Daredevil: Born Againwill finally see Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk make a name for themselves in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but despite several characters returning,Daredevil’sother best villain is unlikely to appear.Daredevilfirst debuted on Netflix in 2015, where it began to build its own shared universe of stories. While the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen was the first hero who got a series, there were a handful of others who joined him shortly after, and eventually teamed up to become The Defenders.
During Murdock’s time on Netflix, he went head-to-head with several rivals, fromNobu and The Hand, to the Russians, and even the highly skilled marksman, Bullseye. However, throughout the entire series, there was one other villain who stood out as a strong opponent working in the shadows. But unfortunately, her story was apparently wrapped up inThe Defendersseries, which means she isvery unlikely to join the cast ofDaredevil: Born Again.
Madame Gao Is One Of The Best Villains In Daredevil
Daredevil Has Fought Some Formidable Foes
Wilson Fisk did not start out as the formidable and powerful Kingpin that he eventually became inDaredevil. Initially, Fisk was a crime boss who operated with extreme sophistication, and did all he could to avoid having his name and face exposed to the public. However, Fisk was ambitious, and wanted totake control of all the crime in the city, which meant he had to ally himself with other mob bosses. Fisk had a lot of success with taking over areas of Hell’s Kitchen, but while he would readily turn on most of his allies, there was one who even he was afraid of.
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Madame Gao was the head and face of the secretive organization known as The Hand. She was one of the original founding members of the group, and despite looking old and frail, she had incredible strength and abilities that made her an immense threat.Fisk understood thatMadame Gao was smart, and should not be messed with or betrayed, which made her one of the only other crime bosses that Fisk would actively try to please and stay on the right side of. However, when Fisk let his emotions get the better of him, Gao turned on him, and began plotting his downfall.
Daredevil: Born Again’s Plot Would Theoretically Have Been A Perfect Place For Madame Gao’s Return
Daredevil’s Headline MCU Show Is All About Rebirth
For much of the character’s history, Daredevil has been fighting against The Hand. This organization is an integral part of his story. In addition,Daredevil: Born Againis a series that seesMatt Murdock and Wilson Fisk on a collision courseas both men begin to become active again in their respective fields as a hero and a villain. This opportunity to renew the characters and place them into the MCU is an extremely exciting and engaging prospect, and having many of the original cast announced to return makes it all the more exciting.
However, while Murdock and his friends are back together, and Fisk is making waves in Hell’s Kitchen, it appears that there isn’t really any formidable force standing between them to introduce more complexity and a challenge. Sure, Bullseye is returning, and it’s likely that Benjamin Poindexter has a grudge against both Fisk and Daredevil, butMadame Gao could have led The Handas another part of the series, which could have added further intrigue and excitement. But unfortunately, that seems highly unlikely considering how her story ended.
The Defenders' Ending Means The MCU Would Struggle To Justify Madame Gao’s Return
Madame Gao Met Her Match In The Defenders Show On Netflix
InThe Defenders, the team-up crossover series that highlighted Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Danny Rand, as a group of street-level heroes,Madame Gao appeared as a primary antagonist. Gao and The Hand were actively working against The Defenders, which led to confrontations and battles between the two opposing sides. However, in the final episode of the one and only season of the show, Gao finds herself in precarious circumstances after putting up a fight against the heroes.
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Gao is left at the bottom of a hole beneath the Midland Circle building as the building explodes and collapses on top of her. Now, the show doesn’t explicitly show Gao dying, but it’s hard to imagine her coming out of that alive. As a result, it’s highly unlikely Gao will be able toappear inDaredevil: Born Again, and furthermore, it creates a challenge to how the show can bring in The Hand in this and future seasons.
