Daredevil: Born Again has already traumatized fans with Foggy’s shocking death in Episode 1 (Elden Henson) and Hector Ayala’s (Kamar de los Reyes) last-minute execution in Episode 3, but this week’s installment in the hit MCU revival has me absolutely convinced the series isn’t done devastating Matt Murdock’s (Charlie Cox) personal relationships. Although Daredevil: Born Again Episode 4 mainly balances Matt’s turbulent responsibilities as a lawyer with a hilarious glimpse at an uncomfortable Mayor Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), there’s an undeniable darkness growing in the background of the series. Between the horrific revelation that comes out of Wilson and Vanessa’s (Ayelet Zurer) latest therapy session and our latest look at Muse, Daredevil: Born Again is setting up one of the MCU’s darkest chapters to date, and one character is definitely going out in a horrific way – Matt’s latest girlfriend, Heather Glenn (Margarita Levieva).
A new addition to Daredevil: Born Again, who fills the void in Matt’s personal life left by Karen (Deborah Ann Woll) in the series premiere, Heather is a breath of fresh air whose intelligence and professional success are able to keep pace with Matt’s high-stakes personality. Following a surprisingly charming first date set up by Daredevil: Born Again‘s Kirsten McDuffie (Nikki M. James), the pair’s relationship is the one good thing Matt has going on in his life while Fisk accumulates political power and police officers don Punisher skulls to get away with murder. So far, Heather has even survived having the Fisks as her clients, though the character’s continued happiness is exactly what worries me about her future chances.
Matt Says the One Thing No Superhero Should Ever Say in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Episode 4
If there’s one thing that Daredevil: Born Again has already established, it’s that happiness is fragile and shouldn’t be taken for granted. The revival literally opens with the golden days of Nelson, Murdock, and Page before boldly gutting their chances at a future together during Bullseye’s (Wilson Bethel) rampage. Given Heather Glenn’s bitter fate in the comics and Daredevil: Born Again‘s unforgiving tone, Levieva’s character never seemed likely to make it out of the show alive, but Episode 4 leads me to believe Heather will be leaving us sooner rather than later. Since even Mayor Fisk seems to acknowledge Heather is just doing her job when the therapist suggests Vanessa may be in danger from her husband, I actually don’t believe Heather’s life is at risk from any car doors in the future, but one line from Matt still suggests the therapist is done for.
After returning from his brutal heart-to-heart with Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) to find Heather waiting for him at his apartment, Matt confides in Heather that she helps reassure him so much that “now I can’t imagine you not being here.” It’s a sweet moment that shows how far the two have come in only four episodes while also illustrating Matt’s devotion to his newest romantic partner. It is also, unfortunately, a death sentence for Heather. In essence, what Matt is saying here is that he can’t imagine living without Heather, and if there’s one thing most audience members know, it’s that you can never trust a side character’s survival once someone either starts talking about their future or a relationship peaks before an episode is over. Just as Matt’s conversation about traveling abroad with Elektra (Elodie Yung) preceded her death in Daredevil Season 2, the crimefighter’s admission to Heather doesn’t bode well here. As for how Heather will die, well, Daredevil: Born Again appears to answer that question too.
Heather’s Death in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Is Probably Going To Be a Brutal Work of Art
The character of Muse has been teased in Daredevil: Born Again ever since the series’ first trailer, and the brutal serial killer has only drawn more attention to his presence since the show’s premiere. Glimpses of the mysterious antagonist spraying graffiti throughout the city have showcased Muse’s artistic rendering of the ongoing tension between Mayor Fisk and New York City vigilantes, but the final moments of Episode 4 serve as a reminder that Muse’s mission is anything but beautiful. Shown draining his latest victim of blood in a subway hideout decorated with his past victims’ hanging bodies, Episode 4 of Daredevil: Born Again unveils our first real look at the monster who makes his masterpieces out of living humans, teasing the greater danger that awaits New York City throughout the rest of the season.
A popular theory posits that this danger will be pointed in Vanessa’s direction, and there are a lot of good reasons to believe this. On the one hand, Vanessa is a former art curator herself, so her being turned into a piece of lethal art by Muse would be highly ironic, and Muse’s past graffiti also suggests he might kill Vanessa as a political statement against her husband. That said, we currently have more evidence to believe Muse will ultimately target Heather, and that evidence hinges upon Muse’s actor. At this point, it feels like an open secret that Wednesday actor Hunter Doohan is playing the sadistic body artist. Not only do the two share a similar physique but Doohan is also credited at the end of Episode 4 as a guest star without showing up anywhere else in the episode. Doohan does show up in person during Episode 2. However, attending Heather’s book signing and signing up to be one of her newest clients.
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The Man Without Fear is about to get some more help from an old friend.
Heather’s Death Sets Up Matt’s Return to Crimefighting in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’
Muse’s potential motivation for killing Heather in Daredevil: Born Again isn’t clear at the moment, but the fact that we see the supervillain’s first real appearance in the series shortly after Matt and Heather’s sweet moment further links the two together. If the series continues deviating from Muse in the comics and actually shows him attending therapy without his mask, it isn’t hard to imagine the serial killer growing unstable and targeting Heather because he isn’t happy with her counseling. What is clear, however, is that the loss of Heather – especially a loss that involves her being mutilated into Muse’s human art—would absolutely devastate Matt’s already shaky personal life. Daredevil: Born Again Episode 4’s continued focus on America’s broken justice system already shows that Matt is wavering in his attempts to suppress Daredevil, so the loss of someone he now says he cannot live without would definitely push him over the edge back into his darker half.
Realistically, we know this is a change that’s coming. For all its deep themes of social unrest and political upheaval, Daredevil: Born Again is still a superhero show, and we know from the trailer that Matt will don his old red suit again. That said, the way Matt’s return to crimefighting unfolds will relate directly to the show’s commentary surrounding the Daredevil persona. By having Matt choose to take advantage of his powers again in response to one more unimaginable loss, Daredevil: Born Again will essentially be arguing that it’s impossible to avoid one’s own violent impulses in a world that feels irrevocably broken. In a world where monsters like Muse are ignored by police officers too busy murdering unsuspecting superheroes, Heather’s death feels inevitable, and that inevitability is precisely what the series needs to let its devil out again.
- Release Date
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March 4, 2025
- Showrunner
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Chris Ord
- Writers
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Chris Ord
- Franchise(s)
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Daredevil, Marvel Cinematic Universe
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