This is the first time since Spider-Man 2 that a secret identity reveal has actually had an impact — at least for me.
When Iron Man did it in 2008, it felt like arrogance.
When it happened to Spider-Man in Far From Home, it felt goofy, and it was instantly retconned.
But when Matt Murdock declared himself as Daredevil in the Season 2 finale of Born Again, it carried weight.
That’s because, unlike the above, life for Matt will never be the same.
Like Karen Page sitting in that courtroom while Matt skirted around the issue during his questioning of Mayor Fisk, I sat there with my mouth agape, unsure whether Matt would actually follow through on what he’d been teasing.
When Matt revealed his devilish dual identity, I immediately thought about how his father, Jack Murdock, begged Matty to fight with his brains, not his fists — to outsmart his enemies. That’s exactly what Matt did with the reveal. Fisk no longer had an ace up his sleeve or any way to blackmail Matt into silence. Matt understood that he could only beat Fisk with his brain, his words, the truth — not with his fists.
Even the final confrontation between Fisk and Daredevil is not a fight but a conversation.
Truth defines Daredevil: Born Again. The series centres on combating Fisk’s propaganda machine, his Anti-Vigilante Task Force militia, and all the blinded individuals like Daniel Blake who foolishly bought into Fisk’s lies and promises that New York was improving when, in fact, the opposite was true.
The public needed to realise that a power-hungry dictator had taken over the city. Matt’s reveal enabled the ultimate takedown of Mayor Fisk. Fisk can’t recover from this — at least not in the same public capacity.
Matt Murdock can’t recover either; however, there is still a path forward.
Matt sits in jail because of his actions as Daredevil.
Matt’s reveal carried weight because it irrevocably changed the status quo. His imprisonment hit harder than half the Avengers being locked away at the end of Captain America: Civil War, because I knew there would never be real consequences for them. The Avengers were never going to live as criminals or genuinely struggle to clear their names.
Matt doesn’t have an easy fix waiting for him.
With season 3 of Born Again seemingly poised to draw inspiration from The Devil in Cell-Block D, Matt undoubtedly faces a genuine journey ahead of him.
With Matt in jail and his identity public, don’t expect some wizard spell to restore his world. Marvel even insists this won’t be the case. To that I say, GOOD!
Naturally, some were outraged online. “I HATE that Matt revealed his identity,” one wrote.
But why?
The comics already established a precedent for this. Brian Michael Bendis did it in Daredevil #32 (2002), and Mark Waid revisited the idea in Daredevil #35 (2014).
Because here’s the thing: I don’t care that Matt’s identity is exposed. I think it’s great.
And here’s why.
When Frank Miller took over writing Daredevil in the ’80s, he infused the character with a hard-boiled, noir sensibility. He made the stories darker and meaner, and Matt Murdock operated like a rogue private investigator-lawyer — part Philip Marlowe, part Perry Mason. He simply wore a devil costume instead of a fedora and trench coat.
That’s why the reveal doesn’t bother me.
Whatever awaits Matt Murdock, one thing remains certain: he is Daredevil. Matt spent most of the original three seasons of Daredevil and the first season of Born Again trying to deny that truth.
Now the denial has ended.
Matt only kept his secret identity to protect his career, his friends, and his loved ones. That protection no longer exists. Matt now joins publicly known heroes like Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. It doesn’t stop him from doing what he does best!
When Matt inevitably leaves jail, Daredevil will continue because crime and corruption will continue. He may no longer practise law, but Matt has pursued careers outside the courtroom before. Maybe he’ll even turn toward the priesthood — blessing people by day and punching out bad guys by night. The comics already explored that possibility. And nothing says Matt Murdock/Daredevil can’t become the one helping McDuffy with a case instead.
What does Matt Murdock do next professionally? We’ll see. But one thing is certain: with Fisk finally taken off the board, there are going to be plenty of bad guys eager to fill that criminal void.
And the city will need Daredevil… now they just know who he is!
Stream all episodes of Daredevil: Born Again season 2 on Disney+ now.
