The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen has returned!
*Warning: Spoilers for Echo episode 1, Daredevil and The Defenders ahead.*
It’s been a long time coming but Charlie Cox has finally returned as Matt Murdock/Daredevil in Echo!
Fans have been clamouring for another appearance from the star in the MCU after his wildly popular Netflix series and surprise appearances in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Now, Daredevil has faced up against Maya Lopex (Alaqua Cox) with an epic fight in episode 1 of Marvel’s new show Echo – and it seems the pair are pretty evenly matched.
But, just as quickly as he appeared, Daredevil made his exit (although we’ll be seeing him again for Daredevil: Born Again). So, how exactly did character get to this point? Read on for a full recap.
What happened to Daredevil before Echo? Full recap
Daredevil (2015)
Of course, we first met Cox’s Matt Murdock in Netflix’s Daredevil, which left fans heartbroken when it was cancelled after three seasons.
The third season saw an escalating battle between Daredevil and crime boss Kingpin (played by Vincent D’Onofrio, who is also returning in Echo).
Throughout the season, Kingpin had manipulated FBI Special Agent Benjamin “Dex” Poindexter into becoming a Daredevil imposter – but this all comes to a head when it’s revealed that Kingpin killed a woman Poindexter cared about.
After a brutal fight between the three of them, Daredevil forces Kingpin to agree to return to prison (to avoid Vanessa, played by Ayelet Zurer, ending up behind bars instead). Meanwhile, Poindexter suffers a broken back and the final scene shows him undergoing surgery and becoming the comic book villain Bullseye.
Aside from that chilling moment, Daredevil season 3 ends on an unexpectedly happy note, with Matt, Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) and Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) agreeing to establish their own law firm.
The Defenders (2017)
The next time we catch up with Matt is in 2017’s The Defenders, where he’s established as a pro bono lawyer, with the series showing him and the team, including Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Danny Rand (Finn Jones), and Luke Cage (Mike Colter) in a battle against the Hand.
After the final battle, it’s believed Matt has died, with Foggy and Karen left heartbroken – until a final scene reveals that he’s still alive.
Unlike Daredevil, The Defenders only lasted for one season and it would be four years before we saw Daredevil back on screens for…
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Gasps were heard in cinemas across the world as Matt Murdock made a surprise appearance in one of the MCU’s most highly-anticipated movies of all time.
Appearing as Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland) lawyer, Matt casually saves Peter from a brick flying through the window – but doesn’t reveal his secret, simply saying: “I’m a really good lawyer.”
It’s a brief cameo, but it does everything it needs to in order to re-integrate Matt back into the MCU.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
In the final two episodes of She-Hulk, Daredevil rocks up with a new suit – and it seems he was set up as a love interest for Tatiana Maslany’s Jennifer Walters.
After a very meta season finale, the series ends with Matt attending a family barbecue. Happily ever after! Right? Well, until Maya Lopez enters the mix, that is…
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Echo is streaming now on Disney Plus. Check out the rest of our Sci-Fi and Fantasy coverage, or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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