The return of Daredevil: Born Again to mainstream television, nearly seven years after its initial cancellation on Netflix, feels like a remarkable achievement, a testament to the enduring appeal of its characters and the narrative possibilities inherent in the Marvel universe. This revival, however, is not merely a victory for fan service; it represents a significant artistic and thematic statement, particularly striking in the early months of 2025. The series’ explicit endorsement of extralegal resistance against authoritarian governance arrives at a moment when the broader entertainment industry, and Disney in particular, seemed to be cautiously navigating a landscape perceived as increasingly shaped by reactionary politics. The show’s courageous stance, airing in the nascent stages of a second Donald Trump administration, positions law enforcement and political leadership as antagonists, a bold move in the contemporary media climate.
The initial creative retooling of Daredevil: Born Again mid-production might have suggested a dilution of its more provocative themes. Yet, the final product stands as a stark depiction of the nobility in challenging oppressive government, even through means that transgress conventional legal boundaries. This message resonates powerfully in 2025, an era where, as some analyses suggested, the entertainment sector appeared to be recalibrating its content in response to a perceived shift in cultural norms. The notion that reactionary politics had achieved a definitive victory proved to be a premature assessment, but the series’ emergence during this period amplifies its impact.
The second season of Daredevil: Born Again further solidifies its thematic relevance. As real-world incidents of state-sanctioned violence against citizens draw widespread condemnation, the fictional narrative’s parallels to contemporary events become undeniable. Insiders connected to the production have subtly acknowledged the deliberate resonances between the anti-vigilante shock troops employed by mob boss-turned-Mayor Wilson Fisk and agencies like ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement). This strategic layering of fiction and reality elevates the series beyond simple superhero fare, transforming it into a potent, albeit fictional, commentary on the erosion of civil liberties.
Fisk’s Authoritarian Playbook: A Masterclass in Fascism
Beyond its timely political commentary, Daredevil: Born Again offers a compelling and illuminating portrayal of how authoritarianism functions in practice. The character of Wilson Fisk, a literal gangster wielding the power of the state, serves as a potent illustration of how such governance consolidates power through a combination of criminal tactics and the state’s inherent monopoly on violence.
Historically, the relationship between authoritarian regimes and organized crime has been complex and often contradictory. Benito Mussolini, upon ascending to power in the 1920s, initiated crackdowns on the Mafia in southern Italy. His rationale was clear: the Mafia’s entrenched regional influence posed a direct threat to his agenda of centralized national control. However, this was not a one-sided battle. The Mafia, in turn, demonstrated a capacity for resistance and even cooperation with opposing forces. Notably, Lucky Luciano, a figure often credited with structuring the American organized crime syndicates, allegedly provided crucial intelligence to the Allied forces during World War II, aiding in the invasion of Sicily.
Similarly, the Nazi Party in Germany actively targeted and dismantled established urban crime syndicates, known as Ringvereine. Yet, authoritarian governments have also found in gangsters valuable assets for executing targeted violence and maintaining control. Henri Lafont, a notorious French gangster, led the French auxiliary of the Gestapo, a role for which the Nazis authorized him to recruit his former criminal associates from prison. This pragmatic alliance underscores a recurring pattern: the utilization of individuals with a proven capacity for illicit operations to advance state objectives.
A more chilling example of this dynamic can be found in the Indonesian genocide of the mid-1960s, which resulted in the deaths of an estimated one million individuals, including communists, union organizers, ethnic Chinese, and other minorities. This systematic extermination was largely carried out by organized crime elements. Anwar Congo, a participant in these atrocities, later re-enacted his crimes for the harrowing 2012 documentary The Act of Killing. In that film, then-Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla candidly stated to a cheering crowd, "We need gangsters to get things done. Free, private men who get things done." This statement encapsulates the cynical utility of organized crime in facilitating state-sponsored violence when formal mechanisms are deemed insufficient or too cumbersome.
The Mechanics of Fascism: Mob Tactics and State Power
On a deeper, philosophical level, the convergence of fascism and organized crime is rooted in the shared reliance on mob tactics. The most overt manifestation of this is the deployment of brutal, swift, and disproportionate violence. This can originate from state agents, such as the fictional Anti-Vigilante Task Force or historical entities like the SS, or from state-affiliated paramilitary groups. However, the influence of organized crime extends to a pervasive atmosphere of scams, heists, and rackets. This ranges from the systematic looting of Jewish assets by the Nazis to Donald Trump’s repeated assertions about "taking the oil" from uncooperative nations.
Daredevil: Born Again masterfully explores how Fisk’s mayoral tenure embodies this fusion. The introduction of his Praetorian Guard of police officers, who evolve into his Anti-Vigilante Task Force, occurs early in the first season. While their presence might seem standard in a superhero narrative, Fisk’s broader agenda is revealed later: personal enrichment through a zoning loophole that allows him to operate a marine terminal as a free-trade zone. Despite subtle hints to the contrary, Fisk remains a gangster, now leveraging the machinery of the state to enrich himself and eliminate non-state competition, mirroring Mussolini’s strategies. This dynamic makes his task force, and their real-world equivalents, a particularly insidious threat. Their danger lies not only in their brutality but in their presentation as public employees operating as a private army.
