For some time, superhero fans wondered whether the Marvel Cinematic Universe would utilize characters from Netflix shows like Daredevil and Jessica Jones. Well, that finally came to pass when Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Now, Cox is officially set to return for Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again, which also stars Vincent D’Onofrio (who returned as Kingpin in Hawkeye). They’re the only two cast members from the OG show that have been confirmed for the new production. But their former co-star, Rosario Dawson, said that she has “unfinished business” with her character – Claire Temple – while weighing in on the upcoming show.
Rosario Dawson’s Claire Temple was a major fixture within Netflix’s catalogue of Marvel content. The actress actually appeared as the ex-night-shift nurse in all but one of the interconnected TV shows. With that, Dawson’s is more than eager to reprise the role for Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again. Her desire to return seems to be partially fueled by the nature of her character’s final appearance:
You don’t even see her in that last ‘tell Claire to go home’ moment on Luke Cage. So what is that? You know it’s terrible. So, yeah, I’d be super curious, but I’m just so stoked for everybody, though. It’s been a long time coming. I was really excited to know that all of our shows are actually part of the MCU now, with Charlie [Cox] and Vincent [D’Onofrio] coming over into these different projects now. So, yeah, 18 episodes [of Daredevil: Born Again]? I’m there! Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, they know where I am.
Fans last saw Claire appear during the second season of Luke Cage, during which she was engaged in a romance with the titular hero before things eventually soured between the two. In the closing moments of the series finale, Luke (who’d proclaimed himself the Sheriff of Harlem) asked that an unseen Claire be dissuaded from entering the Harlem’s Paradise nightclub. It was honestly a pretty underwhelming way to address the character, so one can understand why the Clerks III actress would tell THR that she’s eager for more.
Of course, something that should be mentioned is that Marvel Studios has yet to specify whether Netflix’s shows are officially MCU canon. Sure, Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk have already appeared, but the two characters could very well be “variants” of the ones viewers first met several years ago. Still, I’m sure Kevin Feige and co. could find a way to fit some version of Rosario Dawson’s character into the proceedings. (Plus, Dawson does already have a foot in the Disney door, thanks to her role as Ahsoka in the Stars Wars franchise.)
Daredevil seems to have a big future at Disney+, and fans should be excited. Born Again’s 18-episode order is the biggest that the steamer has given to any of the MCU series thus far. And before his next solo outing, the Man Without Fear will guest star on She-Hulk. The show’s head writer, Jessica Gao, has confirmed that the show will feature a “lighter” version of Charlie Cox’s hero. However, the character’s brief appearance in a trailer for the show seems to indicate that he’s still a force to be reckoned with.
Casting details on the new DD show are scarce at this point, but I’m hopeful that the producers will give Rosario Dawson (and some of her other colleagues) a call. Her “Night Nurse” would be a fun addition to the MCU, and there are plenty of ways that the writers could help her settle that “unfinished business.”
Daredevil: Born Again is set to be released in early 2024 as part of MCU Phase 5. While you wait for additional updates, you can stream the original series now using a Disney+ subscription.
