Top 10 Daredevil Season 3 Easter Eggs
For this list, we're looking at the best references, shout-outs and character cameos spotted in the third - and hopefully not last - season of Daredevil. Since some of these Easter Eggs contain spoilers for the series or the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we're throwing up the spoiler signal.
Be sure to answer the trivia questions in between some of our entries. There's three in total, and the answers will be revealed at the end of the video. How many can you get right?
#10: Karen's Wall of Headlines
There’s been plenty of fun references to Marvel films within the Netflix shows, and these little nods in Karen’s office at the Daily Bulletin are no exception. If you pay close attention to her wall, you’ll notice headlines that reference the events of past movies. “The Battle of NY” cover is a big shout-out to “The Avengers’” climactic battle, while the “Harlem Terror” headline calls back to that time when Edward Norton’s Hulk fought “an abomination.” Alright, time for question #1: Before Wilson Bethel played a Bullseye, he nearly landed a role as what major hero in the MCU?
#9: Fisk Embraces His Comic Roots
Vincent D’Onofrio has been killing it in his role as Wilson Fisk. He brings all the brutality and gravitas of his comic counterpart while keeping his performance relatable and realistic. While D’Onofrio’s grounded take is fantastic, fans wondered if Fisk would ever embrace his comic wardrobe and nickname. Season 3 answered those questions in spectacular fashion. After making a deal with the FBI, Fisk trades in his prison garb for a collection of white suits. In a later episode, a group of FBI agents he blackmailed refer to him as Kingpin. With his looks and codename intact, D’Onofrio has fully transitioned into an iconic Marvel villain.
#8: Foggy's DA Career
When District Attorney Blake Tower lets Fisk out of prison in exchange for information, Foggy Nelson refuses to stand idly by. Foggy launches a write-in campaign to become a D.A. that would put the Kingpin back in jail. However, he’s forced to concede the election to Tower to protect his family from Fisk. Foggy’s luck was a little better in the comics. After becoming D.A. in “Daredevil #48”, he held the position for a while...until he lost his reelection to Blake Tower. Fortunately for Foggy, his best friend Matt is there to support him both on the page and on the small screen.
#7: A Deadly Cab Ride
Top 10 Punisher Season 1 Easter Eggs You've Missed
This season took a lot of inspiration from Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's acclaimed “Born Again” storyline. While certain elements were changed to surprise fans, a few moments were nearly identical to the page. One of the best examples is the taxi scene. In “The Born Again” storyline, Kingpin places an unconscious Matt Murdoch in a cab and dumps it in the river. The show alters the iconic moment by having Matt end up in a sinking taxi after an astounding prison scene that went over ten minutes without any cuts. In both instances, Matt escapes his watery prison and forces Kingpin’s underlings to ominously announce:
#6: Maggia Crime Families
The Maggia is a crime syndicate made up of different “families” of notorious criminals. They’ve taken on everyone from the Avengers to the Fantastic Four to build their enterprise. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Maggia members have only appeared alongside the empowered Whitney Frost in the 1940’s era “Agent Carter”. But they may be stepping out of the shadows in the present day. When Foggy shows Karen his plan for taking down Fisk, we see a web that connects Kingpin to the Maggia. Since Fisk is headed back to prison, the Maggia may use his absence to take New York City’s underworld by storm. Okay, it’s time for question #2: Before he dawned his iconic all-red costume, Daredevil wore a very different outfit. What were Daredevil’s original colors?
#5: Bullseye’s Baseball Origins
Supervillain Origins: Bullseye
Although the Bullseye character has existed for decades, he’s never had a definitive origin story. An unsettling “Daredevil” flashback changed that for the better. We’re introduced to an orphaned Benjamin Poindexter playing little league baseball. Armed with the belief that pitching a perfect game might bring his parents back, he doesn’t allow any hits. But when Poindexter is pulled from the game, he intentionally throws a ball that ricochets and kills his coach. This origin is a nod to a story in Bullseye’s past in the comics. However, instead of being pulled, he actually got bored and asked to be subbed out. His coach decided to keep him in, and he responded by killing the batter with a baseball to the head.
#4: Poindexter’s Apartment Number
After diving into Poindexter’s past, the show hints at his villainous destiny. The sneakiest bit of foreshadowing takes place in the “Upstairs/Downstairs” episode. When Matt breaks into Poindexter’s place to collect evidence, his apartment number is revealed to be 131. In the comics, Bullseye first appeared in Daredevil #131. In the issue, the villain tricks Daredevil into fighting him at a circus so he can gain more publicity as an expert assassin. Admittedly, watching Bullseye shoot a human cannonball at the hero wouldn’t quite fit with the show’s serious tone. But Poindexter’s excellent fights with Daredevil more than made up for the missing circus setting.
#3: Karen Escapes Her Comic Book Death
To say Karen Page had it rough in the comics would be an understatement. After battling drug addiction and being the victim of abuse, she met a horrible end. During a battle in a church between Bullseye and Daredevil, she’s impaled with a Billy club meant for the hero and dies. So when Poindexter confronted Karen in a church, comic book fans probably assumed her fate was sealed. But when a Billy club is thrown her way on the show, Father Lantom takes the fatal hit. They also subtly referenced her death in the comics by reversing the image of Matt holding Karen’s dead body with a shot of Karen holding a beaten and battered Daredevil.
#2: Sneaky Spider-Man Shout-Out
Of all the people that have worn the Spider-man suit, there are two names that stand out the most. The original, Peter Parker, and the popular newcomer, Miles Morales. Both names were dropped on a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot this season. When the main cast travels to Fogwell’s boxing gym, a promotional poster teasing a fight between Parker and Morales is hanging on the wall. It certainly got us thinking about who would win a fight between wall-crawlers, but we doubt a boxing ring would be the ideal venue for that kind of brawl. Here’s the third and final question: After his father’s death, Matt Murdock grew up at Saint Agnes Orphanage. What other MCU character spent time at Saint Agnes?
#1: Lord Dark Wind
Supervillain Origins: Lord Drakkon
At the end of season 3, we see Poindexter getting metal implants to cure the paralysis inflicted on him by Wilson Fisk. But he’s not the only one we should worry about. One of his doctors is named Dr. Oyama. In the comics, Oyama was the villain Lord Dark Wind. Although his alias sounds like the title of an angsty Tumblr profile, he’s responsible for major havoc. Not only did he put adamantium into Bullseye’s body, but he nearly killed Daredevil with a sword. While Oyama could turn out differently than his comic counterpart, that ending all but confirms Bullseye will be back for another round with the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.
