Secret Invasion waited until the end of its first episode to kill Hill, where she was spectacularly shot in the stomach by a Skrull version of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and left on a cliffhanger. It was up to Smulders to confirm the longstanding character death, whereas Daredevil: Born Again wasted no time in clarifying Foggy’s demise and how it’ll shape the likes of Murdock and Page moving forward. “Heaven’s Half Hour” featured the return of Wilson Bethel’s Benjamin Poindexter/Bullseye shooting Foggy, and much like how Hill’s death gave Fury a mission of vengeance, it set Daredevil on a much darker path.
Despite Daredevil: Born Again and Secret Invasion reiterating that no one is safe, Nelson and Hill aren’t exactly MVPs of their respective shows. At least the writers have managed to avoid Secret Invasion’s problematic ‘fridging’ trope that accused the series of killing Hill just to catapult Fury’s arc forward. It’s just unfortunate that Foggy seems like he’s being used for the same plot device. Unlike Hill’s unexpected death, Nelson’s death actually makes a little more sense for comic book fans. Born Again seems to put a typical MCU twist on the “Guardian Devil” arc where Bullseye killed Karen in 1999’s Daredevil Vol. 2 #5.
Speaking to ScreenRant, showrunner Dario Scardapane suggested that although Foggy was always doomed to perish, he changed the circumstances surrounding how it happened. Scardapane told the outlet that it needed to happen as a way to ‘break up’ the family dynamic and force Murdock to put away his mask: “It was an inevitability! Truth be told…In the original version, before I came in, he had died, but it was off-screen, and for me, it couldn’t be off-screen. You had to feel it and that’s why that statement happened literally.” Whereas Hill was quickly forgotten, Foggy’s death will hopefully have more of a long-lasting effect on the series.
Foggy’s death remains something of a confusing one, especially considering Marvel TV boss Brad Winderbaum confirmed to Phase Zero’s Brandon Davis that Woll and Henson will be back for Born Again season 2. Winderbaum admitted he can’t imagine a “Matt Murdock story” without the pair alongside Cox, although it’s unclear how Foggy will come back. While we’re guessing some flashbacks will be used to flesh out the missing years since Daredevil’s cancellation, it’s unclear what these will exactly add to the story. There’s also the idea that he’ll appear as some sort of ghostly guide to Murdock, but again, it’s a tired TV trope that’s been done time and again (thanks Agatha All Along). The wildest option could also follow the comics and give fans the MCU’s own version of Foggy being stabbed to death in 2006’s Daredevil #82. Just a few issues later, it was revealed that the FBI had moved Foggy into witness protection, and he was recovering under a new identity.
There have been plenty of divisive character deaths across the history of the MCU, and although ones like Tom Hiddleston’s Loki haven’t stuck (multiple times), it really looks like Foggy has kicked the bucket. While he might be massive in the world of Daredevil, and Hill was a big part of the MCU’s early days, there seems little reason to bring them back for the likes of Avengers: Secret Wars through some multiversal shenanigans. It’s a shame for those who’d only just got to experience Henson’s portrayal of Foggy, although we’d question why you’re jumping into Born Again without at least familiarizing yourself with Daredevil’s past.
