Daredevil: Born Again season two offers a drastic improvement from the first season and gives the audience everything they want to see, while raising the stakes and setting up for future projects.

The show continues the overall five-season arc of Matt Murdock, a lawyer by day and a vigilante by night. It follows him as he continues to struggle to take down Wilson Fisk, the corrupt mayor of New York City. Season two takes a step up from its previous season, focusing more on dialogue and cinematography, similar to the original Daredevil Netflix series. 

One of the most impressive parts of the season is Wilson Bethel’s performance as Bullseye. While he is a ruthless killer, this season he becomes psychotically obsessed with the idea of righting his wrongs and doing, as he says, “one good deed.” The complexity portrayed by Bethel in Bullseye’s mindset and reasoning, as he truly believes he is redeeming himself, stays compelling and steals all attention when he is on screen. 

The show also sets up big plans for the future of the MCU. The finale is a very satisfying ending after over 10 years of buildup, and the highly anticipated possibility of a Defenders reunion is looking increasingly likely. With Spider-Man: Brand New Day coming out on July 31, there seems to be a growing focus on grounded, vigilante-based stories. 

With the grounded story comes political commentary that is more prevalent than ever. While most superhero stories can usually be put into a political context, Born Again has explicit, easily recognizable political connections to the current times. 

Wilson Fisk utilizes the Anti-Vigilante Task Force, a brutal, extralegal team dedicated to apprehending the vigilantes in New York, such as Daredevil. These task force officers operate in masks, take measures too far, and often hurt innocent people. The ATVF is very reminiscent of today’s ICE teams, and the resistance against them in the show is similar to that seen in ICE protests. 

Overall, it is a superhero show, so the subject matter is unrealistic. But the show’s grounded street style and broader messages, such as the importance of maintaining faith and hope, are so refreshing for the audience. The perseverance shown in the main characters’ fight against the corrupt makes not just for an entertaining story, but also a deeply resonant and personal message about strength and integrity against adversity.

Season three will be released next spring.