Despite appearances, I think Foggy Nelson’s death was faked inDaredevil: Born Againseason 1, especially after reading one of theMCUdirectors' comments on the matter.Daredevil: Born Againepisode 1 was one of the most shocking openingsto any MCU show. After bringing back Matt Murdock, Foggy Nelson, and Karen Page, and establishing that they were happy in their newfound law firm, the happiness was ripped away from us all as Bullseye burst onto the scene andmurdered Foggy with a shot to the heart.
Given Foggy’s importance to Matt’s story thus far, Foggy’s death was one ofthe MCU’s most heartbreaking. While I’m still devastated by what transpired, I do appreciate the emotional weight it bestowed on Matt’s story throughoutDaredevil: Born Again. With that being said, this is Marvel we’re talking about. The franchise is notorious for impermanent “deaths,” especially where the multiverse is concerned. Thankfully, some “eagle-eyed geniuses” have spotted one tidbit in the first episode that hints at Foggy’s survival, and I’m pretty convinced.
After Daredevil: Born Again Episode 1, It Was Theorized Foggy Nelson’s Death Was Faked
The Theory Stems From A Blink-And-You’ll-Miss-It Easter Egg
Foggy being put through the wringer is nothing new to comic book aficionados. Matt Murdock’s best friend has a huge target painted on his back, a state of affairs that concerns most masked vigilantes with loved ones. To any ofDaredevil’s many adversarieswho are aware of his secret identity, this makes Foggy a prime target. The same can be said for Marvel Comics writers, who opted to inflict Foggy with cancer in a particularly dark run of comics in 2014. Despite being a frequent target, however,Foggy has a knack for springing back, never truly dying (yet) in Marvel Comics.
Instead, Foggy was placed into witness protection as part of a wider conspiracy orchestrated by Vanessa Fisk to get revenge on Matt Murdock.
Fans suspect thatDaredevil: Born Againwill follow this lead, and for good reason. It didn’t take long for Easter egg hunters to spot a notable background detail in the first episode. Specifically,a building address in the background of one shot was numbered “468.“Fans then tracked this number with the total number of issues of Daredevil comics, with the 468th issue being the actual issue number ofDaredevil Vol.2 #88, entitled “The Secret Life of Foggy Nelson.”
This comic reveals thatFoggy’s apparent murder in the comics, which occurred several issues earlier, was staged. Instead, Foggy was placed into witness protection as part of a wider conspiracy orchestrated by Vanessa Fisk to get revenge on Matt Murdock. Hidden tidbits like this are rarely accidental in the MCU, and the similarities between this issue andDaredevil: Born Againare impossible to overlook, down to the recently revealed detail that Vanessa Fisk was the mastermind behind Foggy’s “death.” It’s no wonder viewers are convinced, causing oneDaredevil: Born Againdirector to address the theory.
Daredevil: Born Again Director Addressed The Theory That Foggy’s Death Was Faked
Aaron Moorhead co-directedDaredevil: Born Againepisodes 1, 8, and 9 alongside Justin Benson, and thus is intimately involved in the entire Foggy Nelson death conspiracy, from the moment itself to the reveal that Vanessa was responsible for ordering the hit. In a recent interview withTHRalongside other directors of the show,Moorhead acknowledged the observations from fans. His full response is as follows:
“I’ve heard this theory, you eagle-eyed geniuses. I would love to tell you, however, Marvel will snipe me if I say anything else. But what is really nice about Daredevil being a street-level superhero is that, generally, the supernatural doesn’t really interact with this universe as much, even though it is within the MCU. So that often gives much stronger consequences where punches hurt more and blood means more and getting hurt means more and dying very often does mean that you’re actually dead. But that’s all I can say.”
Moorhead remains as coy as possible in his response, jokingly asserting that Marvel Studios would “snipe” him if he revealed too much about the background detail. He also acknowledges the notable difference between street-level andsupernatural MCU narratives, with the former being more predisposed to realistic consequences.It is unlikely, for instance, that a Foggy variant would ultimately replace Foggy Nelsonin the MCU. It’s this comment that suggests one truth behind Foggy’s apparent murder.
The Daredevil: Born Again Director’s Comments Could Be Confirmation Of Foggy’s Death
Moorhead makes a good point about street-level stakes in the MCU. Thesupernatural parameters that surround a character’s resurrection are typically constrained to cosmic heroes. For example, Loki, Gamora, and Thanos were all reintroduced to the MCU after dying through the use of variants, while Vision was resurrected twice as a manifestation of Wanda Maximoff’s magic and a reconstruction of his Mind Stone-devoid body.
Moorhead’s comments aboutstreet-level stories in the MCUallude to this and the notion that Foggy isn’t about to recover from his wound, specifically stating “dying very often does mean that you’re actually dead.” With that in mind, it is certainly hard to conceive of Foggy faking this death, given Karen was right there beside him and Matt Murdock specifically heard his heartbeat stop. Even if Foggy had access to the same heart-slowing serum, Tetrodotoxin B, that Nick Fury used to fake his death inCaptain America: The Winter Soldier, he certainly gave a very convincing performance.
It’s revealed that Bruce Banner developed Tetrodotoxin B to slow his heartbeat and help stave off a Hulk transformation.
There is additionally no other hint that the death was fabricated outside the aforementioned Easter egg and the fact that Foggy Nelson actor Elden Henson is due to return forDaredevil: Born Againseason 2, which could feasibly be for flashbacks or visions. With this in mind,Moorhead’s reticence to confirm Foggy’s death may be an attempt to avoid dissuading audiences from buying into the theory and continuing to watch. Then again, I think another part of his comment is rather telling.
I’m Convinced The Foggy’s Death Was Faked Theory Is Right And He’ll Return In Season 2
While Aaron Moorhead may have stressed the higher stakes of street-level tales, this could just as easily be an attempt to throw viewers off the scent. After all,Foggy’s faked death in"The Secret Life of Foggy Nelson” wasn’t orchestrated through supernatural means, and Bruce Banner’s Tetrodotoxin B is available in the MCU. Furthermore, Moorhead hedged his comments about dying with a noncommittal “very often” when asserting “dying very often does mean that you’re actually dead.”
Taking this alongside prior evidence has me convinced that Foggy Nelson will return to Daredevil: Born Again in season 2.
Then there’s the statement that Moorhead opens with,calling those who recognized the background details “eagle-eyed geniuses.“Complimenting the viewers in this way convinces me that Moorhead is acknowledging the viewers getting something right. While it was impossible to believe that this specific number was an accident to begin with, Moorhead’s comments confirm that it was, in fact, entirely intentional.
Taking this alongside prior evidence has me convinced thatFoggy Nelson will return toDaredevil: Born Againin season 2. While it is feasible for Eldon Henson’s involvement to be part of flashbacks, I find it hard to presume this when the Easter egg and surrounding circumstances are such glaring indications thatDaredevil: Born Againis adapting “The Secret Life of Foggy Nelson.” Still, we won’t know for sure untilDaredevil: Born Againseason 2 releases in one year’s time.
