Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Daredevil: Born Again season 1, episodes 1 & 2.
A sneakyDaredevil: Born Againeaster egg may suggest that Foggy Nelson’s shocking death isn’t real, and that he’ll be revealed to have survived in an upcoming episode of Matt Murdock’sMCUshow.Foggy Nelson’s abrupt death inDaredevil: Born Againepisode 1is undeniably the most emotional moment in the series' first two episodes. Elden Henson’s Foggy Nelson is a major character in all three seasons of Netflix’sDaredevil, which established him as a brother-like figure for Matt Murdock, as they became best friends since college and founded their own law firm together.
Benjamin Poindexter’s return was inevitable, as he survived his fight against Daredevil and Kingpin and received a metal implant in his back duringDaredevilseason 3’s ending. Poindexter has absolutely no sense of empathy or fear, making him virtually unstoppable by any means other than death. Matt Murdock understands this, which is why he throws Poindexter off a building after the villain kills Foggy. But while Matt Murdock immediately understands that Foggy dies and Poindexter lives thanks to his enhanced senses, there’s a small chance that he’s wrong about Foggy.
Daredevil: Born Again Episode 1’s 468 Easter Egg Explained
Daredevil: Born Again’s Comic Book Issue Easter Egg May Have A Deeper Meaning
Right at the beginning ofDaredevil: Born Againepisode 1, when Matt, Foggy, and Karen exit their office building and head to a bar, the building address on the right side of the screen (their office’s left) displays the number 468. It’s possible thatDaredevil: Born Again’s “468” easter egg refers to 1998’sDaredevil Vol. 2 #88— the character’s overall #468 issue.Subtitled"The Secret Life of Foggy Nelson",Daredevil #468reveals that Foggy Nelson didn’t die while visiting an imprisoned Matt Murdock. Instead, Foggy faked his death and accepted to join the FBI’s witness protection program.
I Really Can’t Believe Daredevil: Born Again Just Killed One Of The Marvel Characters I Most Wanted To See Return (In The First 13 Minutes Of Episode 1)
It was brilliant to see so many Daredevil characters return for Born Again’s double-premiere, but one reprise came with a shocking and tragic twist.
As it turns out, Vanessa Fisk is the mastermind behind Foggy Nelson’s fake murder prior toDaredevil #468, as Foggy’s apparent death is part of a bigger plan that involved sending Matt Murdock to prison and replacing Daredevil with Iron Fist, all before her death from a terminal illness. Foggy then reunites with Matt, and they resume their operations, keeping a low profile for a while. Curiously enough, Daredevil later helps Foggy fake his own death a second time, and Foggy actually dies, comes back to life thanks to the Hand, and dies again afterward.
How Daredevil: Born Again Could Reveal Foggy Faked His Death
The MCU And The Comics Show How A Character Can Fake Their Own Death Effectively
When Foggy Nelson is shot inDaredevil: Born Againepisode 1,Daredevil’s enhanced hearingallows him to knows the exact moment his friend’s heart stops beating. Karen Page is also aware of Foggy’s death while trying to aid him, and Benjamin Poindexter is tried and convicted of murder. While Foggy Nelson’s death would be difficult to disprove, Marvel has already gotten away with a fakeout. InCaptain America: The Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes apparently assassinates Nick Fury with a sniper rifle, but Fury later reveals that he took a drug created by Bruce Banner to slow his heart rate low enough for it to go undetected.
Many characters have come back from the dead in the MCU’s main timeline and other Marvel universes. For instance, Billy Maximoff reincarnated in another teen’s body, Agatha Harkness returned as a ghost, and Phil Coulson was resurrected through Project TAHITI.
Foggy Nelson might have taken a heart rate supressing drug inDaredevil: Born Again, and following a similar approach to the comics, he might have joined a witness protection program while Bullseye or Bullseye’s employer are captured. Otherwise, Foggy Nelson may have actually died, but surviving members of the Hand might have set their eyes on him, intending to resurrect him by mystical means. Not only did Elektra come back to life this way inDaredevilseason 2, but Foggy does the same alongside Matt Murdock’s mentor Stick in Marvel Comics’DaredevilVol. 7 #9.
I’m Convinced Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Will Bring Back Foggy
Elden Henson’s Foggy Nelson Might Still Be Relevant To Daredevil: Born Again Despite His Death
Shortly afterDaredevil: Born Again’s two-episode premiere became available on Disney+, Marvel Studios' Head of Streaming Brad Winderbaum confirmedElden Henson will return inDaredevil: Born Againseason 2alongside Deborah Ann Woll.Elden Henson’s return as Foggy Nelson inDaredevil: Born Againseems likely to be in the form of flashbacks. After all, Foggy is a belovedDaredevilcharacter, and leaving him behind altogether after his death would be a disservice to both the character and the actor.
Did Daredevil: Born Again Just Retcon A Major Part Of Netflix’s Original Ending?
Daredevil: Born Again’s brutal villain return poses a big question about the MCU series' canon connection to Netflix’s show and its antagonist’s plan.
Daredevil: Born Againoffers the chance to expand Foggy’s story in the MCU, at least through Foggy and Matt’s backstory or the unexplored time between the events ofDaredevilseason 3 andDaredevil: Born Again. How Matt, Foggy, and Karen dealt with the aftermath of Thanos and Hulk’s Snap, their jobs at “Nelson, Murdock & Page,” and their reactions to events like the Emergence and Red Hulk’s rampage could be interesting details to cover in flashbacks. Whatever happens in the next sixDaredevil: Born Againepisodes and season 2, Foggy will likely remain an important character, one way or another.
