- Daredevil: Born Again viewers are disappointed about episode 7’s big character death
- Marvel fans had hoped to see the individual stick around for much longer
- Disney+ users thought their character arc should’ve been explained in more detail in previous episodes, too
Daredevil: Born Again hasn’t drawn much criticism from Marvel fans since it began in early March.
That’s changed following the release of its seventh episode, titled ‘Art for Art’s Sake’, though. Indeed, some viewers have reacted negatively to a big character death in the Disney+ show, with some saying they felt there was more to explore with the individual in question at a character level.
Full spoilers immediately follow for Daredevil: Born Again episode 7. Turn back now if you haven’t watched it yet.
Is Muse really dead in Daredevil: Born Again?
It appears so. The serial killer who’s stalked the streets of New York throughout Daredevil: Born Again season 1 is no longer of this world. Unless you’re a superpowered being, you don’t take five bullet wounds to the torso and live to tell the tale in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
To be fair, Muse has had it coming. Not only has he murdered 60 innocent civilians since Wilson Fisk became Mayor of New York City, he was close to increasing that tally to 62 in Daredevil: Born Again episode 5 and the series’ most recent chapter.
If Daredevil hadn’t intervened on both occasions, Muse would’ve added Angela Torres, aka the niece of deceased vigilante White Tiger, and Heather Glenn, i.e., Matt Murdock/Daredevil’s girlfriend, to his victims list. It’s a good job, then, that Murdock ended his year-long self-imposed exile as The Man Without Fear, then.
It’ll be interesting to see how Murdock deals with the fact that Glenn is responsible for Muse’s death. Indeed, even though Fisk paints a picture (see what I did there?) that his Anti-Vigilante Task Force took down Muse, Gleen is the one who filled Muse – real name Bastian Cooper and the individual we all suspected to be Muse as early as Born Again episode 2 – with lead. That’s because Cooper was one of Glenn’s mental health patients and, during their latest session, he tried to kill her.
So, while Glenn acted in self-defense, I’m curious to see if Murdock’s opinion of her will change because, as Daredevil, he still seems to be abiding by his no-kill rule. Well, as long as Glenn doesn’t cotton onto the fact that her boyfriend is not only The Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, but has also been lying to her about his injuries and where he’s been going at night, and subsequently breaks up with him.
‘This episode was like jumping into the finale of a movie I haven’t seen’
But back to the matter at hand. Muse’s death means that the final two episodes of Born Again‘s first season will primarily focus on the next collision of its two main characters. Those being, of course, Murdock and Fisk.
Nevertheless, fans of the Marvel Phase 5 TV series have expressed disappointment that Muse is no longer around.
Taking to a Marvel Studios Reddit thread post-episode 7, MaruKENTA wrote “I’m a bit disappointed that might be the last of Muse that we see. Hunter Doohan really pulled off the creepy aspect of the character”. In another Reddit thread, Joker_CP *ahem* joked that they’d hoped to see Muse feature more heavily in Born Again season 1’s final few entries before his demise in ‘Art for Art’s Sake’.
Others were less enthused about Muse’s portrayal in the show for different reasons. For one, Redditor CartoonAcademic said they weren’t happy that Muse was given a clear identity in the series (NB: he’s remained nameless in Marvel Comics since he made his literary debut in September 2016).
Elsewhere, MCU fans suggested that Born Again should’ve spent more time examining Muse’s civilian identity. On Reddit, AmarDikli and CrimsonComet1941 said they were disappointed that the show didn’t give us more scenes between Glenn and Cooper to really sell how unhinged the latter was, or to see what actually made him tick.
Redditor Vadermaulkylo expressed frustration over how little he was utilized on-camera, too. With comments from willys_zuppa, Rain616, and Pax_flash among others stating how terrifying Muse was in episode 7, it’s a shame this is the end of the line for Cooper and his masked alias.
Do y’all think we see muse returning season 2 with his more superhuman abilities😣#DaredevilBornAgain #Daredevil pic.twitter.com/W820JSo98YApril 2, 2025
Or is it? Speaking to TVLine, showrunner Dario Scardapane insinuated that Muse – or, at the very least, his shadow – will loom large over Born Again‘s sophomore outing. “The Muse run, for lack of a better word, in this story has pretty shocking consequences. And those consequences don’t end,” Scardapane said. “We’re carrying them into season 2, is the best way I can put it.”
Does that mean Cooper could somehow return as Muse? Will a fanatic of his adopt the mantle of Muse 2.0? Or was the serial killer’s presence in this season just a fulcrum to bring out Murdock and Fisk’s dark sides again? We’ll have to wait and see what plays out in one of the best Disney+ shows’ next two episodes and in season 2 before knowing for sure.
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