The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first crossover event of 2026 will arrive not with a wall-crawler’s solo film, but with the street-level team-up of Daredevil and Jessica Jones. Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 premieres March 4, 2026 on Disney+, marking the official return of Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones and setting the stage for a dramatic confrontation with Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin, who now serves as mayor of New York City.
The New Status Quo: Kingpin’s War on Vigilantes
The upcoming season continues directly from the finale of Born Again’s first season, where Wilson Fisk achieved a major victory. Having risen to the position of Mayor of New York City, Fisk uses his political power to outlaw superheroes within his jurisdiction through his “Safer Streets Initiative”. This creates a dangerous new landscape for any masked vigilante operating in the city.
Executive producer Sana Amanat teased the psychological dimensions of Fisk’s power grab, asking “What does it mean for Fisk when he’s gotten everything he wants?” She elaborated, “When you give a person whose thirst cannot be quenched his most valued treasure, is it enough? Or does he squeeze his treasure too hard?” This storyline draws inspiration from the Devil’s Reign comic narrative, where Kingpin gains control over New York City.
Matt Murdock’s Vigilante Army
With superhero activities now criminalized, Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock faces his greatest challenge. Forced into a corner by Fisk’s regime, Daredevil begins assembling a resistance group to fight back. The season will see him building what has been described as a “vigilante army” to counter Fisk’s anti-vigilante task force.
The resistance includes familiar faces from Murdock’s past. Deborah Ann Woll returns as Karen Page, working alongside Murdock both as part of his daytime legal efforts and his nighttime vigilante activities. Their renewed partnership has sparked speculation about a potential rekindling of their romance. The cast also includes returning characters like Benjamin Poindexter/Bullseye and Jack Duquesne/Swordsman.
Jessica Jones Returns for Personal Reasons
The confirmed return of Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones adds significant firepower to the crossover event. Ritter last appeared as the private investigator in Netflix’s Jessica Jones series and The Defenders mini-series. The actor mentioned that returning to the role felt like no time had passed since her previous portrayal.
However, producers clarify that Jones won’t be joining Murdock’s team as a standard member. Sana Amanat explained Jessica’s involvement, noting “She isn’t necessarily a team-up kind of person. So the reason she’s back is because it feels like it’s very personal.” Amanat described how Jones’ personality contrasts with Daredevil’s more serious nature: “She brings edginess and lightness – Daredevil can be very dark and dramatic, and she cuts through the BS in a really fun way.”
This suggests Jones will operate in her typical independent fashion, likely using her investigative skills to uncover crucial information about Fisk’s operations rather than serving as a standard soldier in Murdock’s army.
Creative Freedom for Season 2
The production team has expressed excitement about the creative direction for the second season, noting greater freedom compared to the first season’s well-documented production challenges. Amanat described the open landscape as “liberating,” telling Empire, “We were like, ‘We can do whatever we want.’”
Writer Jesse Wigutow echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the clearer vision for the sophomore season. “I think it’s a singular vision in a way that Season 1 is not,” Wigutow stated. “Season 1 is, to your point, not hodgepodge, but it was jigsawed together. There is clarity of vision. The showrunner has been awesome and really has a point of view that we’ve executed on.”
The season is described as a “very big muscular season that revolves around Fisk in office as mayor” with significant political intrigue and palace drama. Despite the large canvas of New York City, Wigutow notes the story ultimately centers on the fundamental relationship between Daredevil and Kingpin: “They hate each other, but they need each other.”
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The Bigger MCU Picture in 2026
While Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 marks the MCU’s first crossover event of 2026, it’s just one part of a packed year for Marvel Studios. The schedule includes Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31, 2026, which will feature its own team-up with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man joining forces with Jon Bernthal’s Punisher and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk.
The year will conclude with the multiversal epic Avengers: Doomsday on December 18, 2026. However, the street-level conflict in New York City begins with Daredevil’s war against Mayor Fisk, establishing the grounded foundation before the MCU expands to universe-hopping adventures.
Marvel has already confirmed confidence in the Daredevil franchise by greenlighting a third season of Born Again before the second season has even premiered. This early renewal signals the studio’s strong belief in the new creative direction and the enduring appeal of Charlie Cox’s Man Without Fear.
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