Yes, the debut of a new Marvel TV show is upon us and some viewers have thrown themselves head-first into rabbit hole theory territory after Born Again ‘s two-part premiere. The reason? A portion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) fanbase have come up with theories about a couple of its characters – and, while they seem outlandish on the surface, I think there’s some substance to both hypotheses.
Full spoilers immediately follow for Born Again ‘s first two chapters , so make sure you’ve watched them (and read my spoiler-filled Daredevil: Born Again review) first before you proceed.
Is Franklin ‘Foggy’ Nelson really dead in Daredevil: Born Again?
It took just eight minutes for Born Again to break our collective hearts (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney Plus)
It’s something of an irony that, for a show with a variation on the word ‘birth’ in its title, a major character death occurs in episode 1’s first 15 minutes. You’ll know the individual who dies is Franklin ‘Foggy’ Nelson, aka Matt Murdock’s closest friend and fellow lawyer, too, because, well, you’ve seen one of the best Disney+ shows’ two-episode premiere. And read this section’s headline above.
But I’m getting off-track. Yes, Nelson is assassinated by Benjamin ‘Dex’ Pointdexter, aka Bullseye, in Born Again ‘s first episode, titled ‘Heaven’s Half Hour’. It’s a heart-breaking moment for Matt and Karen Page (the latter being another close confidante of Matt and Foggy’s), and for those of us who watched Netflix’s own Daredevil live-action series, which ran for three seasons between 2015 and 2019.
RIP to a real one (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)
However, while we bear witness to ‘Foggy’ passing away, some viewers aren’t entirely convinced that he’s shuffled off his mortal coil. Indeed, there are fans who actually believe he’s still alive – and, as wild as that theory sounds, there’s some cold-hard evidence to back it up.
For one, ‘Foggy’ has ‘died’ once in the comics. His infamous ‘demise’ occurs during the Ed Brubaker era, which saw ‘Foggy’ killed off in Daredevil Vol. 2 #82. However, five issues later, it’s revealed that Nelson’s death was faked by the authorities so he could be placed in a witness protection program.
There’s no reason why a similar scenario couldn’t play out in Born Again . In its Netflix forebear, ‘Foggy’ repeatedly tries to get Murdock to give up his life as a vigilante because a) he can’t keep watching his best friend sustain life-threatening injuries and b) if someone learns of Daredevil’s true identity, it’ll put his loved ones (including ‘Foggy’) in real danger. It’s possible, then, that ‘Foggy’ faked his own death to force Murdock’s hand and make him retire from the crimefighting game.
Comment from r/MarvelStudiosSpoilers
“But Bullseye killed him!”, I hear you cry. “And we watched ‘Foggy’ die!”, some of you might also add – and I agree. To that, though, I have one response: what if the ‘Foggy’ who dies is actually a skrull?
I know, I know, the very mention of ‘skrulls’ is enough to strike fear into the heart of all MCU fans. These shape-shifting aliens haven’t exactly been put to good use in the MCU thus far (I’m primarily looking at you, Secret Invasion …), but wouldn’t it another stunning turn of events if the ‘Foggy’ who died is actually a skrull and the real ‘Foggy’ feigned his death to make Murdock turn his back on his superhero alias? How would Murdock react if he found out that ‘Foggy’ was not only alive and well, but also lied to him and Karen?
Alright, it’s a long shot. For one, skrulls quickly revert to their normal form when they’re killed, so we’d know if the death of ‘Foggy’ was a fake out straight away. Nevertheless, threads on the Marvel Studios and Marvel Studios Spoilers Reddit pages are full of fans suggesting that ‘Foggy’ may not be as dead as we think.
With Born Again producer Sana Amanat (per GamesRadar+ ) and Marvel’s Head of TV Brad Winderbaum (per the Phase Hero podcast ) insinuating that Elden Henson, the actor who plays ‘Foggy’, will return in season 2, there’s every chance that this fan theory could prove to be true, too. Personally, I think Henson will only return for flashback sequences but, hey, I’ve been wrong before.
Is Buck Cashman the man behind the Muse mask in Daredevil: Born Again?
I don’t think Buck Cashman is masquerading as the serial killer known as Muse (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)
One of the biggest mysteries surrounding Born Again ‘s plot is who’ll play Muse. A serial killer who creates grotesque works of art using the body parts of his victims, Muse is one of the most sadistic members of Daredevil’s rogues gallery and, based on Daredevil: Born Again ‘s first trailer, it seems he’ll either be the primary or secondary antagonist of the series’ first season.
As of episodes 1 and 2, though, we still don’t know which actor will portray Muse in his live-action debut. Indeed, he’s the only character in my Daredevil: Born Again cast guide who doesn’t have an actor attached to his article entry.
So, who might be tackling the role in Born Again on Disney+, aka one of the world’s best streaming services? Muse doesn’t appear in the two-episode premiere, so we still don’t know. That hasn’t stopped fans from speculating on his real-world identity, though – and some are saying that Buck Cashman (played by Arty Froushan) will be revealed to be Muse later in season 1.
Comment from r/MarvelStudiosSpoilers
Like the ‘Foggy’ fan theory, there seems to be some proof that fans are are on the right track. Cashman comes across as a bit of slimeball whenever he appears. He doesn’t exactly hide how creepy he is when he attends a book signing for therapist (and Murdock’s new love interest) Heather Glenn’s new self-help book, either.
Sure, it’s more likely that he’s present at said book launch event because he’s under instructions from Wilson Fisk, aka the new mayor of New York City. Fisk wants to keep tabs on his archnemesis in Murdock, so it makes sense that he’d get the greasier members of his team to tail anyone that Murdock is close to. Hey, Fisk is no longer the fearsome crime lord known as Kingpin, but he can still use the blackmail playbook to his advantage.
Now THIS character, played by Hunter Doohan, has to be Muse, right? (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney+)
That all said, I believe Cashman isn’t Muse. In fact, there’s another individual at the event, who gets his copy signed and asks Glenn if she’s taking on new clients because he’s struggling with his mental health, who seems to be a better fit for Muse.
I’m no the only one who thinks that, too. The same Reddit threads I linked to earlier are also filled with people commenting on the prospect that this character, who appears to be played by Wednesday star Hunter Doohan, moonlights as Muse. We’ll see who’s right as season 1 of this Marvel Phase 5 project progresses. In the meantime, check out more of my Daredevil: Born Again and wider Marvel coverage below.
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