Matt Murdock has given up being Daredevil on more than one occasion in Marvel Comics, but always returns to the role at the end of the day. Daredevil as a character is known for his resilience and ability to always get back up in the face of insurmountable odds, but even the strongest wills can waver after being put under enormous pressure. Daredevil, despite his fierce resolve, is no exception.
In the trailer for the upcoming Disney+ series, Daredevil: Born Again, Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, are shown sharing a booth at a diner. In a nod to the seven-year time span between the end of Netflix’s Daredevil and Born Again, Fisk and Murdock note that they have not crossed paths in quite a while.
The current Mayor Fisk, specifically, notes that Daredevil has not been active lately, with Murdock replying that he gave up the vigilante life after an unknown accident. While viewers are left to speculate what Murdock means, several classic Daredevil comics provide possible context.
Frank Miller’s “Born Again” Comic Arc Showed Murdock Leaving Vigilante Life Behind
Daredevil #227-231 – Written By Frank Miller; Art By David Mazzucchelli & Joe Rosen
Frank Miller’s widely acclaimed run as Daredevil writer includes the iconic Born Again arc. The new Disney+ series, Daredevil: Born Again shares its name with the famous 1986 storyline that ran in Daredevil #227–231. Born Again was the first Daredevil storyline that really showed the superhero losing a battle in a significant way. After Kingpin discovered that Matt Murdock was behind Daredevil’s mask, Fisk takes everything away from Murdock. Many readers, naturally, have questioned to what extent these same events will play out on screen.

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Using his influence, Fisk had Murdock’s bank account frozen, and his apartment foreclosed upon; the antagonist even had Murdock charged for a crime he did not commit. After Fisk had Murdock’s apartment blown up, and left him for dead in a river, Daredevil vanished from the streets. Though Murdock did not willingly give up the vigilante life in Born Again, his near fatal injuries and fragile mental state rendered him incapable of being the hero he was once. It was a dramatic turn for the story to take, one that would make for a potent adaptation.
At the time, Murdock lost faith in himself and what Daredevil stood for, making it easier for Fisk to break him and for Murdock to temporarily lose the will to fight – at least temporarily. In Miller’s story, the streets of Hell’s Kitchen were left unguarded for months while Murdock slowly recovered. Once Murdock healed, he waits for just the right opportunity to show Fisk and the world that Daredevil is back and better than ever. It was a triumphant climax to the story, one that was made more meaningful by the lows Daredevil sunk to leading up to it.
Writer Chip Szdarsky Had Murdock Willingly Retire As Daredevil After A “Line Was Crossed”
Echoing The Born Again Trailer Quote
2019’s Daredevil – written by Chip Szdarsky with art by Marco Checchetto – started out with Matt Murdock recovering from being hit by a truck, after saving a teenager’s life. Even after rehabilitation, Murdock was left with debilitating pain, which made him slip up more than a few times when he was out on the streets as Daredevil. While responding to a robbery – which would normally be a breeze for Daredevil – Murdock’s dulled abilities left him unable to effectively use his radar senses, resulting in him accidentally killing one of the robbers.

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After the incident, Murdock’s initial reaction was to assume the death was a setup; that he was a patsy in one of Mayor Fisk’s various schemes. When following that lead went nowhere, Murdock spiraled, trying to think of any possible explanation for the death that didn’t leave his hands bloodstained. Daredevil is famous for refusing to kill any of his adversaries, due to his Catholicism and moral code. After years of upholding that code, Murdock couldn’t handle the guilt over taking a life, and began lashing out, picking fights with criminals to prove that his actions were meant for good.
Frank Miller Might Have Brought Matt Murdock To His Lowest Point, But Chip Zdarsky Pushed Daredevil To His Absolute Limit
The Hero’s Most Desperate Moment, Explained
Daredevil’s messy and out-of-character actions attracted a lot of attention from the vigilante community. First, Frank Castle, the Punisher, saved Daredevil from a sticky situation, only to provoke Murdock by comparing Daredevil’s latest actions to how the Punisher operates. Considering Castle an unhinged killer, Murdock fought his way out of Castle’s grip, only to get himself into a similar predicament soon after, while trying to intercept a drug deal. Finding himself unable to fight off his foes again, due to his fragile mental and physical state, Daredevil was rescued by Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Danny Rand.

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Cage, Jones, and Rand were Murdock’s longtime friends, yet upon waking up in their custody, Murdock assumed they were planning on turning him into authorities due to his behavior and the murder. The three explained that that was not the case; they were there to help Murdock because they cared about him as a person, not just as Daredevil. Each relayed similar experiences they wished they could undo, but reminded Murdock that such unfortunate actions are part of the superhero life. Still, Murdock refused to accept their comfort, as there was no excuse for murder.
“Daredevil: Born Again” Will Succeed By Synthesizing The Best Comic Storylines, Even If That Means The Worst For Matt Murdock
The Best Story Will Put Daredevil Through Hell
Upon returning to his apartment after the confrontation with the other Defenders, Murdock was met by Spider-Man, who came to tell Daredevil that he was no longer fit to operate as a superhero. Spider-Man expressed sympathy for Murdock’s situation, but informed him that if Daredevil was seen active on the streets, he would be apprehended by other heroes. Before Spider-Man could continue with his message, Murdock cut him off and removed his cowl, tossing the battered fabric to Spider-Man and informing him that Daredevil was now dead.
The clues offered so far suggest that, as with the best MCU adaptations, the TV show will take inspiration from all the best versions of the source material.
As Matt Murdock returned to his regular life as a lawyer, word quickly spread that Daredevil was dead. Without the fear of Daredevil looming, crime skyrocketed in Hell’s Kitchen, leaving the innocent citizens longing for the hero who kept them safe. Eventually, just as in Frank Miller’s Daredevil: Born Again, Murdock returned to the role, becoming a costumed vigilante once more – but the character was fundamentally changed by this experience, and likewise, readers’ understanding of Daredevil was radically altered. In each of these cases, Matt Murdock quitting as Daredevil resonates as a vital part of his ongoing story arc.
Both of these story arcs are worth exploring in detail in advance of the Daredevil: Born Again TV series, for those fans who want to find more clues to the direction the series is going to take Matt Murdock in. The clues offered so far suggest that, as with the best MCU adaptations, the TV show will take inspiration from all the best versions of the source material, in order to synthesize them into the most impactful Daredevil storyline yet.

Daredevil: Born Again
- Release Date
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March 4, 2025
- Showrunner
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Chris Ord
- Directors
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Michael Cuesta, Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Jeffrey Nachmanoff
- Writers
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Chris Ord
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