Mr. Charles Unmasked: Why Matthew Lillard’s Role Could Redefine Daredevil: Born Again Season 2

Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again barely cleared the runway, and Season 2 is already loading new ammo. The headline: Scream alum Matthew Lillard is joining the party as a brand-new player named Mr. Charles. Not the casting I expected, but it makes a weird kind of sense once you hear what Marvel is doing with him.

Lillard vs. Kingpin, but make it political

Marvel TV boss Brad Winderbaum spilled the goods at New York Comic Con in an interview, and the setup is juicy. Mr. Charles is not a street-level bruiser. He is a political operator who stands directly against Wilson Fisk, who is now the very corrupt mayor of New York. With Fisk running the city, Winderbaum says the story pushes him into a different tier of influence — think less neighborhood tyrant, more international power broker. Mr. Charles lives in that same stratosphere, which is exactly why he is such a problem.

"The story is about power."

Winderbaum also describes Mr. Charles as an on-the-field antagonist — not just a shadowy donor pulling strings from afar. The pitch here is that Fisk is getting it from both sides: he is negotiating high-level politics and diplomacy with Mr. Charles while also dealing with Daredevil on the streets. Squeezed above and below. That dynamic feels fresh for this show.

First look: the Shadowland-inspired suit

Entertainment outlets put out the first official image on October 10, 2025: Charlie Cox in a new black Daredevil suit that nods to the Shadowland comics. The shot is soaked in red light, and you can just make out a faint DD on the chest. It is moody, mean, and very much a statement. Season 2 is coming to Disney+; no date yet, but the machine is clearly moving.

Where Season 1 left the board

Season 1 hit Disney+ in March 2025 and ended with Fisk tightening the screws on New York from City Hall. He weaponized the mayor's office, crushed opponents, rolled out martial law, and expanded his empire. Matt Murdock tried to keep his life as a lawyer intact while still putting on the suit. He also paired up with Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle. That alliance got messy — Frank was captured at one point and later broke out of prison.

Season 2: the power game only gets bigger

Season 2 leans straight into those power dynamics. Lillard's Mr. Charles represents a class of political players who can actually challenge Fisk's authoritarian rule. It is less about fists in alleys and more about pressure applied in back rooms, with Daredevil forcing the accountability the system refuses to give. If they execute, Mr. Charles could be the most dangerous opponent Fisk has faced, precisely because he fights on the same tier Fisk now occupies.

Jessica Jones is back

Krysten Ritter returns as Jessica Jones in Season 2. The super-strong PI headlined three seasons of her own series, then teamed with Daredevil, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist in The Defenders. Bringing her back should give the show a tougher, snarkier edge — and yes, it quietly rebuilds that corner of the roster.

Yes, there is already a Season 3 on the way

While Season 2 is in the works, Season 3 is already a go. Translation: this world is not shrinking anytime soon.

• Matthew Lillard joins Season 2 as Mr. Charles, a political heavyweight opposing Mayor Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio).
• Brad Winderbaum says the new season is a power struggle at city and international levels, with Fisk squeezed between Mr. Charles and Daredevil (Charlie Cox).
• First official Season 2 image dropped October 10, 2025: Daredevil in a Shadowland-inspired black suit under red lighting with a faint DD logo.
• Season 1 (March 2025) ended with Fisk enforcing martial law; Matt teamed with Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal), who was captured and later escaped.
• Krysten Ritter returns as Jessica Jones in Season 2.
• Season 3 is already confirmed.
• Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 is streaming on Disney+ (US).