WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home, playing now in theaters.
Uniting the varied television and movie multiverses of every Marvel enterprise has been a priority of fans for decades; although, that seemed impossible. Blade and Wolverine could never team up on screen because they were owned by different studios. And the Fantastic Four could never go head to head against the Avengers for the same reason. Even somewhat obvious connections were left adrift in an unspecified limbo for continuity reasons, like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D's relationship to Agent Carter.
However, with Sony characters entering the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Disney's purchase of 20th Century Fox, it seems more fan favorites will enter the main canon, including Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), who made his theatrical MCU debut in the record-breaking release of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Even when there were rumors that Daredevil may make an appearance in the MCU, there were mounting concerns that he would be recast and the flames of Netflix's Hell's Kitchen would wind up amounting to nothing. However, Cox gets to carry his own torch, raising questions about what his future holds in store in the MCU.
What Role Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock Plays in Spider-Man: No Way Home
No Way Home picks up at the exact moment that Spider-Man: Far Away From Home leaves off, with Mysterio's false death bed confession implicating Spider-Man as his murderer. More urgently, he reveals Spidey's secret identity as Peter Parker to the world. Ill-equipped to become the most famous person on the planet, Peter and his family were besieged by social and legal avalanches, including stalker and media mobs, acts of violence and federal charges. Moving in with Happy alleviates some of the safety concerns, but it is Matt Murdock who steps in to handle the legal challenges.
Matt makes it clear that the case against Peter has no real merit, and he shouldn't be concerned about any of the pending litigations aimed in his direction, though Happy's entanglements will require a very skilled advocate. While discussing any potential liabilities that may go overlooked, a brick crashes through a window, and Matt catches it with minimal movement or exertion. When Peter asks how he did it, he coyly answers, "I'm a good lawyer." This moment in Aunt May's kitchen is the only glimpse of Murdock throughout the course of the movie, but it establishes his abilities as Daredevil and provides opportunities for Peter to call upon in the future.
What Matt Murdock's MCU Debut Could Mean Going Forward
In order to repair the fractured multiverse, Doctor Strange had to wipe all memory of Peter Parker from the entire world, so now it is as if he never existed. Aunt May was killed by the Green Goblin, so by the end of the film, Peter is more alone than he's ever been and has to rebuild his identity from the ground up. With no personal connections and the legal issues likely ahead of Peter while forming a new identity, Murdock presents an interesting opportunity for him.
Having gotten a sense of Murdock's abilities, Peter may suspect he is an enhanced individual, even if he doesn't make the connection between him and Daredevil. As someone that he only knew briefly, Murdock creates a safe space to explore a relationship that isn't built on the pain of a forgotten past. If a threat that Spider-Man comes across seems too great for him to handle alone, seeking out any of the Avengers may seem like too much of an emotional lift, and the alternative of a mysterious lawyer who seemed capable, intelligent and perhaps good to have around in a fight might be a more tempting option. There will also be legal questions Peter will have to struggle with in regard to establishing an identity, and though it falls outside of Murdock's specific purview as defense attorney, it might be logical for Peter to assume that there would be someone that he might be able to recommend.
Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk) is another New York-based attorney who specializes in criminal defense, and she is debuting in her own series on Disney+ sometime next year. Considering their professional proximity, both as costumed heroes and lawyers, there could be plenty of encounters between the two of them in the future. Furthermore, Kingpin from Daredevil's Netflix series debuted just one day prior in Hawkeye, which may hint at future crossovers or the inclusion of Luke Cage, Iron Fist and Jessica Jones in some aspect in other projects.
Of all the umbilical properties attached to Marvel, Daredevil was one of the efforts that garnered the most critical and fan acclaim thanks to its amazing close quarters combat choreography, dark tonality and inspired performances. As the MCU broadens its tent, it will be interesting to see if this welcome into the fold will be the beginning of a larger migration for other characters looking to find their way back home.
To see Charlie Cox's official MCU debut as Matt Murdock see Spider-Man: No Way Home, now in theaters.