Daredevil: Born Again – The Southern Cross review S2 E8
The Southern Cross expertly wraps up the second season of Daredevil: Born Again while setting the groundwork for some tantalizing storylines for Season 3.
It’s fitting that the season premiere kicked off with The Northern Star and it ends in the opposite direction with the Southern Cross, which seems like an indicator of Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk’s lives as the credits roll. This season has been all about the struggle for power in NYC. Fisk with his totalitarian regime while Daredevil has been forced to stay in the shadows and striking back as best as possible when his archrival literally controls the city.
Jessica Jones patches Matt up from his last encounter with Kingpin. He knows he can’t stop him alone, but maybe Matt won’t have to when it’s time for the final confrontation?
Fisk is tending to his own wounds and is slightly shocked that Daniel chose BB over staying loyal to him. That’s about all the time Fisk has for sentimentality, which does seem to bother Buck, who had to pull the trigger on the closest thing he’s had to a friend since working for Kingpin. Something far more important to Fisk is playing out — the sham trial of Karen Page.
Only problem with this faux trial unlike the bogus one for The Swordsman is she’s being represented by both Kirsten McDuffie and Matt Murdock. Heather is on the witness stand when Matt walks into the courtroom mostly looking terrible.
Fisk isn’t going to let Murdock ruin his big moment and has one of his task force members dress up as Bullseye to take out Matt. No one would blink twice if the psychopath killed another innocent victim. Too bad Kingpin didn’t count on the real Bullseye arriving and killing the task force members.
Charlie Cox does such a great job as attorney Matt Murdock that it’s too bad Born Again wasn’t set up in a manner for more skillful courtroom drama — MCU style. As Fisk takes the stand, he whispers that he can say things that would ruin Murdock’s career. Matt doesn’t care because he’s all set to spoil Fisk’s spoiler. The Southern Cross has plenty of outstanding moments, but this face off takes the fisticuff fight between Kingpin and Daredevil to the courtroom — an area where Matt Murdock has a decided advantage.
Kirsten plays Savva’s video testimony, which outright states that Fisk was in on the weapons shipment onboard The Northern Star.
Fisk welcomes going down this line of questioning as he agrees that the only other person on the boat was Daredevil. Without realizing it, Fisk has freed Matt of any restraints. The devil is truly damned if he does or if he doesn’t so why not play on his terms? As the back and forth escalates, Fisk shouts that Murdock is a fool and in his best Tony Stark says “No, I am not. I am Daredevil.” Boom. There goes the last bit of Fisk’s power. That final straw he had to hang over Matt’s head gone in a flash and Fisk didn’t even see it coming.
With the case against Karen dismissed, there’s that little matter of settling up with the Governor, who is very interested in chatting up Fisk. Before that conversation happens, Bullseye shoots his shot only for Buck to take the bullet instead. No worries, friends. Bullseye’s aim got thrown off so no death scene for Buck on The Southern Cross tonight.
MORE:
- They Will Kill You review (2026)
- Ready or Not 2 Here I Come review (2026)
- Star Wars Maul: Shadow Lord – Night of the Hunted review S1 E6
- Image Comics reviews 4/22/26 – Void Rivals 29, Corpse Knight 1
The task force locks down the courthouse while Fisk provides his own news updates directly from the courtroom. Thankfully, the camera operators don’t get Buck bleeding in the shot while Heather tends to him.
Despite the damning evidence against him, Fisk still speaks like he’s in control of everything. “Masked or not our even as we speak our enemies are coming.
I will not abandon you. Will you stand with me?”
In a scene somewhat reminiscent of that killer final act in Inglourious Basterds with Soshana, BB issues another anti-Kingpin video, but this time steps in front of the camera urging the citizens of NYC tired of Fisk’s rule to take the city back. This was another brilliant moment in Southern Cross and paid off the season-long BB Report arc.
Sensing things might not go his way here, Fisk tells Powell that whatever happens, Matt Murdock and Karen Page don’t leave the building alive. Angela is front and center coming up on the courthouse steps. Powell and the task force maintain their barricade until Cole learns the truth about the original White Tiger, who didn’t actually kill a cop. Cole knocks Powell out and realizing he’s been backing the wrong side all along, allows the protestors to come in.
Sheila got a call from the Attorney General with one final offer for Fisk — resign from office and leave the country. Fisk has a counteroffer and starts going into the hallway and pummeling the protestors. This is easily the most shocking moment of Southern Cross and maybe the season in general. As he makes his way in the halls, Kingpin’s white suit is staining red. There’s a symmetry in this sequence as Matt painted his outfit black but as the season wore on, the red bled through while Fisk is getting red on his white “costume” revealing his darker side that was there all along.
Southern Cross director Iain B. MacDonald, who also directed The Hateful Darkness, does an incredible job of showing the surge of Daredevil and Jessica Jones (and eventually Angela as White Tiger II) fighting the task force in a mostly black corridor while Fisk is in a brightly lit corridor getting stained with blood.
Eventually, Fisk makes it to the midsection of the building as Daredevil, Jessica, Angela and other prominent faces including Cherry, Mahoney and Det. Kim look up at him. Some of the crowd bum rushes Kingpin and gets decimated as Daredevil and Jessica navigate the crowd to save them from getting mauled. Finally, it’s just Daredevil and Kingpin. Matt tells Fisk to stay down and take the deal, but his pride won’t let him accept Daredevil’s grace until reality finally sets in.
In the extended Southern Cross epilogue, NYC is getting back to normal. Fogwell’s Gym is reopening soon. BB gets welcomed to The Bulletin by Ellison (Geoffrey Cantor) in another great nod to the Netflix Marvel era. He gives her a box of some of her uncle, Ben Urich’s old clips. Heather holds up a Muse mask and puts it on seemingly finalizing her turn to the vigilante side.
Karen and Matt’s dinner date gets interrupted by police, who have to arrest him for his vigilante actions as Daredevil. This prison doesn’t seem the most ideal spot for him as the task force, including Cole and Powell, are also locked up with him. Jessica is playing with her daughter when Luke Cage enters in. Mr. Charles doesn’t need him now as he’s got Bullseye.
Matt heads to his prison cell while Fisk is on a beach by himself listening to the crash of the roaring waves in front of him. This was a brilliant closing of the loop when Vanessa died and she saw herself standing on a beach. Maybe this was their endgame when all of Fisk’s wars had been conquered and there was nothing left to do but enjoy the beach. Now, his greatest punishment is basking in it without Vanessa.
Instead, Southern Cross ends with the smile of an unlikely character — Matt, who seems to take solace in the fact that New York is safe from The Kingpin even if he has to be behind bars to appreciate it.
Born Again Season 2 was a fantastic ride made all the more rewarding with this brilliant season finale. Now that it’s all done, this seems like an ideal time to rewatch it all before Season 3 kicks off.
Rating: 10 out of 10
Photo Credit: Disney
After watching The Southern Cross, check out the Daredevil Vol. 3 omnibus on Amazon.
As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.