Hold On, What Exactly Are Daredevil's Powers?

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Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again Episodes 1 and 2.

Matt Murdock/Daredevil ( Charlie Cox ) has made his return as the lead in his own Marvel Cinematic Universe series, with Daredevil: Born Again premiering earlier this week. This sequel series focuses on new characters and the current setting but provides little context for Matt and other returning characters from the previous Daredevil series. The creators seem to expect that most viewers will have some familiarity with the key points from the earlier series or the Daredevil comics. While this assumption may hold true for many, it could leave new or casual viewers puzzled about significant aspects of the story, including the nature of Matt’s superpowers. Therefore, here’s an overview of the Man Without Fear’s abilities and how they function.

The Blind Daredevil Has Superhuman Senses

In both comic book and MCU storylines, Matt loses his sight as a child after heroically saving an elderly neighbor from an oncoming truck carrying hazardous materials. Following his blindness, his other senses become extraordinarily heightened. He also develops a “radar sense,” enabling him to perceive shapes and movements in a 360-degree radius. The character’s early comics detail how he trained to harness these abilities to navigate the world without sight and eventually to combat crime as Daredevil.

During his initial run in the ongoing Daredevil comic, writer and artist Frank Miller significantly boosted Matt’s popularity and established him as a key Marvel character. He introduced Stick, a fellow blind man with similar heightened senses, into Matt’s backstory, revealing that Stick was pivotal in teaching Matt to control his powers and martial arts skills. In a modern-day scene, Stick tells Matt that all humans can potentially use their senses at this heightened level, but few achieve it, clarifying that the accident merely triggered Matt’s latent abilities. The MCU’s version of Stick, played by Scott Glenn, also touches on these truths.

Although the TV series lacks the extensive internal monologues found in the comics that describe Matt’s sensory perceptions, the intensity of his abilities appears consistent across both formats. As expected, he heavily relies on his enhanced hearing, which allows him to identify individuals by their voices and bodily sounds, as well as detect lies based on heartbeats. Additionally, he frequently uses his sense of smell to track investigation targets and occasionally picks up key details through touch and taste.

The radar sense has evolved throughout the character’s history. Initially, including during Miller’s era, Matt’s radar was portrayed as a separate ability, used more in situations where his other senses were impaired. Later adaptations, including Cox’s MCU appearances, depict the radar as a culmination of his natural senses, where information from his other senses combines to create “images.”

The clarity of his radar sense depends on his physical condition and the environment. For instance, the film shows him noting that heavy rain creates so much sensory input from raindrops that “it’s like I can see again,” with his perspective sometimes depicted as shadowy images colored in deep blue. Conversely, extremely loud noises or heavy snow can hinder his ability to accurately perceive his surroundings.

Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock as Daredevil on the She-Hulk Character Poster

Read Charlie Cox’s Foreword for Marvel’s New ‘Daredevil’ Comics Collection Ahead of ‘Born Again’ [Exclusive]

‘Daredevil: Born Again’ hits Disney+ on March 4.

‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Can Further Develop Matt’s Powers

Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Colleen Wing, and Claire Temple in a stairwell in The Defenders — Image via Netflix

While both the original series and Born Again effectively showcase Matt’s unique perspective through shot composition and sound editing, there is only one scene where viewers are shown what he “sees.” In Season 1, Episode 5 of Daredevil, Claire Temple ( Rosario Dawson ), a nurse who often treats Matt’s injuries, asks him to explain his sensory experiences. Matt describes how his senses combine to create an “impressionistic painting,” and when Claire asks for clarification, he simply responds, “A world on fire,” accompanied by a shot depicting Claire as he perceives her.

In the comics, Stick’s training enables Matt to perform more overtly mystical feats, such as purifying the soul of his deceased lover, Elektra Natchios, which has been explored in recent storylines involving his Catholic faith. Like many superheroes, he has temporarily gained various powers in exceptional situations. However, Cox’s portrayal has not included such abilities, and despite the MCU’s often fantastical elements, Born Again maintains a grounded tone, similar to the original series, likely avoiding these more extravagant sequences. Nonetheless, it would be intriguing if the new series continues to explore and depict his supersenses in innovative ways, as seen in the comics.

Daredevil: Born Again is available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.

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Daredevil: Born Again

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Release Date: March 4, 2025
Showrunner: Chris Ord
Directors: Michael Cuesta, Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Jeffrey Nachmanoff
Writers: Chris Ord
Franchise(s): Daredevil, Marvel Cinematic Universe