***Avoid reading any further if you haven't finished Netflix's Daredevil Season 2, since this article gets spoilery.***
Now that you've finished binging season two of Netflix's Daredevil, you might be left wondering just how many nods to the comic book were packed into those 13 episodes. While Daredevil comics novices could be excused for not picking up on the at-times subtle Easter eggs, even the most devoted comic book fan might have missed the many mentions that connect Marvel's comics, TV shows, and movies together. This is the Marvel Cinematic Universe after all, so even though Daredevil is devoted to telling the continuing story of the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, there are plenty of hints to the wider world.
Daredevil's cast of characters has also expanded beyond Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock, now including Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle/Punisher, Elodie Yung's Elektra Natchios, and even Mike Colter's Luke Cage. As such, season two had a lot of Easter eggs referencing each of those characters and their comic book mythology. There are so many, in fact, that we probably didn't catch them all, so feel free to let us know any that we missed in the comments below!
Watch Mr. Sunday Movie's video round-up of (almost) all of Daredevil Season 2's Easter eggs, followed by commentary on each of them, along with some he missed:
Baldor - Based on the Norse mythological god of light Baldr, Balder is one of Thor's closest childhood friends who's later revealed to be the son of Odin and Frigga. A prophecy states that Balder's death will trigger Ragnarok, so he's made nearly indestructible thanks to numerous spells cast upon him. With Thor: Ragnarok due out November 3, 2017, this might just be a nod to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Nesbitt - The cruel leader of the Kitchen Irish, Nesbitt made his followers lives a living Hell. In the comics, his death threw Hell's Kitchen into chaos when multiple gang factions begin a bloody war for the supposed $10,000,000 Nesbitt left behind. That was all set into motion in Netflix's Daredevil when Punisher lays waste to all of the Kitchen Irish except for one survivor, Grotto.
Grotto - In the comics, Grotto is a thug in the employ of Kingpin who, along with his partner Turk, was ordered to confront Elektra and tail Matt Murdock. He and Turk once stole a pair of Santa suits (off of the men who were wearing them at the time) in order to collect some money in New York's Upper East Side.
Smitty - Another thug in Hell's Kitchen, Smitty worked for Eric Slaughter, an aging crime boss (who also employed Grotto and Turk for a time) hired by Bullseye to kill Daredevil.
Foster - As Mr. Sunday Movies mentioned, this could either be a nod to Thor's Jane Foster, or in a bigger stretch, a reference to Bill Foster, a.k.a. Black Goliath, the second Giant-Man and fourth Goliath. The size-changing superhero sided with Captain America's Secret Avengers but was killed by a clone of Thor in battle. His burial required 38 plots--paid for by Tony Stark--since he was laid to rest in his giant form, but his death played a pivotal role in getting some heroes to switch sides.
Killdozer - Originally an engineer at Obadiah Stane's company Stane International, this villain reverse engineered Iron Man's technology and built a trio of suits, forming the Iron Trinity with two of his co-workers. The other villains were Heavy Metal Jacket and Steel-Fist.
Melvin Potter a.k.a. Gladiator - Though he appeared in the first season along with plenty of Easter eggs, Melvin Potter (Matt Gerald) returns as Daredevil's armorer and weapons maker. (You can also get another look at the Stilt-Man costume in his workshop.) But Potter doesn't just come up with a new suit and the classic baton for The Man Without Fear, he also starts to come into his own as the vigilante Gladiator. His full set of armor is only teased in the TV show, but you can glimpse what it would have looked like below:
Maggie Murdock - Very briefly teased in quick flashback scene to Matt Murdock's childhood at the Saint Agnes Orphanage, you can see his biological mother Sister Maggie Murdock caring for him as a child. The two would cross paths again in the comics with the nun once again taking care of an older, injured Murdock as Daredevil.
Blake Tower - A brilliant lawyer who would eventually become New York's District Attorney, he becomes an advocate for superhero rights and is often found in court on their behalf. This led to Tower becoming the target of hits by criminal organizations and supervillains, so it's a good thing he built up partnerships with the city's superheroes who did their best to protect him.
Finn Cooley - Though briefly appearing in Daredevil before getting shot in the face by the Punisher, the Finn Cooley of the comics is a horrifically disfigured bomb expert and Irish Mob boss. If he somehow returns for another round of Daredevil as his current comic book iteration, he'd make quite the memorable on-screen appearance:
Max - Punisher's dog and "last line of defense."
Roscoe "The Fixer" Sweeney - This boxing organizer fixed fights for Battlin' Jack Murdock, unbeknownst to the boxer dubbed the Red Devil, in order to boost his career, but then had Jack murdered when he refused to throw a fight. In the comics, Daredevil seeks his revenge on the man who was responsible for his father's death; Sweeney died from a heart attack while running from the vigilante. On Daredevil, Sweeney meets his maker in the form of an undisguised Matt Murdock, but is ultimately killed by Elektra.
Mr. Hiroshi - Lord Hiroshi and his second-in-command Lady Bullseye lead a faction of The Hand that plays a pivotal role in Dredevil's story going forward. Though this wasn't explored in Season 2, a future Daredevil series may see the comic book version of Hiroshi's character play out. Double spoiler alert: Hiroshi offered the role of warlord of his faction to Daredevil after Elektra's death, but when the hero refused, The Hand reinstated Kingpin instead and offered him the leadership role. This did not play out quite as they had anticipated.
Benjamin Donovan - A massive man--7'5" and almost 400lbs--who became a lawyer to the people of Harlem, "Big Ben" Donovan also went on to represent Luke Cage and Claire Temple. At times fighting against or allied with Daredevil, his inclusion in the story is another fine Easter egg added to the mix.
Micro - The disc that Frank Castle grabs from the picture frame at the end of the series--the one that says simply "Micro"--is arguably the best Punisher-related Easter egg in the series as it hints that future stories for the brutal vigilante. David Linus "Microchip" Lieberman, otherwise known as Micro, is one of Punisher's most trusted and loyal allies. He builds and repairs weapon and armor for the vigilante and supplies him with high-tech gizmos and surveillance. Maybe we'll get to see Micro if a solo Punisher series comes to fruition, or a future story arc includes them in an episode of The Defenders.
Punisher's Van - Not shown in Mr. Sunday Movie's video but definitely mentioned in the comments section, Daredevil Season 2 clearly showed Frank Castle using a modified camper van as a mobile headquarters...until he used it as a trap to blow up some of the Kitchen Irish's thugs. Castle then burned down his family home, meaning that he's probably looking for another HQ: Enter the Punisher's Battle Van. This mobile fortress, originally built by The Mechanic and later by Microchip, carried the Punisher's arsenal and was outfitted with tracking and surveillance equipment that allowed the vigilante to respond to various levels of threats at a moment's notice. It would be a great addition to a solo Punisher series, but made for a nice nod to an iconic aspect of the classic character.
For more on Daredevil, be sure to check out some of our recent coverage below:
- ‘Daredevil’ Season 2: Composer John Paesano on Creating the Punisher’s Theme
- Frank Castle on Film: The Punisher’s History on the Big Screen
- ‘Daredevil’ Recap: “Dogs to a Gunfight” – Round 2
- ‘Daredevil’ Season 2 Just Delivered the Best Punisher Yet
- First ‘Luke Cage’ Teaser Trailer Re-Introduces the Indestructible Vigilante [UPDATE]
- ‘Daredevil’ Recap: “Bang” – Say Hello to the Punisher
