This article contains spoilers for “Daredevil: Born Again” season 1, episode 5.
Who would have thought that Matt “Daredevil” Murdock (Charlie Cox) would ever team up with Yusuf Khan (Mohan Kapur), Kamala “Ms. Marvel” Khan’s (Iman Vellani) dad — let alone foil a dangerous bank robbery with the guy? Surprising or not, this is exactly what happens in “Daredevil: Born Again” season 1, episode 5. It all begins when we see Matt face an enemy neither lawyers nor superheroes can readily defeat: An unsymphathetic bank official. Well, “unsympathetic” in the sense that he’s reluctant to give Matt’s law office a loan, which seems to be par for the course for Marvel Cinematic Universe heroes. After all, if Sam “world-saving Avenger and future Captain America” Wilson (Anthony Mackie) himself struggled to get a business loan on “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” what chance would a mere grassroots lawyer from Hell’s Kitchen have?
Fortunately, said banker — who, of course, is Yusuf — turns out to be a perfectly decent human being, and he and Matt hit it off immediately. This comes in handy when the situation switches to one that Matt is far more capable of handling: A bank robbery that turns into a high-stakes hostage situation. As Matt infiltrates the ranks of the hostages and starts making moves, the mild-mannered Yusuf becomes an integral part of the episode in his own right. This incredibly unlikely buddy team-up turns out to be nothing short of delightful. What’s more, it might not be the last meeting between Mr. Murdock and members of the Khan family: When Yusuf invites Matt to a dinner at his family home in New Jersey, he sets up a possible future meeting between Daredevil and Ms. Marvel.
The episode teases several exciting MCU developments
Marvel Studios
The Marvel Cinematic Universe never wastes a chance to set up future storylines, and indeed, Yusuf Khan’s guest appearance lays the groundwork for several potential developments. During the events of the episode, Yusuf, who’s previously appeared on “Ms. Marvel” (2022) and in “The Marvels” (2023), reveals that Kamala Khan is currently in Los Angeles “visiting some friends.” In all likelihood, this alludes to the young superhero’s comic book affiliation with the West Coast-based Avengers offshoot Champions … also known as Young Avengers.
Marvel’s impending live-action Young Avengers team is pretty much a given, and the MCU has already introduced several future Young Avengers. From Kate “Hawkeye” Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) to Cassie “Stature” Lang (Kathryn Newton) and Billy “Wiccan” Maximoff (Joe Locke), the new generation of Marvel’s live-action heroes is well and truly on its way. Since Ms. Marvel is the group’s leader in the comics, the revelation that she’s hanging out in L.A. with some acquaintances sure seems like a setup that will get a massive payoff before long.
As for the dinner invitation that might bring Daredevil and the far more light-hearted Ms. Marvel together, whether that actually happens at some point down the line remains to be seen. On paper, the idea seems strange, since the two characters don’t have much of a history with each other in the comics. Still, this particular team-up might be well worth exploring. After all, while he’s a fairly serious character himself, the comic version of Daredevil has been known to team up with wise-cracking figures like Spider-Man — and as his scenes with Yusuf prove, the MCU’s Matt Murdock also has an energy that can work extremely well with goofier characters.
“Daredevil: Born Again” is now streaming on Disney+.
