Daredevil: Born Againpremiered its first two episodes on Disney+ on Jul 13, 2025, and it seemingly is a big hit with critics and audiences. Many are already calling it the best Marvel Disney+ series. Since it seems impossible to raise something up without tearing another title down, this has led a few individuals to use this moment to bring downShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law, one of the last time audiences saw Matt Murdock/Daredevil in theMCU.
DespiteShe-Hulkgetting positive reviews from critics and its own passionate fanbase, it was also the target of an online hate campaign before the series debuted that got it saddled with the perception of being the most divisive MCU title ever, though it ishard to be worse thanIron FistorSecret Invasion.
An early comment by the showrunner ofDaredevil: Born Againhinted thatthe series would ignore Matt Murdock and Jennifer Walters' relationship fromShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law, which some took to mean that the series would completely ignore and retcon the events of that series. Despite Charlie Cox saying he wants to see Tatiana Maslany’s Jennifer Walters appear inDaredevil: Born Again, some have run with the narrative that the series and, by extension, Marvel Studios, might be ignoringShe-Hulk: Attorney at Lawbecause it was so divisive.
Daredevil: Born Again
WithDaredevil: Born Again,it might not be as connected toShe-Hulk: Attorney at LawasAgatha All Alongwas toWandaVisionorEchotoHawkeye.Does that mean it is ignoring the series? Is this another repeat of the discourse in the mid-2010s, where there were concerns aboutifDaredevilwas MCU canon?
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Takes Place After ‘She-Hulk’
Within the first two episodes ofDaredevil: Born Again, Matt Murdock does not reference the events ofShe-Hulk: Attorney at Lawonce. This certainly is shocking, consideringBorn Againnot only calls back to the original series but also has subtle hints at bothEchoandHawkeye. When precisely what Matt Murdock would have mentioned or name-dropped She-Hulk is unclear, and likely audiences didn’t want Daredevil to pull a Deadpool and say, “I was in She-Hulk episode 8.”
Despite not making a specific overt reference toShe-Hulk, that doesn’t meanBorn Againis ignoring it. The trailers forDaredevil: Born Againhave already shown that the yellow and red suit that Daredevil wore inShe-Hulk: Attorney at Lawwill be seen alongside other suits, so it clearly is still canon. Subtle clues in the episode place the opening ofDaredevil: Born Againshortly afterShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Puts an MCU Spin on a Controversial Comic Moment
The opening sequence of ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ features a shocking moment that puts an MCU spin on a frequent Daredevil story trope.
The biggest takeaway might be Matt Murdock’s attitude in the beginning of episode 1 before he suits up as Daredevil. Matt Murdock certainly is cheerier in these moments than in the previousDaredevilshow, which is done to highlight how far he will fall into depression following the death of Foggy Nelson at the end of this moment. This laid-back version of Matt Murdock, who is flirting with Karen Page at Josie’s Bar and having a good time with people, matches the version inShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Many fans took umbrage with how Daredevil was depicted inShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law, saying it was inconsistent with his original series characterization. It worked inShe-Hulk: Attorney at Lawbecause it allowed audiences to see a side of Matt Murdock that worked within the tone of her series while also paying homage to the original swashbuckling version of the character from the 1960s, down to the yellow and red suit.
Daredevil: Born Againgives new context to those scenes. Matt Murdock is happy in New York with the life he has made with Foggy Nelson and Karen Page, though little does he know it will soon be taken away from him.
She-Hulk Wouldn’t Be the Only MCU Title That ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Ignores
She-Hulk: Attorney at Lawis not the only MCU titleDaredevil: Born Againseemingly doesn’t reference. None of the events in series likeJessica Jones,Luke Cage, Iron First,or evenThe Defendersare mentioned inBorn Again, yet the door remains open for them. Worth mentioning despite Luke Cage taking place in Harlem, at no point in the original series run do they reference the climax ofThe Incredible Hulk, which took place in Harlem.The small Easter eggs in the background referencing Luke Cage and Jessica Jones could be easily overlooked, so isDaredevil: Born Againignoring them? Of course not.
