For three seasons, Daredevil protected a small corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a Netflix series. The superhero series even crossed over with the rest of the Marvel/Netflix slate, creating a fleshed-out version of Marvel's New York City. Along the way, Daredevil ended up confronting many of his most iconic villains. More than just having to contend with Kingpin and Bullseye, even some more obscure villains like Gladiator and the Owl appeared in some capacity sorts on the show.
However, not all of Daredevil's biggest villains made the jump to the small screen. Now, CBR is taking a look back at some of the biggest Daredevil villains who didn't get to appear in the Netflix series.
Mister Fear
Mister Fear is one of Daredevil's oldest villains. The first version of the character was introduced in Daredevil #6 by Stan Lee and Wally Wood. There have actually been four men who have gone by the title Mister Fear, all of whom have targeted Daredevil. The first two men to bear the name didn't last long, and were both killed not long into their careers. A decidedly more effective Mister Fear was Larry Cranston, a former friend of Matt Murdock.
Cranston quickly made Mister Fear a powerful player in the New York crime scene. He was even responsible for driving Milla Donovan, Daredevil's wife, insane. Cranson was one of the more clever Daredevil villains, constantly forcing the hero into no-win scenarios. He would have made a perfect contrast to the Netflix version of Matt Murdock, deceptive and clever above everything else. He also had a design that would've translate perfectly to Netflix's gritty corner of the Marvel Universe.
Stilt-Man
As silly as he might seem, Stilt-Man is a Marvel staple at this point. As the poster boy for ineffectual supervillains, Stilt-Man has been confronted by any number of heroes, most notably Daredevil. He was even introduced in Stan Lee and Wally Wood's Daredevil #8 before becoming a more general villain. Stilt-Man is typically one of those supervillains who roams New York, making small appearances here and there. The main version of the character, Wilbur Day, became something of a punching bag for various heroes. He even tried to break good during Civil War, but was caught by the Punisher and shot in the face.
Stilt-Man was referenced in Daredevil, but never shown. The suit that allows him to become Stilt-Man is seen within Melvin Potter's workshop. This suggests a version of the character at least existed at some time within the universe. The stilt suit may have been perhaps a too overtly silly for the more dramatic Marvel/Netflix fare, but it still would have been fun to have one episode where Daredevil could just go fight a guy in a robot suit.
Lady Bullseye
Two of Daredevil's more iconic newer villains also never made an appearance in the series. This may be partly due to their relatively short histories, but in the case of Lady Bullseye it might have also been for practicality. Bullseye wasn't introduced until the third season of the series. While the character left a major impression, there wasn't enough time to introduce someone who had been inspired by him, like Lady Bullseye.
Lady Bullseye is barely a decade old, having been introduced during Ed Brubaker, Clay Mann and Marko Djurdjevic's Daredevil #111. She was captured by the Yakuza as a child and was inadvertently saved by Bullseye. Inspired by his lethal tactics and ability to murder indiscriminately, she became a killer herself. She even eventually joined the Hand and fought Daredevil for control over the group in the build-up to the Shadowland storyline. She survived and went on to become a recurring threat within the Marvel Universe, even gaining supernatural powers after a battle with Elektra. She would have made for an exciting villain to see Daredevil contend with, but her absence isn't too surprising.
Ikari
Ikari is one of the most recent members of Daredevil's rogue's gallery. First appearing in 2013's Daredevil #25, by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee, Ikari proved to be one of the most difficult challenges that Daredevil ever faced. As a nameless assassin hired by Kingpin to finally eradicate Daredevil, he has the same kind of radar sense that Murdock uses to great effect in battle. Unlike Daredevil, however, Ikari possesses this power and still has his vision. This gives him an edge over Daredevil that allows him to beat the costumed superhero to near death in their early battles.
Ikari would have been a perfect villain to confront Daredevil. He's a perfect physical match for him, and his advantages make him a fascinating counterpoint to Murdock. With his limited exposure, the creators of the show could have created something new for his backstory. But he never made the appearance within the series. If Daredevil eventually returns to the small screen, Ikari would be the perfect candidate for a menacing new villain.