Born Again (Even Though It Brought Him Back)

Bullseye has returned to the MCU in Daredevil: Born Again, but it’s now clear that Marvel Studios dropped a major set-up for his character. I’m so glad we got to see Bullseye back in full force in two action-packed Daredevil: Born Again episodes. Wilson Bethel’s take on the deeply disturbed Benjamin “Dex” Poindexter was one of the best performances in the MCU when he debuted in Daredevil season 3, and to bring him back in Daredevil: Born Again episode 1 in such a consequential way was incredibly satisfying to watch.

Bethel’s performance is a largely comic-faithful take on the character, who is also a deeply disturbed and sadistic Marvel villain. He is also exceptionally dangerous, with Daredevil: Born Again episode 8 proving his wanton deadliness when armed with any object. He is, however, proven to be far from indestructible, being beaten (and nearly killed) twice so far in his appearances in Daredevil and Daredevil: Born Again. If Marvel Studios had decided to lean into a more comic-accurate depiction, however, then Bullseye might have been much more formidable. Instead, the franchise wrote itself into a corner.

Daredevil Season 3’s Ending Set Up A Massive Bullseye Story… That Marvel Abandoned

Bullseye’s Adamantium Story Was Nearly Adapted

Before Daredevil: Born Again, Bullseye was last seen in Daredevil season 3, where he partook in the high-octane climactic three-way fight between himself, Daredevil, and Kingpin. Dex was hospitalized after getting his back broken by Fisk, which led to his final moment in the series. This scene shows Dex being operated on by Dr. Oyama, with surgeons discussing the experimental process of bonding cogmium to Dex’s spine to help heal and reinforce it. Dex’s eyes then open with a target reflected in one.

Related

Daredevil: Born Again Is Underusing Bullseye So He Better Be Back In Season 2

Daredevil: Born Again has had an incredible run introducing new characters and bringing back iconic rivals, but one villain has been underused.

In Marvel Comics, Bullseye is subjected to a similar process as Wolverine, with his skeleton being bonded with adamantium, the Marvel Universe’s strongest metal. In fact, Dr. Oyama is the character responsible for developing the adamantium bonding process, which he intended to use on Bullseye before enlisting his services as an assassin. The parallels between this comic book story and Daredevil are clear, as Oyama operates on Bullseye after he suffers a broken spine. Nevertheless, Marvel’s timeline might have made adapting this specific story impossible.

The MCU Timeline Made Bullseye’s Adamantium Bones Impossible

Adamantium Has Been Discovered Years After Bullseye’s Operation

Daredevil season 3 was released in 2018, one year before Disney acquired Fox and regained complete cinematic control of its mutants and the X-Men. This means Daredevil was prevented from adapting adamantium into its franchise, as this is one of Wolverine’s most defining characteristics. At the time, the MCU’s timeline was relatively simple to discern, with the events of its mainline productions mostly taking place in the same year as when the movie or show was released. As such, Daredevil season 3 took place in 2018.

The majority of Daredevil: Born Again takes place nearly a decade later, in 2027, thanks in part to the five-year time jump of Avengers: Endgame. Adamantium, meanwhile, was first discovered in Captain America: Brave New World in the corpse of Tiamut the Celestial, which again took place around 2027. Taken together, Marvel Studios seems to have precluded itself from the possibility of Bullseye receiving his adamantium infusion. He jumps back into action after Vanessa recruits him from a high-security psychiatric hospital, meaning it’s even more unlikely for shady government bodies to have used the newly-discovered material on him.

I Don’t Think Marvel Is Ever Going To Give Bullseye His Adamantium

It Wouldn’t Make Sense To Give Bullseye Adamantium Before Wolverine

There is, of course, a possibility that Bullseye’s cogmium infusion could be replaced by the newly discovered adamantium. I don’t think this is beyond the pale for Marvel to achieve, if Bullseye’s reinforced spine is, for instance, broken once again by Kingpin as a way to demonstrate Kingpin’s strength down the line. Unfortunately, I don’t think this is possible now, even if adamantium is in circulation in the MCU after Captain America: Brave New World. Adamantium is synonymous with Wolverine, not Bullseye, and it is unlikely that the MCU will utilize it on a comparatively minor character like Bullseye first.

Daredevil: Born Again season 2, meanwhile, is due to be released next year. While Bullseye may be loose in New York as of Daredevil: Born Again episode 8, I find it hard to believe that the MCU will make him the first recipient of an adamantium infusion so soon after its introduction into the franchise. By the time the MCU uses its adamantium to prop up its Wolverine story, the moment will have passed for Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye to get his share.

Daredevil: Born Again

9/10

Release Date

March 4, 2025

Showrunner

Chris Ord

Directors

Michael Cuesta, Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Jeffrey Nachmanoff

Writers

Chris Ord

Upcoming MCU Movies