The last time we saw Daredevil in his own series was back in 2016. Since then, he's appeared in The Defenders, but the long-promised third season of the acclaimed show was in a state of limbo for far too long. However, Netflix solved this problem recently by subtlety announcing the new season will drop later this year. Earlier in July, Netflix's VP of original content, Cindy Holland, spoke highly of it, telling Deadline, "I think [Daredevil Season 3 is] fantastic; it's a real return to form in my view." We're not really sure what Holland was talking about, though, because both seasons of the show were fantastic, so there's no need for a PR spin here.
If you recall, the last episode of The Defenders left Matt Murdock in a bit of a predicament, which we're sure will be addressed in the forthcoming season of Daredevil. "It obviously presents him with some pretty interesting options when he reengages with life," Charlie Cox, who plays Daredevil, told The Hollywood Reporter. "Will he reconnect with people? Will he find Foggy and let him know he's okay? Will he not? I'm very excited to find out what his game plan is going to be, once he gets his [life] together." There's also the promise of new villains, returning faces, and a whole lot of previous storylines to unpack. In short, it looks like we're in for a cracker of a time. Taking a step back, let's take a look at all the confirmed facts about season three and the theories we hope are true.
20 FACT: JAY ALI'S CASTING
With the new season, there will inevitably be new faces. One of them is Jay Ali, whom you might know from the family drama The Fosters. He's been confirmed to portray Rahul "Ray" Nadeem, who's described as an FBI agent willing to do what it takes to keep his family safe.
"We are thrilled to welcome Jay into our stellar cast," Jeph Loeb, Executive Producer and Marvel's Head of Television, said in the official press release. "His storyline and riveting performance will captivate our fans in the third season of Marvel's Daredevil." The question is, will he be an ally to Matt or a hinderance?
19 RUMOR: BULLSEYE WILL FINALLY APPEAR
Ever since Daredevil was first announced, there's been a demand for Bullseye, one of the hero's greatest foes. At one point, there was a rumor floating around that Jason Statham might portray the lethal rogue – but he went on to fight a shark in The Meg instead.
Nonetheless, Wilson Bethel is believed to be portraying Bullseye in season three. While there has been no official confirmation from the showrunners, a now-deleted Instagram post from the show's fitness trainer, Naqam Washington, all but confirmed it. The image showed Washington training with Cox and Bethel, with the hashtags #Daredevil and #Bullseye. The fact that the post has now been removed is telling.
18 FACT: SISTER MAGGIE'S ROLE
The Defenders ended with Matt being cared for by nuns, and one of them being called by her name Maggie. Longtime fans immediately picked up on this connection and wondered if it was Sister Maggie from the comic-book series. Well, the good news is, it's Sister Maggie, and she's confirmed for this season, with Joanne Whalley in the role.
The only uncertain thing is if the series will stay faithful to the comic books and reveal to us that Maggie is actually Matt's mother, aka Maggie Murdock. The Defenders showrunner Marco Ramirez wouldn't confirm any of the speculation, so we'll just have to wait and see what happens.
17 RUMOR: THE TRIAL OF WILSON FISK
In the age of the internet, it's impossible to keep anything a secret and leaks happen all the time. Daredevil has suffered its fair share, too, as several set pics have made their way onto the web. One of the more telling pics shows a group of protestors outside of what appears to be a courthouse with signs calling for Wilson Fisk to be locked up.
We wouldn't bet against a big portion of the season revolving around the Kingpin standing trial for his crimes. This would allow the villain to linger in the shadows and hire thugs to do his bidding outside of the prison walls.
16 FACT: BASED ON BORN AGAIN
In the build-up to season three, a key detail that's been revealed is that the story will be inspired by Frank Miller's seminal comic-book storyline Born Again. It's arguably the most popular Daredevil story of all time and this bit of news has whet our appetite in terms of what's to come.
In conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Cox said, "That's such an amazing story. Everyone who loves Daredevil loves Born Again. There may be elements from Born Again, but I'm sure there will be elements that are unfamiliar and surprising and different in order for the show to be compelling to fans who know the comics very well."
15 RUMOR: THE FATE OF KAREN
If the narrative for season three takes all its cues from Born Again, things might not be looking too rosy for Karen Page. In the comic-book storyline, she developed a substance problem, went into the adult film industry, and sold the info that Matt is Daredevil.
