In this inaugural installment of what will be a periodic feature, we take a look at a current rumor and apply some logic and knowledge about journalism and the entertainment business work to separate fact from fandom fiction.
A few weeks back, a rumor spread across the internet that in the upcoming second season of Marvel’s Daredevil: Born Again series on Disney+ the titular superhero would be reuniting the team of superheroes he was a part of in the 2017 Netflix series The Defenders. Given that Daredevil: Born Again is a sequel series to the Netflix Daredevil series that was one of four shows that led up to The Defenders, fans had been hoping that the second season of Born Again would see the rest of Daredevil’s Defenders cohorts – Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, aka Power Man, and Danny Rand, aka Iron Fist – make a return.
Spoilers ahead for the recently concluded first season of Daredevil: Born Again.
As the first season of Daredevil: Born Again comes to a close, New York City is under martial law declared by Mayor Fisk and his extrajudicial anti-vigilante taskforce has taken to the streets executing anyone whom they decree a vigilante with no regard for Constitutionally guaranteed due process rights. With Karen Page telling him that he can’t face Fisk and his machinations alone and that he will need “an army.” We later see him meeting with some of the few honest police officers he knows including detective Angie Kim and his law firm’s investigator, and retired police officer, Cherry.
This rumor certainly seems to give the fans what they want. But should we trust it? It is likely that whomever started this rumor was most likely taking an educated guess as to Matt Murdoch reuniting with his former Netflix-era superhero colleagues. And that guess could very well have been based on some inside information, though not the kind they might want you to think.
Rumor Origins
The Defenders rumor seems to be able to be traced back to the site the Cosmic Circus and a post from March 8 where a scooper stated that “the Defenders are expected to return.” They further elaborated “it will be interesting to see how that plays out in the second season, and how Matt will convince them to step out of the shadows after what happens in season 1.” That sure sounds exciting and if you’re a fan of the Netflix Marvel shows, it certainly will have you anticipating the next season of Daredevil: Born Again. Never mind that at that point, one still had a majority of season one to look forward to.
Analysis
Although we wanted to post an analysis of this rumor right when it dropped, we held off simply because we knew that doing so would have involved mentioning spoilers from the season finale that we felt were unfair to divulge before the first season had finished premiering. Simply put, this is a bit of “inside news” that feels like half fan wish and half educated guess based on seeing the final episode of this first season in advance.
How did I come to that conclusion? Well, when the rumor blew up across the internet, I had seen the season’s entire run already, and it was a thought I had had as the final episode’s end credits began to play out for me. As a critic, I was offered the opportunity from Disney to view all of season one in advance for review purposes. Our written review based on that advance access can be read here. We certainly weren’t the only outlet afforded this consideration, given the number of reviews that all posted on or after 9:00pm Eastern on March 4 when the review embargo lifted. And admittedly, at the end of watching the entirety of that first season, I felt that it did appear as if the show was leaving a door open for the other Defenders/Marvel Netflix characters to return. But I refrained from thinking that that was definitely what Marvel was teeing up for season two.
Now we should note as well that the phrase “the Defenders are expected to return,” does seem a bit weasely. The use of “expected” certainly sounds like they are going to make an appearance, it actually does leave some wiggle room to not be totally committed to their return. However, with production set to start just a few weeks away at the beginning of April, it seems likely at that point something that seems like it could be playing a significant part in at least one, if not multiple, episodes and have an impact on the season’s overall story direction, would have been locked down well before this moment. Actors would have been scheduled, contracted and locked in by the beginning of March. There is no way that they would be leaving securing such important elements for their planned storyline to the last minute.
So either the scooper’s source is unsure – which casts doubt on exactly how connected at Marvel they truly are or are not – or the scooper hasn’t talked to their source in some time. And that makes me doubt that the scooper has an actual reliable source.
Verdict
Should we believe that in season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again, Daredevil will be reuniting his former superhero team The Defenders? The status of things at the end of season one states that Matt will need an army to defeat Wilson Fisk and free New York City from his grip. and that he is beginning to assemble that army. While the author of the original rumor could have received some insider information from someone involved with the production of the second season, there is also the possibility of that person having access to the complete season one and forming a conjecture from viewing the season finale.
So does the rumor have a basis in what could be the plan for Born Again season 2? Yes.
Does the rumor’s originator have an inside line to Marvel slipping him this information? There is evidence to cast doubt.
Was there another way to come to the same line of thought as the rumor? Given that access to the entire series was available for critics, yes.
Is the rumor possible? Yes.
But is it also probable? We’ll have to wait and see.
