We Need To Talk About Daredevil's Future In The Marvel Netflix Universe After 'The Defenders'

Aside from bringing our favorite Marvel Netflix characters together, The Defenders did an excellent job setting up the various narratives of its solo heroes and then leaving fans on tenterhooks about the fates of Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Danny Rand and Matt Murdock a.k.a. Daredevil. It's Daredevil's future after the events of The Defenders that is of particular interest to me because it could directly affect Daredevil Season 3. The ending of The Defenders implies that Daredevil's future in the Marvel Netflix universe could go in a very interesting direction, thanks to a variety of mysterious forces shown in The Defenders which could end up affecting his life permanently.

Note: The following section contains major spoilers for The Defenders.

After #TheDefenders' final battle with the Hand concluded with #Daredevil seemingly dead and buried under a the remnants of Midland Circle, it appeared as though his story would end right there. But we learned in the final moments of the episode that he was somehow rescued and was recovering in the care of a group of nuns. The scene didn't provide us with any clues as to who was responsible for digging Daredevil out of the rubble or resurrecting him but where he was injured — beneath Midland Circle — might have given us clues as to how he was brought back.

Was Daredevil resurrected using a substance the hand wanted to harness?

During the final battle between the Defenders and #TheHand, the dragon skeleton they were fighting under had a significant role to play in the Hand's plan. The dragon bone was intended to be used to create more of the life-sustaining substance talked about earlier on in the season and it was that very same substance used to resurrect the Black Sky in Elektra's body.

That connection between the dragon bone and the powers of resurrection it could hold was seemingly confirmed by Marco Ramirez, the showrunner on The Defenders, during an interview with Entertainment Weekly. Here's what he had to say:

"The idea of that was that there had always been this kind of mystery that the Hand can bring people back from the dead, but we never knew exactly how, and it made sense to connect the life-force idea of the chi in the Iron Fist to the idea of the life force [the Hand members] use for various purposes, so we’re just saying it’s dragon bone that they use, that that’s the substance. That felt like the cleanest way to tie everything in.

Given Daredevil's seemingly miraculous recovery from life-threatening injuries that come with being buried under a building, it stands to reason that the dragon bone substance could have been harnessed to bring him back from the brink of death in the same way Elektra was brought back. Assuming whoever dragged Daredevil out of the rubble also took the time to gather some bone fragments as well, they would've had the ingredients necessary to concoct a formula to bring him back to life. We know Daredevil is alive, and the dragon bones seem like the best bet at the moment.

Will Daredevil return as a changed man?

Aside from the "how," one of the more interesting aspects of Daredevil being brought back using the the dragon bone substance is the possibility of him returning back to his old life as a changed man.

Being resurrected in the Marvel universe always has its drawbacks and this could certainly be the case with Daredevil coming back from the brink of death. We've seen how Elektra, as well as the separate members of the Hand, became bloodthirsty and power hungry after being resurrected through the use of the substance. Would it really be a surprise to see a similar effect occurring with Daredevil as well? Hopefully not, because Hell's Kitchen needs its hero, but we shouldn't rule it out at this time.

When Season 3 of Daredevil does premiere, it'll be interesting to see how the final scene of The Defenders effects Daredevil's life after death. He may not be affected by the event at all, or it could alter his persona altogether. Either scenario is plausible at the moment, but it'll be up to Daredevil or The Defenders to reveal how he is seemingly back from the dead. For now, that question is going to be driving us all crazy until we have answers.

[Source: EW; CinemaBlend]