The much-anticipated return of Daredevil—now under Disney+ with Daredevil: Born Again after its cancellation by Netflix in 2018—has made Marvel history for an unfortunate reason: despite airing nine episodes over the course of a month and a half, the series failed to chart on Nielsen’s weekly streaming rankings, even ten days after its finale. It marks the first time an MCU show on Disney+ has not appeared on the charts—a sobering outcome given the hype surrounding the series ever since Charlie Cox reprised his role as Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and especially when compared to less-celebrated Marvel entries like Ms. Marvel, Echo, or Secret Invasion.
According to Nielsen’s data from April 14–20 — the week the finale episode “Straight to Hell” premiered — Born Again failed to make the top 10 yet again. Even shows with smaller episode counts, like Mobland on Paramount+, performed better during the same week. While exact streaming minutes for Born Again weren’t published, estimates based on the lowest-charting originals of the week offer a clearer picture:
- Episodes 1 & 2: under 465 million minutes
- After Episode 3 dropped: under 464 million minutes
- After Episode 4 dropped: under 373 million minutes
- After Episodes 5 & 6 dropped: under 344 million minutes
- After Episode 7 dropped: under 470 million minutes
- After Episode 8 dropped: under 463 million minutes
- After all 9 episodes dropped: under 385 million minutes
Despite a release strategy that included dropping two key episodes (5 and 6) simultaneously, Born Again didn’t see a significant viewership bump—failing to chart at that time, or even after all episodes became available to binge.
A Season Rescued by Vision, but Not Momentum
Season 1 had a turbulent development process. Following a mid-production overhaul, directors Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson were brought in to reshape the latter half of the series. The episodes they directed, especially Episode 8, were widely praised by fans and critics for their cinematic direction and character-driven storytelling. These episodes were also hailed as the closest the series came to capturing the spirit of the original Netflix show.
However, the uneven structure — blending pre- and post-retooling material — led to a season that often felt stitched together. Supporting characters lacked consistent depth, and momentum was lost at critical points in the narrative. This disconnect may have contributed to the lukewarm audience reception.
Still, standout performances from Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jon Bernthal, and Deborah Ann Woll gave the show a strong emotional core and hinted at the potential for a more cohesive second season.
Looking Ahead: A Second Chance for Season 2
The good news is that Daredevil: Born Again is moving forward, and Disney has expressed satisfaction with the numbers following the show’s two-episode premiere. Not only did the show reportedly attract Disney+ subscribers, but Marvel’s head of television and animation, Brad Winderbaum, recently revealed that viewers also tuned into the previous seasons of the show, which were added to Disney+. These seasons originally premiered on Netflix. He told The Hollywood Reporter, “People were watching it as a season four, not as a first season. It’s given us the confidence to make the show annually in the future.”
Season 2 is currently in development, with Charlie Cox promising a tighter, more ensemble-focused direction. Showrunner Dario Scardapane, known for The Punisher, is leading the charge, and fan-favorite Krysten Ritter will return as Jessica Jones.
Cox said, “I don’t want to oversell it. I do happen to think it’s some of the best writing we’ve ever had on this show. I am sure everyone always says that. I texted the showrunner, Dario, the other day and was like, ‘Obviously we’re still halfway through shooting it, but huge, huge credit to what you’ve pieced together here.’ He’s done something which I’m really excited about, which is that he’s fleshed out characters that in the previous iteration of the show often get left behind. So, it feels much more like an ensemble than it’s ever felt.”
Much like Andor, another slow starter in the Disney+ ecosystem, Born Again could be on track for a critical and creative rebound in its second season. Andor went from an under-the-radar premiere to one of the most acclaimed Star Wars series to date, and Season 2’s premiere debuted with 721 million minutes on Nielsen— and Marvel fans are hoping Daredevil can follow a similar trajectory.
There’s clear interest in these grounded, street-level characters. With a course correction already in progress and beloved characters returning to the fold, Season 2 might just deliver on the promise that brought so many back to Hell’s Kitchen in the first place.
Source: Nielsen.