached the conclusion that the series, as it was unfolding at the time, was not working, with Marvel ultimately reaching the conclusion that it needed to be guided back to the tone and feel of Marvel’s Daredevil Netflix series. Evidently, Marvel and Disney+ are taking that mandate very seriously, with numerous Daredevil cast members like Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson reportedly set to return in Born Again as Karen Page and Foggy Nelson, alongside the already returning Vincent D’Onofrio and Jon Bernthal as The Kingpin and The Punisher respectively.
That return of Wilson Bethel as Benjamin “Dex” Poindexter, a.k.a. Bullseye, in Daredevil: Born Again has been the latest surprise development in the show’s production, with the news also coming on the heels of all of Marvel’s Netflix shows being officially canonized into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For as beloved and popular as D’Onofrio’s portrayal of Wilson Fisk on Netflix’s Daredevil undeniably and deservedly is, the news of Bethel’s return as Bullseye is arguably a much more exciting development for Born Again on multiple levels.
To begin with, D’Onofrio’s Kingpin is a far more established and familiar villain after his appearances in all three seasons of Daredevil and his first comeback appearance on Disney+’s Hawkeye. The overall characterization of The Kingpin by D’Onofrio has been solidified as that of erudite but highly volatile crime boss. The raging temper of D’Onofrio’s Fisk in particular is a staple of the character and has helped cement him as one of the out-and-out scariest antagonists of modern superhero movies and TV shows. With D’Onofrio’s return as the Kingpin, the general idea of what to expect from a vengeful Wilson Fisk has already been set, but that’s not the case for Bullseye.
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While Bethel’s Bullseye was a major antagonist in Daredevil season three, the overall scope of his pre-Born Again tenure in the role pales in comparison to that of D’Onofrio. Moreover, Bethel’s Dex has technically never been seen as Bullseye yet, with Dex donning a replica of Matt’s red suit in Daredevil season three. Dex’s role in Daredevil season three still fully showcased his capability of turning virtually any object into a deadly projectile weapon, but his role opposite Charlie Cox’s Daredevil was still that of a proto-Bullseye. Only in the final scene of Daredevil season three was Bethel’s Dex teased to truly become Bullseye in Daredevil season four, with Dex undergoing surgery to repair the spinal injury inflicted on him by Fisk, and Bullseye’s emblem show in Dex’s eye as the season ended. While the end of the Marvel-Netflix era prevented that Bullseye tease from being paid off for years, Daredevil: Born Again is fully equipped to deliver on it with Bethel’s Dex finally returning as Bullseye fully realized after Daredevil season three essentially told his villain origin story.
What also adds to the excitement of Bethel’s Bullseye return is the contrast he represents to D’Onofrio’s Kingpin, and the different kind of rivalry he and Charlie’s Cox Daredevil can battle each other under. Compared to the barely contained rage and fighting style of pure brute force of D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk, Bethel’s Bullseye is much more of the ninja-like warrior that Daredevil himself is. Matt’s fight scenes with both Fisk and Dex reflect that, with Daredevil having to overcome the raw power of The Kingpin while facing more agile, stealthy tactics against Bullseye. While the latter was seen in abundance in Daredevil season three, The Kingpin has still been Daredevil’s enemy for much longer on the show. That just makes Bullseye’s return in Daredevil: Born Again that much more exciting a prospect, with Dex in a position to show the full breadth of his villainous capability as Bullseye.
