When Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 premieres, Matt Murdock will find himself in a dire situation, as he seeks to combat the machinations of New York City Mayor Wilson Fisk (a.k.a. Kingpin). Murdock will, however, have allies fighting alongside him, including longtime friend Karen Page. The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of Page has long been a favorite amongst fans, including myself. Now, I’m even more hyped for her return due to the series’ showrunner sharing his take on Page’s importance as a character.
There was fan disappointment early into Born Again Season 1’s development cycle when it was confirmed that Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen was one of the OG characters who wouldn’t appear heavily within the show. However, that all changed due to DD’s creative overhaul, which was spearheaded, at the time by newly named EP Dario Scardapane. SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend recently caught up with Scardapane to discuss Season 2. And it was during that chat that the producer recalled the discussions he had about Karen’s role early on:
When I came into season one, and Karen was originally not a big part of the narrative – or no part of it at all – I was like, ‘Guys, guys, guys, we can’t do that!’ Karen’s got to be a part of this world for a lot of reasons, and we didn’t have as much of her as I would have liked in season one.
Page’s presence during the first season of Born Again (streamable with a Disney+ subscription) was indeed limited. The series premiere sees her mourning the murder of good friend Franklin “Foggy” Nelson and later attending the trial of the man who murdered him (Benjamin Poindexter/Bullseye). Karen, who’s living in San Francisco, later returns to NY at the end of the season to help Matt find legal evidence from the late Foggy to sink Fisk.
As a fan, I greatly appreciate Scardapane’s passion in trying to keep Karen involved within Season 1’s narrative. What I also love is the former Punisher producer’s take on how he and Woll view the character in general, which makes me both excited and intrigued for what’s to come in the second season:
In season two, the evolution of Karen Page feels so on path with everything that’s come before. In my mind – and in Debs’s mind – she’s never been a sidekick; she’s never been a girlfriend. She’s always been somebody who both mirrors and pushes Murdock – not always in the best way.
Karen is indeed more than a love interest or a run-of-the-mill supporting character. She’s someone who’s meant to serve as Matt’s equal in several ways. In the time since she debuted in the original Netflix series, Page has proven her merit as a journalist and an individual with a keen knowledge of legalese, which is why she’s now a lawyer. As for how Dario Scardapane and Deborah Ann Woll collaborated on the character’s further development, the former said:
This version of Karen Page is a blast. It’s a curveball that you haven’t seen before. The great thing is we got to talk to her about it in season one, before we started getting into the real nitty-gritty of season two. Her input adds to what we do in the writers’ room and by the time you come out at the end you’re like, ‘Whoa, this actually makes sense!’ I think fans are really going to dig this Karen Page. The events of Mayor Fisk’s rise prompt people to take sides, and some of them have to take sides pretty vigorously.
Karen has been glimpsed a few times in Season 2 promotional photos and footage thus far (and even appears to sport red hair at some point). It seems she’s going to be in the trenches with Matt along with more than a few New York citizens who want Fisk taken down. Someone else who may or may not be a key ally in this fight is the returning Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), who I’d love to see share the screen with Page.
Fans still have to wait a few weeks for Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 to arrive, but Scardapane’s comments on Karen and others give hope that he and his team have been thoughtful about how to approach the story and characters. The season premieres on March 24 as part of the 2026 TV schedule.