Even if Netflix does venture into perilous narrative territories at times, this story might be a tad too extreme to adapt. That said, Karen is a popular character on the show, but she really does need a shake-up as she's grown stale. Could the influence of Born Again reignite her character's arc? Whichever way, she needs to get out of her comfort zone in this season.
14 FACT: THE DELAY IS DUE TO THE DEFENDERS
Season three was actually renewed two years ago, but why has it taken so long for it to be released? As it turns out, we have The Defenders to blame for the excruciating delay. There's a good reason for it, though, as it shows that Marvel and Netflix planned it all out carefully ages ago – and it makes complete sense when you think of it.
"The biggest issue was the timing of production and launching of The Defenders because what that meant is we had to shut down all of the shows, so all the actors be available for The Defenders so it's more function of that," Holland told Deadline.
13 RUMOR: CONNECTION TO THE OVERALL MCU
Despite Marvel insisting there are complications preventing the film and TV worlds from ever merging – even though they both technically exist in the same universe – there's always hope that something will change and fans will be pleasantly surprised. Maybe one day Spider-Man will swing past Daredevil and say, "What's up?"
Considering how a new phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is set to begin after Avengers 4, now would be the perfect time to do a sendoff of sorts featuring Daredevil. Perhaps a cameo appearance by a major Avenger – or Hawkeye – would be the type of fan service that would break the internet faster than Kim Kardashian's rear.
12 FACT: ROSALIE CARBONE IS BACK
Rosalie Carbone is one tough cookie to crack in Marvel Comics – and you certainly don't want to cross her or the Carbone family, or you'll be sleeping with the fishes. This year, the character made the big leap to the small screen, having played a tiny part in season two of Luke Cage, as portrayed by actress Annabella Sciorra.
The good news is, Sciorra is scheduled to return as Rosalie in the latest season of Daredevil. The question is, will her business arrangement with Luke put her at loggerheads with Matt? Nonetheless, we can expect some more gangster goodness from Rosalie in the near future.
11 RUMOR: THE PUNISHER'S REAPPEARANCE
After having played a significant role in season two of Daredevil and starring in his own successful series, the Punisher is hot property right now. In fact, it's safe to say that Jon Bernthal is the greatest live-action version of the character that we've ever seen and we can't get enough of him.
As such, there's an expectation that he'll reappear in the third season of Daredevil. While Frank Castle does have another season of The Punisher coming up, a brief team-up with the Man Without Fear could be exactly what's needed. After all, who could ever forget the two's legendary chemistry from the previous season of Daredevil?
10 FACT: THE BLACK COSTUME'S COMEBACK
Thanks to another set pic leak, we know that Matt's classic black costume is making a comeback in season three. It's probably due to the fact that his red one is wrecked and he doesn't exactly have the cash to get another one tailored. Mind you, is a superhero costume considered tax deductible?
Jokes aside, it'll be a sight for sore eyes to see the black costume back in action. It might not have the superhero feel, or legacy, of the red one, but it holds a lot of sentimental value for longtime and diehard fans of Daredevil. Additionally, it's likely only a one-episode look, so we'll get the best of both worlds.
9 RUMOR: SIN-EATER IS THE SECRET VILLAIN
While recent evidence seems to suggest that Bethel will be portraying Bullseye, a character breakdown for "Steve," which appears to be Bethel's role, could point to someone else. The description stated that the character is athletic, socially awkward, and requires structure to "suppress the darkness inside himself".
Eagle-eyed fans declared that this must be Stanley Carter, aka the first Sin-Eater. Carter was a previous S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who underwent an experimental super-soldier program. It messed with his mind and he moved to New York to become a cop. However, after a trauma, it caused him to snap and he went after anyone whom he perceived to be "sinning".
8 FACT: KINGPIN RETURNS
Arguably, one of the best villains on TV, Kingpin, as played by Vincent D'Onofrio, is confirmed for Season 3. The character's quiet and bubbling menace steals every scene he's in and we can't wait for the inevitable showdown between him and Matt again.
