This article contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again Episode 3
Summary
- The Mention of Officer Morales hints at Miles Morales entering MCU.
- Possible partnership between Daredevil and Spider-Man seems like a no-brainer
- The issue with Jefferson Morales/Davis's name is addressed in the comic adaptation.
The very nature of the Marvel Cinematic Universe means that what happens in Daredevil: Born Again, doesn’t stay in Daredevil: Born Again. Action that came before the show and the action that comes in the Disney+ series all carries over. Sometimes it’s not even action, persay that carries over, but the mere mention of a character or characters. Even the mere mention of a character that hasn’t been seen as part of the MCU just yet.
Case in point came in Episode 3 of Born Again, “The Hollow of His Hand” when Matt Murdock was formulating his defense case for the White Tiger, Hector Ayala. After the star witness for the defense ended up turning yellow and lying on the stand about where he was, Murdock decided to unmask Ayala as a superhero in order to win over the jury to their cause. Part of that approach was reading stories about police officers who were helped by the vigilante. One name that stood out among that list was an “Officer Morales.”
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Daredevil: Born Again Teases Arrival Of Miles Morales
It is of course, possible that the Morales that Murdock referenced in “The Hollow of His Hand” was a throwaway name. After all, it’s not hard to imagine a Hispanic police officer working the beat in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City. But it seems extremely unlikely that a name that so clearly and quickly made an entire nation of fans sit up and say “wait … what?” Was accidental. Or incidental.
The officer Morales that was likely being referred to would be Miles Morales dad, Jefferson. In the comic books and in the Spiderverse movies that were so popularly released by Sony, he’s a police officer. Sometimes a beat cop. Sometimes a captain. And sometimes someone on track to become commissioner. Whenever he’s popped up, he’s been a strong, loving influence for Miles and helps Miles become a better version of himself. And a better version of his version of Spider-Man.
The mention of an officer Morales certainly seems to be the confirmation of what Marvel has already at least teased. That Miles Morales will be coming to the MCU in the future. And he’ll be starting his journey in his canonical home of New York City.
Why Daredevil: Born Again Sets Up Miles Morales
The connection between Daredevil and Spider-Man has always been one of Marvel’s most compelling street-level partnerships. Both heroes operate within New York City and often deal with crime syndicates, corrupt officials, and the dark underbelly of society. Kingpin tends to be someone the two heroes run across often in their comic book exploits.
Their paths have crossed numerous times in the comics, and with the inclusion of Officer Morales in Daredevil: Born
Again, it seems more likely than ever that Marvel is laying the groundwork for their on-screen partnership. Of course, there’s a change there as well, if that is the plan. The Spider-Man that teams up with Daredevil, and in fact, has teamed up with Matt Murdock briefly in Spider-Man 3, has been Peter Parker more often than not.
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Daredevil: Born Again Episode 3 |
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Title |
"The Hollow of His Hand" |
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Written By |
Jill Blankenship |
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Directed By |
Michael Cuesta |
One of the biggest indicators of a possible Spider-Man crossover is the thematic alignment of Daredevil: Born Again with the recent events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Peter Parker is left without his support system, forced to navigate a world where no one remembers him. This leaves room for a new mentor or ally to step in—someone like Matt Murdock, who already played a small but significant role in Parker’s life during No Way Home.
However, there’s no guarantee, or anything close to a guarantee that Tom Holland and Peter Parker are sticking around the MCU beyond Spider-Man 4. It’s possible that Daredevil: Born Again could be setting up more than one mentoship. Now that Matt Murdock is back in the MCU in a big way, maybe he helps grease the handoff of the mantle of Spider-Man from Peter to Miles.
The Jefferson Morales Problem In Daredevil: Born Again
Some Spiderverse and comic book fans do point out that there is a problem when it comes to a police officer named Morales. Most Marvel fans know that Miles’ father actually goes by Jefferson Davis in most of the books and in the Spiderverse movies.
Jefferson Morales/Davis And His Son, Miles
- Several comic book stories have him die, pushing Miles into a life of crime fighting
- Some aspects of the Spiderverse have already appeared in the MCU
- The Prowler, played by Donald Glover, has been in live-action and animated Spider-Man movies.
However, in more recent comic runs, the character has changed his name to Jefferson Morales. And while that might not be the most accepted or well known version of the character, it makes some sense that the MCU would keep up with how he’s known in the most recent books. It could also be a way to separate the character from the Sony version in the animated movies. Considering how popular they are, it makes sense to set a dividing line. Perhaps Daredevil: Born Again laid out the direction the Marvel Cinematic Universe will move when Miles Morales officially joins the fray.
Daredevil: Born Again
- Release Date
- March 4, 2025
- Network
- Disney+
- Showrunner
- Chris Ord
- Directors
- Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, David Boyd, Jeffrey Nachmanoff
- Writers
- Jesse Wigutow, Jill Blankenship, Thomas Wong, David Feige, Grainne Godfree
- Franchise(s)
- Daredevil, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Cast
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Charlie CoxMatt Murdock / Daredevil -
Vincent D'OnofrioWilson Fisk
WHERE TO WATCH
Marvel: Best Daredevil Comics For Beginners, Ranked
Daredevil has enjoyed an iconic sixty-year history since his debut, providing numerous entry points for new readers to begin their comic book journey.