Daredevil: Born Againhas finally landed, and while theMCUhas plenty of questions to answer in subsequent episodes, the one I need to know the answer to is: Who is Adam?Daredevil: Born Againis a sequel series to the original Netflix-basedDaredevil, and the new forayinto Matt Murdock’s storyand struggles has wasted no time in debuting a litany of new characters. Joining Matt Murdock in the spotlight isvigilante Hector Ayala, AKA White Tiger, investigator Cherry, and Murdock’s new love interest, psychiatrist Heather Glenn.
Matt Murdock’s arch-nemesis, Wilson Fisk, also makes a bombastic return in his new role as New York’s Mayor. Followingthe events ofEchoandHawkeye, we see Fisk struggling with the fallout, which mostly includes the estrangement from his wife, Vanessa, who stepped in as the Kingpin of his criminal empire in his absence. The air between these two once-passionate lovers has turned frosty, and their curt conversations have brought up a name that I can’t recall featuring inDaredevil,but that will seemingly play a large role in the new series.
Adam Is A Key Character In Wilson And Vanessa Fisk’s Story
The Name Is Mentioned Once, But He Sounds Pretty Important
Soon after winning his election inDaredevil: Born Againepisode 1, Wilson Fisk shares a moment with Vanessa on a rooftop. After a pregnant pause,Wilson opens the conversation with a somewhat foreboding acknowledgment of a character we’ve yet to see called Adam. Vanessa then instructs Wilson Fisk to refrain from killing the mystery man, before Fisk asserts that he has turned over a new leaf. Vanessa then tells Fisk to cement it with a promise, to which Fisk obliges. Their full interaction is as follows:
Fisk: I Promise.
Daredevil: Born Again Episodes 1 & 2 Review - I Was Heartbroken By THAT Major Tragedy In A Faithful Follow-Up To Netflix’s Daredevil Series
Daredevil: Born Again hits the ground running with a hertbreaking start that sets up an intense dive into Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk in the MCU.
Adam isn’t so much as mentioned in episode 2. Instead, the final scene in which Vanessa and Wilson feature sees them attending a couple’s therapy session with Murdock’s new partner, Heather Glenn. The two speak of Wilson’s absence before Vanessa reveals that she was lonely, and Fisk confesses that he doesn’t want to lose his wife.Vanessa could be alluding here to Adam’s filling a void left by Wilson, but the true nature of their relationship isn’t confirmed.
Daredevil: Born Again Adam Theories Explained
The Most Obvious Answer Isn’t Necessarily The Correct One
The most obvious reading of the subtext in these scenes suggests that Vanessa was having an affair with Adamwhile Wilson Fisk was absent. This is borne out by the fact that the two share few words, but Adam and Vanessa’s loneliness are prominent in their conversation. Her demand that Wilson Fisk refrain from killing him is a callback toKingpin’s violent and vengeful nature, which was recently seen in his attempts to kill Karen Page after discovering she murdered his right-hand man (and, dare I say it, friend), James Wesley.
Vanessa has, after all, been engaging in a criminal enterprise in Fisk’s absence, and she might have instead been collaborating with the mysterious Adam with no romantic involvement.
Then again, I wonder if the writers forDaredevil: Born Againare setting up a bait-and-switch.Vanessa’s apparent affair isn’t confirmed, after all, and the actors have remained coy about divulging too many details thus far. In an interview withBusiness Insider, for instance, Vanessa Fisk actor Ayelet Zurer stated the following:
“Things changed in their relationship. We come in after a gap of time where they also haven’t been together,I won’t say too much about that.But when they return, they are the very strange lovers that they are.”
Short of any obvious answers in Marvel Comics, some fans have been jokingly theorizing that Fisk is referring to Adam Warlock, who was last seen protecting the galaxy with Rocket Raccoon et al. inGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Again, it certainly sounds like Zurer is alluding to an extramarital affair, but without her outright stating this, I can’t help but wonder if there’s something more to it. Vanessa has, after all, been engaging in a criminal enterprise in Fisk’s absence, andshe might have instead been collaborating with the mysterious Adam with no romantic involvement. Whatever the case, I’m stumped, and I’m hoping that further light will be shed on the clandestine relationship inDaredevil Born Againepisode 3.
