Daredevil: Born Again's Muse Explained: Who Is Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk's New Enemy?

While Daredevil: Born Again is a continuation of the classic Netflix series that rekindles the rivalry between Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock and Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk, there's also a new player on the board. Even as the series explores the struggles both men face in trying to reinvent themselves, it also pits them against a sadistic serial killer with a penchant for artistic expression. That killer is none other than Muse.

Who is Muse, and why does this superhuman murderer have the ability to make even bitter rivals like Daredevil and Kingpin work together? Here’s what you need to know about this twisted Marvel villain.

Who Is Muse?

Muse is one of the more recent additions to Daredevil’s rogues gallery. The character was created by Charles Soule and Ron Garney and debuted in 2016’s Daredevil #11. And in case there was any doubt, Soule himself confirmed that Muse can be seen in the original D23 Born Again trailer.

Muse is a villain who wouldn’t be out of place in the Hannibal TV series. He’s a prolific serial killer who sees murder as the highest form of artistic expression. In his first appearance, Muse paints a mural using the blood of a hundred missing persons. He later composes a piece by arranging the corpses of six Inhumans in various poses.

Part of what makes Muse so dangerous to Daredevil specifically is that his body acts as a sort of sensory black hole, pulling in stimuli and effectively scrambling Matt Murdock’s radar sense. Coupled with superhuman strength and speed and a true knack for murder, Muse is among Daredevil’s deadliest enemies.

Muse quickly makes an enemy out of Daredevil and his new sidekick, Blindspot. That rivalry intensifies when Muse gouges out Blindspot’s eyes. When Daredevil finally brings his new foe to justice, Muse breaks his own fingers, purposely robbing himself of the ability to create more art.

However, Muse’s hands are healed, and he soon escapes and resumes cutting a bloody swath through New York City. Muse becomes obsessed with the city’s vigilantes, leaving twisted monuments to men like the Punisher even as the newly elected Mayor Wilson Fisk begins cracking down on vigilante activity.

This triggers a rematch between Muse and Blindspot, with the latter tapping into the power of The Beast (the demonic entity worshiped by the ninja cult The Hand) to defeat his hated foe. Lamenting the fact that his story has become eclipsed by Blindspot’s, Muse commits suicide by walking into a fire.

That final confrontation took place in 2018’s Daredevil #600, and Muse has remained dead ever since. But this being the Marvel Universe, it seems only a matter of time before this accomplished killer returns to life and begins creating his sadistic form of art once more.

Muse in Daredevil: Born Again

Warning: this section contains spoilers for the first six episodes of Daredevil: Born Again!

The Daredevil: Born Again footage screened at D23, as well as subsequent trailers, confirmed that Muse will appear in the new Disney+ series. Muse's MCU design is almost identical to his comic book counterpart - a white mask and bodysuit with red, bloody tears running down his face. That said, the character seems to lack the superhuman powers and Inhuman heritage of his comic book counterpart.

Even after six episodes, we still don’t know who is playing the villain yet. We suspect there's a big reveal to come regarding Muse's secret identity.

Muse's presence in the series is a clear sign that Born Again, despite sharing the name of an iconic 1986 Daredevil storyline by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, is also inspired by more contemporary Daredevil comics. The Born Again comic is about Wilson Fisk discovering Daredevil’s secret identity and using that knowledge to systematically destroy Matt Murdock’s life. The show, while it hinges on the ongoing rivalry between Murdock and Fisk, seems to be veering in a different direction (and let’s not forget that Fisk has already known Daredevil’s identity for some time in the MCU).

As the first season has unfolded, it's become clear that Muse is a common enemy Matt and Fisk both share. The two aren't exactly in league with one another. Fisk made it very clear in their reunion early in the season that he'll have Matt arrested and prosecuted if he's found to have resumed his activities as Daredevil. But Muse represents a clear threat to both men as they attempt to reinvent themselves for a new era.

For Fisk, the newly elected mayor of New York, Muse is a dangerous sign of his weakness. Fisk campaigned on a platform of restoring law and order and cracking down on the city's vigilante problem. But having a serial killer running amok and leaving murals painted in human blood reflects poorly on the new administration.

For Matt, Muse is the single greatest test of his resolve to leave Daredevil in the past. Matt has done his best to give up being Daredevil, following his gruesome rematch with Wilson Bethel's Bullseye and the tragic murder of Elden Henson's Foggy Nelson. After years spent both upholding the justice system and going beyond the court of law, Matt is desperately trying to respect the system. But after having his resolve sorely tested again and again, Matt finally gives in and becomes Daredevil again in Episode 6, after he learns Muse has kidnapped Angela Ayala (Ruibo Qian).

Thus ensues another knock-down, drag-out brawl as Daredevil battles Muse in his underground lair while Angela bleeds out. Daredevil manages to save Angela, but Muse escapes. Surely, a rematch is coming before the end of the season, but what happens when Fisk joins the fray. Has Matt painted a giant target on his back by becoming Daredevil again? The tension is certainly ramping up as Season 1 reaches its climax.

For more on the future of the MCU, find out what to expect from Marvel in 2025 and see every upcoming Marvel movie and series.

Note: this article was originally published on 8/10/2024 and updated on 3/26/2025 with the latest info about Daredevil: Born Again.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.