New Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Episode Breaks All-Time IMDb Record For Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe

This article contains major spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again season 2, episode 4, “Gloves Off.”

The new Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode shoots its way to becoming one of Marvel’s greatest on Disney+.

The gritty Marvel series follows the war between Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Mayor Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), as Kingpin pursues totalitarian control over New York City after enacting martial law. However, season 2 has hit a turning point in episode 4, where Bullseye’s (Wilson Bethel) attack at Fisk’s charity match results in his wife, Vanessa Fisk (Ayelet Zurer), being struck in the temple with a glass piece that looks to be fatal. The shocking turn of events has now sparked strong reactions from Marvel viewers.

Daredevil: Born Again season 2, episode 4, “Gloves Off,” has now set an IMDb record for the highest-rated Marvel Cinematic Universe episode on Disney+ with a near-perfect 9.6 rating. The score slightly edges ahead of the Loki season 2 finale “Glorious Purpose,” which earned a 9.5. Other top-rated Disney+ episodes include Loki season 1 “The Nexus Point” (9.0), Agatha All Along‘s “Death’s Hand in Mind” (9.0), two WandaVision episodes (both 8.9), and two What If season 1 episodes (both 8.9).

Compared to the original Netflix era, the revived Disney+ series ties with the Daredevil season 3 finale’s “A New Napkin,” followed by “Blindsided” and “The Devil You Know” at 9.5. Although MCU series like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. also have top-rated episodes scoring above 9.0, they were either released on ABC or Hulu since the Disney+ shows didn’t start until 2021, two years after the streaming service was launched. Nevertheless, “Gloves Off” is still the highest-rated MCU episode of all time when accounting for all TV series since the franchise began in 2008.

Ahead of episode 4’s shocking ending, reviews of Daredevil: Born Again season 2 were very positive, with many critics even deeming it a major return to the sophisticated quality level of the Netflix era. Interestingly, some noted that “Gloves Off” was the game-changer that would set a chain reaction for the rest of the sophomore installment. Season 2 currently has a strong 95% score on Rotten Tomatoes, just behind seasons 1 and 3 of the original Netflix iteration.

Despite the show focusing on Daredevil and Kingpin’s conflict, episode 4 gives Bullesyes the spotlight, opening with him setting the trap for Fisk’s Task Force at a diner. He is on his own revenge quest against the Fisks after they ruined his life. As a result, Bethel delivers a standout performance in episode 4, showcasing Bulleye’s urge to eliminate Kingpin as the one good deed, while finally coming face-to-face with Daredevil.

Vanessa’s presumed demise will likely have consequences for Daredevil and Kingpin’s deal in season 3’s “A New Napkin.” Fisk agreed that he would not target Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) as long as Matt doesn’t expose Vanessa for her complicity in Agent Nadeem’s death. Although part of it was already broken after Foggy’s death in Born Again season 1, Fisk himself didn’t order the execution, which technically kept the deal in place.

However, that may change in the latter half of Born Again season 2. While speaking with ScreenRant‘s Liam Crowley, D’Onofrio hinted that the episode 4 incident will “add in a major way to his rage” and elaborated that “what’s happened with Vanessa has rocked him in a way where he’s different than he’s ever been before. He’s not thinking completely clear.” Even after season 2 ends, he confirmed that “The repercussions of her death and what it’s done to him begins the third season.”

There are still four episodes left, but Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones return still has yet to come. However, things will only escalate now that Kingpin’s most treasured person on Earth is in critical condition, which means he will likely unleash terror on Daredevil: Born Again characters and many civilians in New York City. Thus, Matt will likely need Jessica’s backup more than ever.

New Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episodes will release on Disney+ weekly on Tuesdays at 9 pm ET until May 5. It will be followed by the Marvel special, The Punisher: One Last Kill, on May 12.

Release Date

March 4, 2025

Network

Disney+

Showrunner

Dario Scardapane

• 
  

•