Three actors who previously appeared in Netflix’s Defenders Saga were recast for new roles inDaredevil: Born Again, which raises new questions that Marvel Studios should address. Marvel Studios confirmed that the Defenders Saga is canon to the official timeline of theMCUin early 2024, in conjunction with the release of Marvel Spotlight seriesEchoon Disney+. TheDefenders Saga fits into the MCU’s continuity perfectly, and its canonization allowedDaredevil: Born Againto continue storylines from the originalDaredevilseries seamlessly.
While reviving the narrative of theoriginalDaredevilseries,Daredevil: Born Againalso marked the return of several actors from the Defenders Saga. Alongside co-stars Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, who returned as Matt Murdock’s Daredevil and Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin, respectively, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson, Wilson Bethel, Ayelet Zurer, Jon Bernthal and Susan Varon all also reprised their roles. However,there are three Defenders Saga actors who returned in entirely new roles, which could mean something game-changing for the MCU.
Ruibo Qian Appeared In Jessica Jones Before Daredevil: Born Again
Ruibo Qian Played Mei Before Returning As Detective Angie Kim
One of the most intriguing new characters introduced inDaredevil: Born Againwas NYPD Detective Angie Kim, portrayed by Ruibo Qian. Angie Kim was first seen alongside Cherry at his retirement party at Josie’s Bar inBorn Again’spremiere, though she later had a more pivotal role as the detective tasked with speaking to Devlin during his gang’s heist at the New York Mutual bank. She showed her brilliant personality here, and proved her doubts about Wilson Fisk’s regime while investigatingBastian Cooper’s Muse, which eventually led to her joining Daredevil’s team inBorn Again’sfinale.
Detective Angie Kim is a much more substantial role for Ruibo Qian than her previous role of Mei inJessica Jones’premiere, “AKA Ladies Night,” which premiered back in 2015.Mei was the former roommate of Hope Shlottman, so became part of Jessica Jones' initial investigation into Hope’s disappearance, eventually leading her back into the path of David Tennant’s Kilgrave.Krysten Ritter has been rumored to be returning as Jessica Jones, which could lead to a reunion between Ritter and Qian, though with an entirely new dynamic given the latter’s new role.
Andrew Polk Appeared In The Punisher Before Daredevil: Born Again
Andrew Polk Played Colonel Morty Bennett Before Returning As Judge Jerry Cooper
One of the core storylines in the first half ofDaredevil: Born Againwas the trial ofHector Ayala, a.k.a. the vigilante known as the White Tiger. Andrew Polk’s Judge Jerry Cooper oversaw this trial, and had an entertaining and, at times, frustrating back-and-forth with Matt Murdock and DA Benjamin Hochberg.Cooper eventually oversaw Hector Ayala’s acquittal, though the vigilante would then unfortunately be killed by corrupt NYPD officer Cole North. Cooper proved himself to be a fair and well-reasoned Judge, which was far removed from Polk’s role inThe Punisher season 1.
Andrew Polk made his only Defenders Saga appearance inThe Punisherseason 1, episode 7, “Crosshairs,” where he was introduced as Morty Bennett, a former member of the Cerberus Squad. This team, which also included Frank Castle and Billy Russo, was led by Ray Schoonover and William Rawlins to carry out illegal smuggling and assassinations during the war in Afghanistan.Bennett subsequently became a target for Frank Castle during his investigation, but was soon betrayed by Rawlins and eventually killed by Billy Russo, so his return as a better-respected Judge inDaredevil: Born Againis welcome.
John Benjamin Hickey Appeared In Jessica Jones Before Daredevil: Born Again
John Benjamin Hickey Played Peter Lyonne Before Returning As District Attorney Benjamin Hochberg
The recasting of John Benjamin Hickey inDaredevil: Born Againis a much more interesting case, as Hickey had a pretty large role inJessica Jonesseason 3as Peter Lyonne.Peter was the husband of Kith Lyonne, who had previously had an affair with Jeri Hogarth, and became a pursuit for the decorated lawyer during her battle with ALS. After Kith learned that Peter Lyonne had been embezzling money, he committed suicide and blamed Hogarth, causing a rift in the rekindled relationship between Hogarth and Kith.
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Peter Lyonne played a key role inJessica Jonesseason 3, so it was intriguing to see John Benjamin Hickey recast as New York City District Attorney Benjamin Hochberg. Hochberg took over the role of DA from the likes of Samantha Reyes and Blake Tower, and continued the questionable journeys of these two minor antagonists from the Defenders Saga.Hochberg was the prosecutor during the trial of Hector Ayala, and threatened Matt Murdock after he used controversial methods to get his way in court. We’ll surely see Hochberg again asDaredevil: Born Again continues.
What These 3 Defenders Saga Actors Being Recast In Daredevil: Born Again Means For The MCU
Daredevil: Born Again’s Recasts Might Cause New MCU Canon Issues
Ruibo Qian, Andrew Polk and John Benjamin Hickey are far from the first MCU actors who’ve taken on two or more roles. However, their recasting inDaredevil: Born Againraises new questions that cast doubt on the canonicity of the Defenders Saga once again. This is even more prevalent asthe likes of Qian and Hickey have taken on pretty substantial roles, and the latter had a large role inJessica Jones’most recent series already. TheDefenders Saga was confirmed to be MCU canonin 2024, but Marvel Studios might already be making changes to its status.
It’s possible that Marvel has picked and chosen specific parts of the Defenders Saga to keep and to lose when developingDaredevil: Born Againand a new chapter for street-level stories in the MCU. For the most part,key plot points and character development moments have been retained, but Marvel might still need to explain these major recasts. This could ultimately make for some awkward reunions if Krysten Ritter, Carrie-Anne Moss and Jon Bernthal appear inDaredevil: Born Againseason 2, as they could come face-to-face with Ruibo Qian, John Benjamin Hickey and Andrew Polk once again.
