Sorry Elektra And Karen, But Daredevil’s Greatest Love Will Always Be Another MCU Icon

As sure as he is blind, Matthew Murdock is charming and seemingly irresistible, and that is true even in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Daredevil: Born Again, most recently). Franklin “Foggy” Nelson accurately discerned Matt’s superhuman ability to woo women as early as in the first season of Netflix’s Daredevil TV show, which has added a fun wrinkle to his character between court dates and bloodied knuckles.

Unfortunately, there is one fantastic relationship from the Marvel comic book source material that we will never see now in the MCU. Thus is the nature of original Marvel storytelling and the consequence of content rights, as well as continuity—Daredevil’s cast of characters was not properly inducted into the MCU until Daredevil: Born Again, long after one of the earliest Avengers characters could ever meet Matt, and not even flashbacks could establish a fleeting romance between them before their canonical death.

Daredevil’s MCU Love Interests Are A Mixed Bag

The relationships Matt has had in the MCU are all problematic or troubled in their own way. Still, that has not thwarted him from finding new romantic partners or bouncing back to old flames, including:

• Elektra Natchios
• Claire Temple
• Karen Page
• Jennifer Walters
• Dr. Heather Glenn

Matt recently said “I love you” to Karen in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, but their chemistry has arguably always been lackluster, to no fault of either Charlie Cox or Deborah Ann Woll. In fact, with how well-written and endearing Karen and Frank Castle’s star-crossed romance was in Netflix’s Daredevil and Punisher shows, it would be incredibly bizarre that she is with Matt and not Frank, especially when both characters share similar sentiments regarding lethality (inspired by her own traumatic experiences, no doubt, but also by Frank himself), if not for how emotionally unavailable Frank is.

Further, a relationship that would have been neat to see is Matt and Natalia Alianovna Romanova/Natasha Romanoff, also known as Black Widow. Sadly, with Nat having sacrificed herself in Avengers: Endgame, there is a low likelihood that we will ever see Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow and Charlie Cox’s Daredevil be an item in the MCU (despite how much Cox would like to, ironically).

Charlie Cox And Scarlett Johansson Can Never Be

Black Widow plays a massive role in Daredevil comics throughout the 1970s. Matt left Karen for Nat, for example, and left Hell’s Kitchen to live with her in San Francisco. In the MCU, however, Nat was not able to develop a relationship with James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes’ Winter Soldier, let alone Daredevil, as her love life was fully encumbered by a tragic yearning between her and Dr. Bruce Banner.

Of course, Nat is now dead, with the MCU presumably being content to leave her that way. Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans are being brought back, suggesting that it would not be impossible for Johansson to return, also, but her mysterious casting in The Batman: Part II implies that the actress has made a full transition from Marvel to DC.

Flashbacks illustrate how fiery Matt and Elektra’s relationship was before the events of the Netflix Daredevil TV show, and it is theoretically possible that a flashback could feature Matt and Nat together, too, but it might be difficult for the MCU to carve out a large enough gulf in the timeline of Netflix’s three seasons of Daredevil where they could have dated or had a fling before the events of Daredevil: Born Again. It would probably not be all that meaningful a relationship if it occurred as a flash in the pan that was never mentioned until some hypothetical flashback, either, yet something quaint and entertaining like Daredevil and She-Hulk’s romance in the MCU’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law would be fun nonetheless.

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is now streaming on Disney+.

Release Date

March 4, 2025

Network

Disney+

Showrunner

Dario Scardapane

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