MCU Phase 5 Changes Means Marvel Can Save 2 Missing Characters Fans Really Want Back

Vast changes that are being made to Phase 5 of the MCU could mean that two fan-favorite characters, who were previously missing from Daredevil: Born Again, now have the chance to return. After his three-season Marvel Television series, Daredevil, was canceled in 2018, Charlie Cox’s fate as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen was left hanging in the balance. However, Spider-Man: No Way Home finally brought Cox’s Matt Murdock into the MCU proper, and he has since made an appearance in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, with an upcoming cameo expected for Echo before he embarks on his first solo adventure in the MCU in the 18-episode Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+.

As well as Charlie Cox’s return, Vincent D’Onofrio and Jon Bernthal have also been confirmed to be returning as Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin, and Frank Castle, a.k.a. the Punisher, respectively. Daredevil: Born Again’s cast is expected to be comprised of mostly newcomers, with only a few actors reprising their roles from Daredevil on Netflix. Unfortunately, two actors who weren’t confirmed to be returning included Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson, who portrayed Karen Page and Franklin “Foggy” Nelson, respectively, Matt Murdock’s friends and colleagues. However, after recent developments at Marvel Studios, their futures in the MCU might not look so bleak.

Related: How To Watch the Marvel Movies In Order (By Release Date & In Order Of MCU Timeline Events)

Foggy & Karen Can Return In Daredevil: Born Again Now

The fact that Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson weren’t confirmed to be reprising their roles in Daredevil: Born Again was a point of contention for many Daredevil viewers. Murdock, Nelson, and Page had been at the heart of Daredevil’s story on Netflix, and many considered Woll and Henson to be perfect castings for the Daredevil-related characters from Marvel Comics. Foggy and Karen are crucial to Matt Murdock’s life as a lawyer and a vigilante, so it seemed difficult to imagine a live-action adaptation of Daredevil’s storylines that didn’t involve his closest confidantes. This, luckily, may no longer be a worry, as Daredevil: Born Again is undergoing a huge shakeup.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, since production on Daredevil: Born Again has paused amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike, Marvel Studios executives took the opportunity to review what had been filmed for the upcoming Phase 5 series, but concluded the show wasn’t working. This is perhaps a symptom of greater issues on the television side of Marvel Studios that the company is making moves to rectify. Writers and directors on Daredevil: Born Again have been released, and a significant creative reboot is planned, which could create the perfect opportunity for Foggy and Karen to be written into the series, assuaging audiences’ fears that the pair wouldn’t be involved.

Why Bringing Back Foggy & Karen Would Be The Right Move For Marvel Studios

Foggy Nelson and Karen Page are crucial to Matt Murdock’s storylines in Marvel Comics, being included as his closest friends and colleagues at his law firm, as well as a love-interest in Page’s case, and sidekick in Nelson’s. Elden Henson and Deborah Ann Woll delivered fan-favorite portrayals of the characters on Netflix’s Daredevil, and there were calls for them to be brought back when Daredevil: Born Again was announced. Should they be confirmed to be returning following the overhaul in the MCU’s Phase 5, this would certainly increase excitement for the upcoming project, and allow Daredevil: Born Again to hold on to some of the elements that made the Netflix series so enjoyable.

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