Chatting to Collider about Kingpin in season three, D'Onofrio said, "It's different, but it's very Fisk. It's still very emotional. The character is evolving. His whole deal is based on emotion, so we're taking him down that role further. There are new focuses and new goals. That's all I can say. If it was up to me, I would go on and on and on about it because it's so interesting."
7 RUMOR: ELEKTRA RISES (AGAIN)
We've already seen Elektra rise from the grave in The Defenders and she's a crucial part of Matt's life. While her last appearance seems to indicate that she might be gone for good and she's said her final goodbye to Matt, this is the comic-book world and no one stays buried for too long.
As such, there's a possibility that she might appear in this season. Perhaps it'll be a tease in the final episode or a hint of her in the distance. We'd imagine it to be like the end of Batman Returns when Bruce sort of acknowledges that Catwoman is alive and out there but doesn't press the issue.
6 FACT: A NEW SHOWRUNNER
From Steven S. DeKnight to Doug Petrie and Marco Ramirez to now Erik Oleson, every season of Daredevil has resulted in new showrunners. Oleson is known for being the writer and co-executive producer of the third season of Arrow, so depending on how you feel about that season, this could be good or bad news.
Deborah Ann Woll, who portrays Karen Page on the show, spoke to Collider about the change of guard. "He's one of the most enthusiastic showrunners that I've ever worked with. He's so excited about having this job. He's not over it. He's easy to talk to and he's very collaborative." Let's hope it's as positive as Woll says it is.
5 RUMOR: GHOST RIDER'S INTRODUCTION
Many fans have said that Netflix's Marvel universe would be the perfect place for Ghost Rider. Of course, we've seen the Robbie Reyes version of the character appear in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but we'd like to see Johnny Blaze get his own series.
If he's ever to show up, a guest appearance in Daredevil could set up the character to have his own series. It would allow the powers that be to suss out the character's popularity among the audience. Maybe with the rumor that the next season of The Walking Dead will be the last, it would free up the fan-favorite to play Ghost Rider, Norman Reedus, to be Blaze in his own TV show.
4 FACT: ALL FOUR DEFENDERS IN 2018
After previously spaced out releases, 2018 is a monumental year for the Defenders team. It's the year in which each member has had his/her own series released. Jessica Jones was released in March, Luke Cage in June, Iron Fist is due in September, and Daredevil will drop before the end of the year.
It's fair to say that none of the series have sparked wild fanfare or reinvented themselves, so the onus is on Daredevil to really knock it out of the park. There's a lot riding on Matt's shoulders and we wouldn't be surprised if he's the one to take all the plaudits for 2018.
3 RUMOR: TYPHOID MARY TO POP UP
When Alice Eve was announced as Typhoid Mary for season two of Iron Fist, a few eyebrows were raised. Mainly because she's known as being a primary antagonist for Daredevil, so why was she first utilized in Danny Rand's series? Nonetheless, with the shared universe of the Defenders, it's likely that she could be introduced in Iron Fist but appear in Daredevil too.
If you're unfamiliar with Typhoid Mary, her real name is Mary Walker and she's Matt's former girlfriend. She possesses limited psionic powers and three separate personalities that would make Kevin from M. Night Shyamalan's Split blush. Oh, and she's also extremely lethal, having served as an assassin.
2 FACT: FOGGY AND KAREN ARE STILL AROUND
Daredevil is only as good as his supporting cast. Fortunately, the likes of Foggy Nelson and Karen have been the pillars of Matt's life, supporting him while he moonlights as a vigilante and tries to keep his lawyer career alive. It hasn't always been easy, but he's been able to rely on both of them for support.
With the cat out of the bag that he's the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, both Foggy and Karen know Matt's secret. He has a lot of work to do in repairing his relationships with them, but at least we know that he'll have enough time to do so in the third season of Daredevil.
1 RUMOR: A DEFENDERS CAMEO
As has become common now, it's possible that one of the Defenders could be popping by on season three of Daredevil for a cameo appearance or two. Undoubtedly, this all aids the world building and fan service of the universe, but it ensures that season two of The Defenders remains a possibility – even if it won't happen in the immediate future.
While Marvel hasn't ruled out future Defenders projects, it could take a backseat to the likes of Heroes for Hire or other team-ups. Much like The Avengers films in the MCU, it could be a once in a blue moon kind of deal and not every so often.