Summary
Since the announcement that Charlie Cox would be returning as Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, to theMCUwith a brand-new series calledDaredevil: Born Again, the question on everyone’s minds has been what other characters would be appearing. With original series characters like Foggy Nelson, Karen Page, Wilson and Vanessa Fisk, andeven Jon Bernthal’s Punishermaking an appearance, the focus has been on new characters making their way onto the screen. With D23 showcasing a trailer that has since leaked with the villain Muse making an appearance, it should only be a matter of time before the vigilante hero Blindspot makes his debut.
Interestingly enough, there have not only been 2 different versions of Blindspot in Marvel Comics, but also a version of the character in theMCU, technically, in the seriesIron Fist. However, his role wasn’t explored fully in that series, and his relationship with Daredevil was a defining part of his story, as was his confrontation with the villain Muse. With so many returning characters, Marvel should useDaredevil: Born Againto be the perfect MCUvehicle to reintroduce everyone to the hero Blindspot.
Blindspot in Marvel Comics, EXPLAINED
A professionally trained gymnast and martial artist from China, Sam Chung immigrated to the US illegally with his mother, who sought a better life for them both. While in the US, Sam’s mother had a daughter, Hannah. Years later, Sam works as a janitor at Columbia University, where he begins stealing various designs in order to create a suit for himself that makes him invisible. However, this doesn’t work when Daredevil is able to sense him using his radar ability. Hoping to become a vigilante,Sam trains under Daredevil, who becomes his mentor, all while Sam works for the criminal Tenfingers with his mother, Lu.
Sam discovers that Tenfingers is working with none other than The Hand, and when Daredevil explains the Hand’s evil ways, Sam tries to warn his mother and reveals his vigilante activities to her. She helps hold off Tenfinger’s men and helps innocent people escape during a battle with the villain Fist, but she disowns Sam in the process. When Sam injures his arm, Matt gives him a job as a legal assistant, giving him a job when he is unable to perform his janitorial duties. Soon, however,he runs into the psychotic villain Muse, who is being taken as a hostage by the villain. When Daredevil appears, Muse gouges Sam’s eyes out, leaving him injured. Lu would return, asking the Hand to restore his sight, but he would also convert Sam to work for The Hand and the demon they serve, The Beast, in the process.
Daredevil would be revealed to Sam to be Matt Murdock after setting a trap for the hero, but eventually Sam would return to his mentor’s side, escaping the Hand only after his mother sacrificed herself to The Beast. Sam would later have a final confrontation with Muse, but after refusing to end Muse’s life upon his defeat, Muse simply walked into a fire, never to be seen again. This turned into The Beast and the Hand launching an all-out assault on New York City. While teaming up with Daredevil, Luke Cage,Jessica Jones, and other street-level heroes, as well as the Order of the Dragon, they were able to defeat the Beast. Sam was considered for membership into the Order of the Dragon due to his bravery during the battle.
Blindspot in the MCU
So far in theMCU, Samuel Chung’s impact has been minimal, appearing in 4episodes of the second season ofNetflix’s Iron Fist. The character ran a community center, offering aid to the people of New York City. However, his role in the main action of that season was to hide the gang members being targeted by season 2 villain Davos, and he was a friend of Colleen Wing. However, his athleticism and martial arts skills did not receive the same attention as those of his comic book counterpart.
While The Hand was seemingly defeated in theDefenders' miniseries along with Elektra, theMCUcould still bring Blindspot into the mix. Organizations like theTen Rings featured inShang-Chi, as well as other organizations yet to be revealed, could have an impact on his backstory, and the events ofIron Fistcould even inspire him to take a more hands-on role. The impending arrival of the villain Muse could be another catalyst for seeing the vigilante hero rise, and giving Matt a protégé whom he could teach his skills would add a new layer of depth and character development to the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.
TheMCUshould definitely include Blindspot, if not in the first season, then in the already booked second season ofDaredevil: Born Again. The heroics and action that he would add to the fight comingDaredevil’s way and Matt’s changeas he becomes a mentor (and calls back to his own training with Stick) would be a great new layer to add to Matt as a character. Plus, the fight between Muse and Blindspot is too iconic to pass up.
MCU
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a sprawling movie and television franchise that weaves together individual stories of superheroes including Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and many more. The first film in the franchise, Iron Man, was released in 2008. The MCU has garnered critical praise and financial success, earning billions at the box office and becoming a cultural phenomenon.
