Years after Netflix’s Daredevil was canceled, two popular characters, Matt Murdock (Daredevil, played by Charlie Cox) and Wilson Fisk (Kingpin, played by Vincent D’Onofrio), have returned in various Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) projects. These characters have appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Hawkeye, and Echo.
Now, they are ready to lead Daredevil: Born Again, a highly anticipated new show set to air in 2025. Fans recently got a sneak peek with an official trailer that gave a fresh look at Hell’s Kitchen in the MCU.
The trailer also revealed the return of several beloved characters, including Frank Castle (The Punisher, played by Jon Bernthal), Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), Ben Poindexter (Bullseye, played by Wilson Bethel), and Vanessa Fisk (Ayelet Zurer).
Additionally, the trailer introduced new characters, such as Heather Glenn, played by Margarita Levieva. In the trailer, viewers get a glimpse of a very steamy moment between Heather and Matt, which suggests some new romantic drama for Daredevil.
After his brief fling with Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk, played by Tatiana Maslany) in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, it appears Matt Murdock has moved on to someone else. He returns to Hell’s Kitchen, where his dating history in the Marvel Comics universe is well-known and rather tragic.
Despite being a devout Catholic, Matt’s romantic relationships never seem to end well. His partners often face terrible fates. One of those tragic relationships involves Heather Glenn, a character who is less well-known than Karen Page but has an equally dark history with Matt Murdock.
Matt Murdock’s Relationship with Heather Glenn in Marvel Comics
Heather Glenn was created in 1975 by Marv Wolfman and Bob Brown in Daredevil #126. She is the daughter of Maxwell Glenn, the CEO of Glenn Industries. Heather first meets Matt Murdock when she discovers him staying at her ex-boyfriend’s old apartment.
Instantly, she finds Matt attractive, which leads to them becoming involved with each other. Using her family’s wealth, Heather helps Matt open a legal clinic for the less fortunate called the Storefront, though the name doesn’t have the same ring as Nelson and Murdock, Matt’s legal practice with his best friend, Foggy Nelson.
As Matt and Heather spend more time together, he eventually admits his feelings for her, and they begin dating. However, things take a turn for the worse when a villain named Zebediah Killgrave (Purple Man) uses his mind-control powers on Maxwell Glenn.
He forces Matt’s father-in-law to participate in several illegal activities, such as kidnapping, embezzlement, and even attempted murder. In his attempt to protect the Glenn family and prove Maxwell’s innocence without revealing his own secret identity as Daredevil, Matt faces great challenges.
Unfortunately, Maxwell Glenn is consumed with guilt, which causes him to take his own life while in police custody. This event deeply affects Heather.
When Heather finds Matt dressed in his Daredevil costume in their shared apartment, she becomes enraged and blames him for her father’s death. Immediately, she breaks up with Matt and leaves him. After the breakup, she becomes the new CEO of Glenn Industries.
However, Heather’s life takes another tragic turn when she becomes the target of Zebediah Killgrave. In a shocking moment, Killgrave forces Heather to point a gun at her own head, but Matt as Daredevil arrives just in time to save her.
Though Heather now understands that Matt was not responsible for her father’s death, it takes some time for her to forgive him and rebuild their relationship. Later, Matt proposes to Heather, but his reasons are more about controlling her rather than expressing his true love for her.
He wants her to stay at home as a housewife, but Heather refuses to give up her career. This leads Matt to conduct a criminal investigation into her company, Glenn Industries. For Matt, it feels as though he is trying to take away her independence after already losing her father, which shows his darker side.
Eventually, Foggy Nelson and Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson in the MCU) intervene and forge breakup letters between Matt and Heather.
This drives Heather into a spiral of drinking and dating multiple people, much to Matt’s disapproval. Ironically, Matt becomes repulsed by her actions. Feeling that there is no hope of them getting back together, Heather tragically takes her own life.
Will Heather Glenn’s Tragic Story Be Included in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’?
Vincent D’Onofrio, who plays Kingpin in the new MCU series, has shared with Collider that Daredevil: Born Again will be just as dark as the original Netflix Daredevil series. He even hinted at a storyline that has never been shown in any Disney+ show.
The trailer for Daredevil: Born Again certainly shows that this new series will not shy away from intense violence. However, fans are hoping that the show does not follow the dark and tragic storyline from the comics regarding Heather and Matt.
In the comics, Matt’s behavior toward Heather was abusive, and it would be a major shift in tone for his character if the show portrayed him in such a light. Fans have grown to love Charlie Cox’s portrayal of Matt Murdock/Daredevil, and turning him into an emotional and verbal abuser would be a difficult and jarring choice for the series.
Based on the limited footage shown so far of Margarita Levieva’s portrayal of Heather Glenn in Daredevil: Born Again, it appears that Matt and Heather share a strong, undeniable attraction. The show can still take inspiration from the comics but could give their relationship a different path.
In the series, Heather could be portrayed as a high-level executive at Glenn Industries or even as a socialite who crosses paths with Matt. It is also possible that Glenn Industries will be involved in some of the secret criminal activities of newly elected Mayor Fisk, Matt’s old enemy. This would provide a strong connection between Matt and Heather as he investigates the company.
In typical Daredevil fashion, Matt may find himself torn between his attraction to Heather and his mission to stop crime. This conflict could set up intense drama and moral dilemmas for Matt.
Additionally, with the new villains and love interests being introduced, Matt will be facing many challenges that will test his ability to balance his personal life and his role as Daredevil.
Matt Murdock’s Internal Struggles in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’
As Matt dons the Daredevil suit once more in Daredevil: Born Again, he faces a new wave of emotional struggles. In the trailer, Matt teases that “a line has been crossed,” hinting that something significant has changed for him.
There has been much speculation that beloved characters like Foggy Nelson or Karen Page could be killed off in the series, which could explain why Matt temporarily hangs up his Daredevil suit. The loss of these close friends could have a lasting impact on Matt’s psyche and force him to reconsider his path as a hero.
With the rise of new villains and complicated romantic entanglements, Matt will certainly be challenged in Daredevil: Born Again. Fans are eager to see how these complex relationships and struggles unfold.
Daredevil: Born Again promises to deliver a mix of action, drama, and deep emotional conflict, which will likely keep fans hooked as they eagerly await each new episode.
The new show is set to premiere on Disney+ on March 4, 2025, and fans are excited to see how the story of Daredevil continues in the MCU.
