'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' Is Already Setting Up A Dark Daredevil Storyline

Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) introduced a myriad of new and exciting villains for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with many we haven't seen before and other familiar faces like The Hand. However, the undead ninja clan is more than just a random threat for Spider-Man to face; it marks the return of one of the most underappreciated Daredevil villains out there.

Daredevil (2015-2018) introduced The Hand and quickly made them one of the biggest threats and focal points for the series. But they haven't been seen since The Defenders (2017). With their return, it could finally tease an incredibly dark and anticipated Daredevil storyline in the future.

How Do The Hand Connect In 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' And 'Daredevil: Born Again'?

In many ways, we wouldn't have Daredevil in the MCU without Spider-Man. In Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Matt Murdock returned on the big screen and confirmed that years of his time on the Netflix shows actually counted for something, and that meant that many other characters wouldn't be far behind.

Now, Spider-Man: Brand New Day continues to add Daredevil connections, from bringing in Jon Bernthal's Punisher to seeing Sheila Rivera, who worked with the Kingpin when he was mayor, giving Spidey the key to the city. The Hand feels like a long time coming, as they were grossly misrepresented in the Netflix show, even taking away their Japanese identity and influences and making them a faceless and evil organization. 

To connect The Hand from the Netflix continuity to the MCU proper, William Metzger explained that after Spider-Man defeated them, this splinter group of the fractured organization was just missing a leader. Working for Damage Control, they had a direction again, at least until Metzger was exposed for his experimentation on mutants and The Hand was defeated bySpider-Man and left leaderless once again.

What Is 'Shadowland' About?

Shadowland was a street-level event series by Andy Diggle and Billy Tan in which The Beast, the evil spirit that The Hand worships and does the bidding of, possesses Matt Murdock. Matt, thinking he could use The Hand as a force for good, quickly got in over his head, and it took the combined might of the street-level heroes to stop him.

One of the things that stood out from the series was that Daredevil had a black and red suit similar to the one from Daredevil: Born Again (2025). He's also famous for killing Bullseye in the same way he killed Elektra at the start of the series.

Shadowland remains one of the biggest events in Marvel's street-level universe and one of the few times that characters like Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, and Moon Knight were all working on the same level. But this series was also one of the many times that Daredevil lost his way while trying to do some good. In that respect, Shadowland is a bit of an underrated series in the Marvel Universe, but it led to some great moments and saw a beloved hero tip to the dark side, even if for a little bit. But what would be more exciting than that is seeing something similar happen in the MCU.

A Villainous Daredevil Is A Great Idea For The MCU

The MCU's Daredevil has always been a character who is selfless to a fault. He sacrificed his relationships for the greater good and even sacrificed his secret identity to stop the Kingpin. These sacrifices, however, often come at a cost he never fully thinks through, even if he thinks he did. Therefore, it's the perfect time to see Daredevil encounter The Hand again and think he can change them, especially after the high of beating Wilson Fisk again.

With Elektra in the series and leaked photos of a black and red suit on Daredevil, it seems like a great time to see The Hand return and Daredevil try to control them, only to turn evil. Matt has never been corrupted in the MCU. However, seeing that would give a greater reason for other street-level heroes to appear and try to stop him. 

Adapting Shadowland is exactly what Daredevil: Born Again needs, and it also serves as a great bridge to one day get Spider-Man involved in some way. These two characters will always be intrinsically linked, and with Spidey bringing The Hand back, and The Hand in need of direction and showing a capacity to do some "good" with Damage Control, it's time for Daredevil to experience his biggest change yet.