Marvel fans have a Daredevil: Born Again theory that might explain the show's timeline jump

Bullseye in Daredevil: Born Again trailer
(Image credit: Marvel)

The Daredevil: Born Again trailer is here, and it's seriously brutal. Featuring Matt Murdock's MCU debut, it sees him reunite with some familiar faces, from Wilson Fisk to Punisher in some cut-away scenes. However, it's another character that has sparked the latest theories.

Benjamin Poindexter – or Bullseye – makes a very brief return in the first trailer, walking through a prison cell in an orange jumpsuit. The character originally appeared in the Netflix show in season 3 and was an absolutely chilling villain. He first worked as Fisk's personal assassin and was tasked with impersonating Daredevil to turn the public against him, before he was eventually defeated and his back was broken by Fisk.

The last we saw of him, he was having spine-surgery and we now know where he ended up after that. But, crucially, it's not clear when this brief scene of Bullseye takes place. In fact, one Marvel fan is pretty convinced that it's a flashback – and it's all based on the comics.

Posting on Reddit, user Moonknightcrawler references something that Murdock says about why he's stopped being a vigilante. Daredevil says that a line was crossed as we then cut away to a scene of him carrying a lifeless body down some railway tracks.

"With him saying 'a line was crossed' I wonder if the Bullseye scenes are flashbacks," the fan speculated. "Bullseye kills someone close to Matt like he does in the comics and Matt kills him, leading to him hanging up the mask." In the comics, Bullseye kills Matt's childhood lover, Elektra – and while that won't be the direction they're going in here, the creators may use it as inspiration.

Others agreed, pointing out that it would make sense with the show's timeskip. "They will explain the past 6-7 years with this timeskip," one agreed. "He killed someone and hang up the mask for a few years. Getting back because Fisk is moving." Another suggested: "Maybe not kill him but carving the Bullseye logo into his forehead like he did in the comics."

Interestingly it was Bullseye actor Wilson Bethel who was actually the one to confirm the timeline of the new Disney Plus show as well. Speaking at Fan Expo San Francisco in late 2024, he explained: "These are characters who have all lived five years of life and all of the twists and turns that you take in the meantime. So whether or not those stories are on screen, there's just that little extra bit of life in there, which I think, as an actor, gives you an opportunity to bring whatever your own journey has been in that time. They get a little longer in the tooth."

Daredevil: Born Again begins on March 4 on Disney Plus. For more, check out our guides to upcoming Marvel movies and shows and how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

Fay Watson
Deputy Entertainment Editor

I’m the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at 12DOVE, covering TV and film for the Total Film and SFX sections online. I previously worked as a Senior Showbiz Reporter and SEO TV reporter at Express Online for three years. I've also written for The Resident magazines and Amateur Photographer, before specializing in entertainment.

Read more
Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) and Daredevil/Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) in Daredevil Born Again
Daredevil fans are theorizing about why Matt Murdock hung up the mask, and some of the suggestions are seriously dark
Daredevil: Born Again
First Daredevil: Born Again clip sees The Man Without Fear beat up Bullseye but leaves out the best part
Bullseye in Daredevil: Born Again trailer
Daredevil: Born Again fans have a Bullseye and Punisher theory after Frank Castle's appearance in the latest episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again
First trailer for Daredevil: Born Again is brutal, bloody, and filled with Netflix fan-service – including Kingpin and Punisher showdowns
Bullseye dressed as Daredevil in Daredevil season 3, and Bullseye from Marvel Comics
The blood-soaked comic history of Daredevil: Born Again villain Bullseye
Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock in Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil: Born Again fan compiles all the teasers the show hasn't used yet, and it seems Wilson Fisk's scariest scene is still to come
Latest in Marvel TV Shows
Muse
Daredevil: Born Again midseason trailer teases Matt Murdock’s violent fight with Muse, including a gory scene straight from the comics
Iman Vellani in The Marvels
Daredevil: Born Again episode 5 gives an important Ms. Marvel update – and it might have confirmed a major team-up in the next Avengers movie
Daredevil: Born Again trailer
Daredevil: Born Again episode 5 isn't a filler episode, it brings back the magic of old-school episodic TV
Daredevil: Born Again
Marvel may have just sneakily confirmed one of the biggest Daredevil: Born Again fan theories
Daredevil: Born Again
A new look at Matt Murdock suiting up in Daredevil: Born Again has Marvel fans saying the same thing
Debra Jo Rupp as Sharon in Agatha All Along
A quickly killed off Agatha All Along star thought she'd be a witch: "I get there and no one is really looking me in the eye"
Latest in News
Lunar Remastered Collection
"Will today’s players still enjoy a game from 30 years ago?": JRPG icon Kei Shigema says he was thrilled to see Lunar getting a remaster even after all this time
Nick Offerman as Bill and Murray Bartlett as Frank in The Last of Us episode 3
The Last of Us season 2 showrunners tease a "gorgeous" episode akin to season 1’s Emmy-nominated Bill and Frank story: "Just you wait"
The Witcher 4 screenshot with Ciri using sword and sorcery to fight an ancient monster
CD Projekt boss says "cutting-edge single-player games" – you know, like The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2 – will "continue to enjoy great popularity" despite industry shifts
Cyberpunk 2077
Despite releasing exactly zero new games, CD Projekt bagged $120 million in profit for 2024 – the Witcher and Cyberpunk studio's third-best result ever
Muse
Daredevil: Born Again midseason trailer teases Matt Murdock’s violent fight with Muse, including a gory scene straight from the comics
Batman looking over the city during Batman: Arkham City, one of the best PS3 games.
The PS2 Batman Begins game was considered such a "disaster" that Christopher Nolan turned down a Dark Knight-inspired game