The Real Reason 'Daredevil' Teased The Watcher (It's Bigger Than You Think)

Daredevil: Born Again (2025) put the Marvel Cinematic Universe spotlight on street-level hero Daredevil (Charlie Cox). In many ways, the show is distinct from the MCU we’re familiar with. It’s not just that it has the grittier, more mature tone of Daredevil (2015), but also that it offers a different perspective on the Marvel universe. Instead of cosmic threats and gods, it centers on a smaller but intriguing and arguably more human conflict in New York City among vigilantes, kingpins, and corrupt police officers.

While the alternate perspective is refreshing, there’s still a part of me that would like to see Daredevil operate in the grander scheme of things. As a vigilante with religious leanings, inner moral conflict, and impressive combat skills, I feel he’d be a natural fit for the wider MCU conflicts. However, it may not be long until he makes a broader mark on the MCU, especially after Daredevil: Born Again teased The Watcher. 

Did ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Tease The Watcher?

In What If…? (2021), The Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) is an ancient and extremely powerful entity who watches over the multiverse, though he’s forbidden from interfering in events. Throughout the series, viewers often see his silhouette in the sky, watching large-scale multiversal events play out. The silhouette of his large head and glowing eyes has become so iconic that viewers can recognize it anywhere. Hence, it didn’t take eagle-eyed viewers to spot a potential cameo from The Watcher in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, Episode 4, “Gloves Off.”

In the scene where Daredevil saves Bullseye (Wilson Bethel), and they break through the window of Fogwell’s Gym before running off, The Watcher’s silhouette appears in the broken window. While some viewers argued it was a trick of the lighting, it truly does look like The Watcher’s shadow, as you can see the outline of his head, ear, and his glowing eyes. Marvel Studios exec Brad Winderbaum later shared a screenshot of the tease and wrote, “Always watching,” which seemed to confirm The Watcher, though he could just be going along with the speculation or trolling.

The Watcher Isn’t The Only Hint Of Something Bigger

If that is The Watcher in Daredevil: Born Again, it may be more than a fun Easter egg. For much of its second season, Daredevil: Born Again has teased that something bigger is at play. The original Daredevil series always featured prominent religious symbolism, since Matt Murdock’s Catholicism is a pivotal part of his character. Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again continues the symbolism in subtle but interesting ways. There are the obvious religious undertones in how Daredevil and Bullseye are drawn to the Catholic Church, and how the former grapples with his faith and actions.

Much of the storyline seems to be a religious allegory of good vs. evil. Red Hook is highly reminiscent of Hell, while the Northern Star is a reference to a guiding celestial body. The Northern Star’s demise and the shot of the cross-shaped mast slowly sinking underwater make one think of the losses on the side of good and a potential shift in spiritual guidance. 

Daredevil: Born Again also carries on Daredevil’s unique use of light, including bathing Bullseye in blue light and Daredevil in red to signify chaos and rage. However, the show has also made some other noticeable lighting decisions, such as bathing Karen (Deborah Ann Woll) and Matt in golden light or the light shining down on Buck (Arty Froushan) after he kills the Northern Star’s first mate, potentially hinting at the neutral ground between good and evil or divine favor or judgment.

What Does The Watcher’s Cameo Mean In ‘Daredevil: Born Again’?

The Watcher, combined with the other subtle hints of something divine or supernatural, hints that something big is happening in Daredevil: Born Again. Something about Daredevil and Wilson Fisk’s (Vincent D’Onofrio) clash over the fate of New York City has caught the attention of one or potentially more than one cosmic entity. It’s difficult to say for sure what’s happening, but there’s a chance that the show is building up to the Beast storyline from Marvel Comics.

In the comics, trauma and heartbreak lead Murdock to take extreme measures to save New York City and fight crime. He goes down a dark path, becoming the leader of the mystical organization known as The Hand and cordoning off a section of New York City as his own to crack down on crime. Eventually, he becomes possessed by a demon worshipped by The Hand, known as the Beast. After Daredevil kills Bullseye, he becomes fully possessed by the demon, which radiates such potent corruption that it provokes violence among New York residents. 

Daredevil, as The Beast, requires other superheroes to intervene, including Iron Fist, who heals his soul to rid him of the demon. It’s a dark storyline that sees Daredevil go from a street-level vigilante to essentially the Devil, with godlike abilities. Daredevil: Born Again has hinted at Daredevil’s soul hanging in the balance as he struggles with his rage toward Bullseye, and even Karen mentions “both sides” hunting him. With his relationship with Bullseye tying heavily into how dark a path he goes down, it makes sense that the Watcher would tune in to the Fogwell fight.

Ultimately, things are heating up in Hell’s Kitchen, and the fact that figures from Val (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to The Watcher are taking an interest seems to hint that whatever is happening in Daredevil: Born Again is about to be felt throughout the MCU.