If anything, the more glaring omission ofDaredevil: Born Againis not making any reference toCaptain America: Brave New World, particularly as the release of the two projects close together feels timed to play off current political themes. Wilson Fisk’s election seems to be held in November 2026, the same time that Thaddeus Ross becomes president at the beginning ofCaptain America: Brave New World.
The MCU Doesn’t Need to Mention Everything
Many fandom spaces seemingly need constant reminders of how series connect, or they seem to think these connections either don’t exist or are being outright ignored. Fans who watched the originalDefenders Sagaseries on Netflix tended to think that because none of the films referred to the television show, or because no MCU heroes showed up for the series, it somehow meant they were in separate realities. Yet now, in 2025,Daredevil: Born Againclearly establishes the events ofDaredeviland all theDefenders Sagaseries it interacted with aspart of the MCU sacred timeline.
This has particularly become a problem for MCU fans sinceAvengers: Endgame. For nearly four years, whenever a new MCU title came out, someone would always make some variation of, “Nobody has mentioned the giant head sticking out of the Indian Ocean,” referring tothe finale ofEternals. It seemed as if people wantedAgatha All Alongto stop in the middle of episode 2 and have someone mention the Celestial, despite that having no impact on the story. Now, it all seems a little silly, seeing asCelestial Islandwas a significant point inCaptain America: Brave New World. Ironically, the one MCU title beforeCaptain America: Brave New Worldto reference the Celestial head wasShe-Hulk: Attorney at Law, in a website headline.
Not every story needs to reference every other story.Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverdoesn’t acknowledgeSpider-Man: No Way Home, but that doesn’t mean it is ignoring it. Even franchises with similar characters don’t always reference one another. The events ofThor: Love & Thunderare not mentionedinGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, but that doesn’t mean the MCU is ignoring that film. Marvel Comics fans understand that not every comic references every other one. Unless it is all tied into one giant event miniseries, nobody expects the latest issue ofThe Fantastic Fourto refer to every other Marvel comic being published. What started as a fun little treat when a character or event was referenced is now treated as something that must happen, and the lack of a reference is assumed to mean trouble behind the scenes.
No Tatiana Maslany Is Not Suing Disney for Deadpool & Wolverine So Stop Freaking Out
The rumors about She-Hulk’s Tatiana Maslany and Deadpool & Wolverine have gone way too far.
There is a big difference betweenDaredevil: Born Againnot alluding toShe-Hulk: Attorney at LawandThe MarvelsandCaptain America: Brave New WorldignoringSecret Invasion.Secret Invasionwas a series with broader,globally spanning implicationsthat seemingly tied directly into bothThe MarvelsandBrave New World, yet it is not only unmentioned but quickly passed over.
In contrast,Daredevil: Born Againmaking no reference toShe-Hulk: Attorney at Lawor Matt Murdock and Jennifer Walters hooking up is not Marvel ignoring the previous series—it simply isn’t relevant. If anything, it would be a little weird and unrealistic for Matt Murdock to name-drop She-Hulk, particularly to Karen Page, in the opening act when they are flirting. The last thing someone wants to hear about in that situation is a past fling. Notice that he isn’t talking about Elektra either.
The MCU is seemingly being pulled in two directions, with some fans upset that projects aren’t making enough references to other titles, while others argue that MCU films and shows are too reliant on interconnectivity and can’t stand on their own. WhetherDaredevil: Born AgainacknowledgesShe-Hulk: Attorney at Lawor not appears to be a lose-lose situation.
Will She-Hulk appear inDaredevil: Born Againlater in the series? It seems unlikely. Could she appear in Season 2? Maybe. She seemingly doesn’t fit the series' tone, though it would be great to see the character return in a possibleAvengersfilm. Yet whether she appears or not, or whether Daredevil ever mentions his time in California, it doesn’t mean the events ofShe-Hulk: Attorney at Lawdidn’t happen any more than theevents ofThe DefendersorCaptain America: Brave New Worlddidn’t happen.
