Daredevil: Born Again – Do [SPOILER] Die in the Comics?

Warning: The following article contains major spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, Episode 1, “Heaven’s Half Hour.”

Daredevil: Born Again starts with a literal bang: Benjamin Poindexter guns down Matt Murdock’s pal Foggy Nelson in the opening scene! But does Foggy also die in Marvel’s Daredevil comics, or is it just his MCU incarnation who’s six feet under?

Does Foggy Nelson Die in the Daredevil Comics?

Yes and no. Yes, Foggy Nelson has died once before in Marvel Comics’ canon (and faked his death at least twice). No, Foggy isn’t still dead; comics being what they are, his untimely demise – the real one – ultimately proved temporary. It might all sound a bit bonkers, but trust us: final moment fake-outs and mystical resurrections are every day occurrences in the Marvel Universe.

Either way, Foggy Nelson has indeed kicked the bucket in Daredevil: Born Again‘s source material. Which no doubt leaves non-comics readers with another question: is Benjamin Poindexter (AKA Bullseye) responsible, as he is in the show? Nope. When Foggy dies in the Devil’s Reign crossover event, he’s bumped off by one of Kingpin’s goons.

Heck, Bulleye’s not even involved with Foggy’s most famous near-death experience! When Matt’s best buddy is stabbed in 2006’s “The Devil in Cell Block D” storyline, a random prison inmate is holding the shiv, not Bullseye (which probably explains why he ultimately survived!).

Why Did Daredevil: Born Again Kill Off Foggy?

So, Daredevil: Born Again handles Foggy’s death differently than the comics. But why does the Disney+ series kill him off in the first place? According to Matt Murdock actor Charlie Cox, taking Foggy off the board was vital, as it ensured Born Again wasn’t simply a safe retread of the original Netflix Daredevil show.

“We’re back with a new show, so you’ve got to be big, brave and bold,” Cox said in a recent Variety interview. “You’ve got to do something different and shake things up. So, likely, there has to be a casualty, and sadly it is Foggy. It’s devastating on a personal level and for the characters.”

But if it’s any consolation to fans devastated by Foggy’s death, at least we actually get to see star Elden Henson act it out. That wasn’t always the plan, until showrunner Dario Scardapane decided that Foggy dying was too important to happen off-screen.

“If something this earth-shattering is going to happen, we have to feel it,” Scardapane told Variety. “This is more than an inciting incident. This is an earthquake. This has ripple effects through the entire story.”

Daredevil: Born Again is currently streaming on Disney+, with new episodes dropping Tuesdays.