The Intimacy of Localized Tyranny
The depiction of authoritarianism at the municipal level in Daredevil: Born Again carries a particular dread. In a nation as vast as the United States, a citizen might be aware of an illiberal national government but experience its effects indirectly. This is particularly true for those not directly targeted by security forces or living in cities under increased federal scrutiny. Fisk’s tyranny, however, is portrayed as alarmingly intimate, even within the sprawling metropolis of New York. This contrasts with the more detached, albeit uneasy, presence of allies like Matthew Lillard’s CIA emissary. While escaping an authoritarian country is a formidable challenge, being trapped on an island with a dictator presents a uniquely claustrophobic scenario. In the real world, local and state leaders have sometimes stood against federal overreach. However, when the mayor themselves is orchestrating the arbitrary removal of citizens from restaurants and bodegas, the prospect of rescue from any level of government diminishes significantly.
The Moral Calculus of Resistance
This dearth of legitimate governmental allies intensifies the season’s ongoing philosophical debate between Matt Murdock and Karen Page regarding the morality and practicality of revolutionary violence. While characters like Batman operate under a strict code of non-lethality, their principles are more easily upheld when they can rely on the cooperation of figures like the police commissioner. These moral stances become considerably more challenging when the nominal keepers of the peace are actively hostile, prepared to shoot on sight.
Fisk’s use of the police to brutalize dissidents is particularly resonant because, even within the malleable reality of superhero fiction, these characters often mirror real-world law enforcement. Fisk and his task force leader, Powell, much like their actual counterparts, assert a mandate to target the "worst of the worst." However, their violence is frequently directed at individuals who simply displease them. In reality, mayors of large cities, and particularly those in New York, often find themselves at odds with their police forces. The NYPD’s notorious actions during the 2020 Black Lives Matter uprisings, including doxxing then-Mayor Bill de Blasio’s daughter after her arrest, exemplify this friction. In Born Again, however, the brutality inflicted by Fisk’s police is met with his enthusiastic endorsement and support.
The gruesome murder of Police Commissioner Gallo by Fisk in the first season finale is not merely a personal vendetta; it serves as a symbolic offering to officers like Powell. By eliminating the perceived obstacle to their unchecked authority, Fisk solidifies his control and emboldens his enforcers. Powell and his thugs deliver violence in a disturbingly realistic manner. This includes Powell’s assault of a journalist and his cold-blooded murder of one of his own officers to instigate a riot at a protest. In a moment of meta-irony, Fisk’s police are depicted as fervent admirers of the Punisher’s iconography, mirroring real-world law enforcement preferences, yet they are simultaneously tasked with hunting down Daredevil, creating a profound cognitive dissonance.
The Business of Dictatorship: Profit and Power
Like any seasoned mob boss, or aspiring one, Fisk, in his role as mayor, commands a network capable of executing his directives without explicit orders. His murder of Gallo, a departure from his previous pattern of indirect action in the Netflix series, underscores this evolution. This act serves as a strategic escalation in Karen Page’s argument for a more proactive and ruthless approach. As Fisk explicitly communicates during his confrontation with Matt, he holds all the cards, positioning himself as the sole player willing to resort to killing.
By the second season, this culmination of power leads Fisk to institute martial law as part of his purge of vigilantes. This initiative drives not only active vigilantes like Matt Murdock underground but also any individual deemed a political dissident or supporter of such figures. Authoritarianism and fascism thrive on perceived chaos and contradiction, fostering an environment where nothing holds inherent meaning. Within this vacuum, state officials can exploit their positions for personal gain while simultaneously employing fearmongering tactics against imagined threats. They warn that any constraints on their power, such as adherence to the law, would leave society vulnerable to "thugs."
Navigating the Labyrinth of Powerlessness
Witnessing the machinations of an out-of-control state can understandably lead to feelings of paralysis and despair. Daredevil: Born Again acknowledges this potential for disempowerment. While Daredevil and his allies engage in individual missions to resist Fisk’s regime, much of their downtime is occupied by tactical debates between Matt and Karen—discussions that would feel at home in a series like Andor. Ultimately, the series, like its characters, eschews easy answers. It recognizes that the complex realities of the present moment do not offer simple solutions. Instead, the path forward requires patience, community organizing, and a willingness to accept that the fruits of one’s labor may not be immediately apparent.
However, there is a peculiar comfort in understanding that the formidable power of an unchecked state often relies on the fear it instills. These forces are significantly diminished if that fear is not reciprocated. This is why their natural adversaries, both within the narrative and in reality, are those who embody courage—men and women without fear.
