The new season of Daredevil: Born Again has arrived on Disney+, and one of its newest cast members is opening up about why the story feels so familiar. Matthew Lillard, known for his roles in Scream and Five Nights at Freddy’s, joins the Marvel series as the mysterious Mr. Charles, a character he says brings a very specific kind of energy to the screen. As viewers start watching Season 2, Lillard’s comments about the show’s connection to current events are making people pay closer attention to the political drama unfolding in Hell’s Kitchen.
Lillard explained that the show’s creators are doing something special by tying the fictional conflict to real-world issues. He praised the Disney+ series for “reflecting what’s happening in the world right now,” pointing to the themes of power, authority, and government overreach that run through the season. With Mayor Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) tightening his grip on New York City through an anti-vigilante task force, the show draws clear lines to contemporary political discussions.
A Cheshire Cat Character Who Plays in World Politics
Lillard’s character, Mr. Charles, arrives in New York with connections that reach far beyond the city streets. The actor described him as having “this Cheshire Cat sort of energy.” Unlike other characters who react with fear or anger to Fisk’s intimidation tactics, Mr. Charles remains unimpressed and unfazed by the Kingpin’s power.
“He is somebody who bends the ear of very powerful people around the world. So he’s not really interested in Gotham politics. He’s interested in world politics,” Lillard said. “So when he is dealing and trifling with someone like Kingpin, he’s not that impressed.”
This global perspective sets Mr. Charles apart from the street-level heroes and villains viewers have come to know. The character exists in what showrunner Dario Scardapane calls “the Val world” — a reference to Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, the CIA director played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus in the MCU. The Season 2 premiere confirms that Mr. Charles was sent by Val, creating a direct link between the Hell’s Kitchen conflict and international government agencies.
Reuniting with Vincent D’Onofrio After 25 Years
For Lillard, working on Daredevil: Born Again meant a reunion with an old friend. He and Vincent D’Onofrio worked together on the 2000 film Spanish Judges, and getting to share scenes again after more than two decades was a major draw for the actor.
“[Vincent] D’Onofrio and I get to work together. We did a movie 100 years ago when we were both babies. Getting the chance to work with him again was just fantastic,” Lillard said. “He has such weight. Not literal weight, he’s skinny right now, but when you look him in the eyes, he carries so much power with them.”
Lillard described the experience of acting opposite D’Onofrio as “good work” that comes from “good writing.” He praised the previous season and suggested that the new episodes would top it, expressing excitement for fans to finally see what the team created.
How Dungeons & Dragons Helped Land the Role
One unusual detail about Lillard’s casting involves a tabletop game. The actor spent three years as the Dungeon Master for a Dungeons & Dragons campaign that included Daredevil: Born Again showrunner Dario Scardapane. That creative partnership around the gaming table led Scardapane to craft the role of Mr. Charles specifically for Lillard.
The actor appreciated the trust the production team showed him. “They would allow me to improv stuff and bring idiosyncratic beats to it,” Lillard explained. “The more that we worked together, the more they trusted me. The more they trusted me, the more I got to play. I think that’s what [Scardapane] was hoping I would bring to Mr. Charles.”
No Scenes with Daredevil, But Plenty with Kingpin
Despite joining the cast of a show named after the Man Without Fear, Lillard does not share any screen time with Charlie Cox’s Daredevil. His character stays firmly in Kingpin’s orbit, dealing with the political and international consequences of Fisk’s rise to power.
“You sort of can’t do too much with him in this world that’s really tense and really buttoned-down, and along comes, you know, Matthew Lillard chewing scenery,” the actor said. “So for me, it’s a lot of fun. I think that he plays well in the world and I’m excited for people to see him.”
What Critics and Fans Are Saying
The Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 premiere arrived on March 24, 2026, and critics have begun weighing in on the new episodes. The season continues the politically charged storyline from Season 1, with Fisk’s anti-vigilante task force drawing comparisons to real-world government operations.
Lili Taylor, who joins the cast as New York Governor Marge McCaffrey, also acknowledged the show’s relevance. “They’re creating something meaningful, and the show’s dealing with a lot of topical stuff — power, authoritarianism,” Taylor said.
Marvel Television head Brad Winderbaum explained the thinking behind introducing characters like Mr. Charles. “The story is about power,” Winderbaum shared. “When Wilson Fisk takes over New York, not just as a mayor but as a king in a way, it puts him in a new class of power players on the international stage. Matthew Lillard’s character represents that.”
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The Return of Jessica Jones and Other Allies
Season 2 also brings back Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones, marking her return to the MCU since her Netflix series ended. Showrunner Scardapane noted that the team wanted to explore how these characters have grown since viewers last saw them.
“Jessica Jones, in particular, has interesting life events that we wanted to explore, and the banter between Charlie and Krysten is so damn good. We needed to get that flavor in,” Scardapane said.
The season features eight episodes streaming now on Disney+. New characters join returning favorites including Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, and Royce Johnson as Detective Mahoney.
As Lillard noted, the show’s connection to current events makes it hit differently than typical superhero fare. The actor described his character’s role in simple terms: someone who operates in the corridors of power, watching as the world around him shifts. For viewers looking for entertainment that also makes them think, Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 appears to deliver on both fronts.
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