The wait for Matt Murdock's return to the MCU has been long. Exhausting, honestly. But as we get closer to the premiere, one name keeps popping up in leaks and official teasers that has comic book purists losing their minds: Muse. If you aren’t a hardcore reader of the 2015 Charles Soule run, you might be wondering why some graffiti artist with a white mask is a big deal. He isn’t just another guy for Daredevil to punch. Daredevil: Born Again villain Muse represents a shift toward the dark, twisted procedural roots that made the original Netflix series a hit, and his inclusion tells us exactly what kind of show Disney+ is actually making.
He’s terrifying.
Most Marvel villains want money, power, or maybe some misguided version of peace. Muse is different. He’s an "artist." To him, the human body is just a medium, and blood is just paint. He doesn't see himself as a criminal. He sees himself as a creator. This creates a massive problem for Matt Murdock because you can't reason with someone who views a mass murder as a masterpiece.
Who Is Muse? The Sickest Mind in Marvel Comics
To understand why the Daredevil: Born Again villain Muse is such a massive threat, you have to look at his debut in Daredevil #11 (2016). He didn't come out swinging with a giant laser or an army of bots. Instead, he painted a mural using the blood of over a hundred missing people.
It was stomach-turning.
Muse possesses a unique set of abilities that make him the ultimate predator for a hero like Daredevil. You know how Matt relies on his heightened senses to track heartbeats and smells? Muse is a "sensory black hole." His body somehow pulls in all surrounding information—heat, sound, scent—meaning Matt can’t "see" him using his radar sense. He is a ghost in the room. Imagine being the man without fear, but for the first time in years, you are effectively blind. That's the psychological edge Muse brings to the table.
He is incredibly fast and strong, sure, but his real power is his invisibility to the system. In the comics, he managed to infiltrate high-security areas and leave "art pieces" that horrified the entire city of New York. His presence in Born Again suggests the show will lean heavily into the "Devil in Hell's Kitchen" vibe rather than the lighthearted "She-Hulk" cameo we saw previously.
Why Daredevil: Born Again Villain Muse Fits the New MCU Tone
There was a lot of worry that Disney would "Disney-fy" Daredevil. Then the creative overhaul happened. The show went back to the drawing board, brought back original showrunners, and decided to lean into the TV-MA rating.
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Muse is the proof of that commitment.
You cannot do Muse in a PG-13 setting. It’s impossible. His entire gimmick is visceral horror. By choosing him as a primary antagonist alongside Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin, the writers are setting up a three-way war for the soul of New York. While Wilson Fisk is trying to "clean up" the streets through politics and organized crime, Muse is turning those same streets into a gallery of nightmares.
It creates a fascinating dynamic. Matt Murdock is a lawyer. He believes in the law. Kingpin is a businessman who manipulates the law. Muse? Muse is chaos. He doesn't care about Fisk’s empire or Matt’s morality. He just wants a bigger canvas.
The Connection to Blindspot
In the comics, Muse's primary foil wasn't just Matt, but also Matt’s apprentice, Blindspot (Samuel Chung). There have been rumors—though not officially confirmed by Marvel Studios—that we might see Samuel Chung in Born Again. If Muse is here, Blindspot almost has to be. Their history is tragic. Muse took something from Samuel that he could never get back, and it pushed Matt Murdock to his absolute limits as a mentor.
Seeing Matt try to train a younger hero while being hunted by a literal ghost is the kind of high-stakes drama that Born Again needs to justify its 18-episode length. We need more than just "Matt vs. Fisk" for that many hours of television.
What This Means for the Street-Level MCU
The inclusion of the Daredevil: Born Again villain Muse signals a wider expansion of the street-level universe. We aren't dealing with multiversal threats here. There are no Infinity Stones. This is about the terrifying reality of living in a city where a superhuman serial killer is on the loose.
It’s gritty. It’s grounded. It’s exactly what fans have been screaming for.
When you look at the casting of Hunter Doohan (rumored) or the leaked set photos showing "MUSE" graffiti, it's clear the production design is taking cues from the Soule run. The art style of Muse in the comics was frantic and unsettling, often looking like it was scratched onto the page. If the show captures even ten percent of that visual energy, it will be the most visually distinct project in the MCU's recent history.
Comparing Muse to Bullseye and Kingpin
Look, Kingpin is the GOAT. We know this. He’s the emotional and physical weight that Matt always has to carry. Bullseye was the chaotic physical threat of the third Netflix season. But Muse is something else.
- Kingpin is about Control.
- Bullseye is about Precision.
- Muse is about Expression.
That shift to "Expression" makes the violence feel more personal. It’s not just a job for Muse. He thinks he’s doing the world a favor by showing them the "beauty" of death. It’s a philosophical challenge for Matt Murdock, who is a devout Catholic. How do you find the "divine" in a man who uses human suffering as his palette?
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Expectations for the Premiere
When Born Again finally hits screens, don't expect Muse to be the main guy in episode one. A character like this needs a slow burn. He should be a shadow in the background, a name whispered in the morgues, and a series of increasingly disturbing crime scenes that Matt discovers while trying to deal with Fisk’s mayoral campaign.
The beauty of a longer season is the ability to do a "procedural" style investigation. Matt using his law background and his heightened senses (and the frustration of them failing against Muse) will provide a much-needed detective noir vibe.
This isn't just about capes and tights. It's about a man trying to save a city that is being torn apart by two very different kinds of monsters.
Key Takeaways for Fans
If you want to be ready for the show, there are a few things you should keep in mind about how Muse changes the game.
- Read the Source Material: Check out Daredevil: Back in Black, Vol. 3: Dark Art. It covers the Muse saga and will give you a head start on the lore.
- Watch the Senses: Pay attention to how the show depicts Matt's radar sense. If the screen goes "flat" or "silent" when Muse is around, that’s a direct nod to his comic powers.
- Don't Expect a Redemption Arc: Some villains are just evil. Muse is one of them. There is no "sad backstory" that justifies what he does. He is a pure antagonist.
- Keep an eye on the Background: In the trailers and early episodes, look for the graffiti. Muse's art is his calling card, and it often appears before he does.
The MCU is finally growing up again. By bringing the Daredevil: Born Again villain Muse into the fold, Marvel is signaling that they aren't afraid to get blood on their hands to tell a compelling, adult story. Matt Murdock is going to have to be more than just a "really good lawyer" to survive this one. He’s going to have to be a hunter.
To stay ahead of the curve, keep an eye on official Marvel casting announcements regarding Samuel Chung, as his presence will confirm just how closely the show plans to follow the "Dark Art" storyline. Monitoring the production's rating updates will also provide insight into how much of Muse's "artistic" violence will make it from the page to the screen.