Daredevil: Born Again Proved Marvel Was Right To Reject the Bullseye Actor’s First MCU Audition

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The Marvel shows on Netflix were praised for their excellent casting, giving fans what many considered the perfect live-action versions of their favorite comic book characters. For many, Charlie Cox as Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin are now the definitive portrayals of those roles. This popularity led Marvel Studios to officially include the Netflix stories into the main Marvel Cinematic Universe with the debut of Daredevil: Born Again, successfully bringing the dark and realistic world of Hell’s Kitchen into the larger MCU timeline. The revival has brought back popular characters like the Punisher, and the second season will officially feature Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones, with rumors suggesting Luke Cage might also return. Beyond the heroes, Daredevil: Born Again has also given Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye a more significant role; his now-iconic performance as the assassin was shaped by a previous, high-profile project that didn’t quite work out at the beginning of the MCU.

Wilson Bethel almost became Captain America over fifteen years ago! He made it to the very end of the casting process for Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger, even filming screen tests in the full costume. While he thought he had a real chance, he ultimately didn’t get the part – Chris Evans did. Ironically, this opened the door for him to later play a different, incredibly popular Marvel character, Benjamin Poindexter. This role allowed him to explore a much more complex and intense emotional side than Captain America ever would have.

Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye Is a Standout MCU Villain

Wilson Bethel truly stood out as the villain in season three of the original Daredevil series by delivering a nuanced portrayal of mental instability, moving beyond typical superhero villain clichés. As Benjamin Poindexter, he conveyed a subtle but powerful sense of a man falling apart, playing an FBI sharpshooter desperately searching for a moral compass he never had. This take on the character felt fresh because it avoided over-the-top performance, instead focusing on a gradual psychological breakdown. The result was a tragic villain who reflected Matt Murdock, creating a rivalry rooted in similar past traumas and different life decisions.

Poindexter’s return in Daredevil: Born Again has made the show’s central conflict even more intense. The season immediately raised the stakes by having Bullseye kill Foggy Nelson in the first episode, setting off a chain of events for the entire story. But the writing really shone when it was revealed that Poindexter wasn’t just acting on his own anger. Vanessa Fisk was actually pulling the strings, offering him a future if he eliminated the lawyer. This change made the villain more interesting – he wasn’t just a physical threat, but a tool used in a bigger power play, demonstrating that villains are most compelling when someone smarter is controlling them.

As the second season was filmed, photos from the set showed a big change in Bullseye’s look, with a costume much closer to the comics, including his signature target symbol on his mask. Leaks also suggested that with the city potentially under martial law, Matt Murdock might be forced to team up with the man who killed his best friend. Recent trailers seem to confirm this, showing Murdock reaching out to a wounded Poindexter, hinting at an uneasy alliance. This partnership creates a lot of dramatic tension, as Murdock has to decide if protecting Hell’s Kitchen is worth working with someone so closely tied to his personal pain.

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on March 24th. 

Can Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye really find redemption by teaming up with Daredevil’s Matt Murdock, or has he gone too far down a dark path? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion in the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-03-15 20:16