Born Again? Matthew Lillard’s Marvel Character Explained

Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again adds a new character to the mix, courtesy of Matthew Lillard playing Mr. Charles. He is so far one of the only fresh faces in the sophomore season, making his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the first episode.

Otherwise, Daredevil: Born Again season 2’s cast is headlined by its returning stars: Charlie Cox as Daredevil, Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, Ayelet Zurer as Vanessa Fisk, Wilson Bethel as Bullseye, Michael Gandolfini as Daniel Blake, Margarita Levieva as Heather Glenn, Genneya Walton as BB Urich, and more.

But it’s Lillard’s Mr. Charles who quickly makes an impact. And anytime a new character enters the MCU, questions about their history in the comics are raised. When those characters are as shady and secretive as Lillard’s Daredevil: Born Again character, there is also room for speculation about twists to come.

What Daredevil: Born Again Has Revealed About Mr. Charles (So Far)

Daredevil: Born Again brings Mr. Charles into the picture after Daredevil makes the Northern Star sink before it can deliver Fisk’s secret load of weapons. He is in Washington, D.C., when he takes a call from someone (more on that later) and agrees to head to New York to deal with the mess.

Once he enters the larger story, Daredevil: Born Again proves that Mr. Charles is a powerful figure in this world. A phone call from his superior grants him access to Mayor Fisk’s office and forces the attorney general to walk back his issues with the mayor’s operations. Lillard’s character is loaded with personality, is an expert in logistics, and someone who will stand up to anyone, even Fisk.

Mr. Charles Works For Valentina

One of the most subtle Easter eggs in Daredevil: Born Again season 2, episode 1 comes with a mention of “Miss de Fontaine,” better known as Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Black Widow, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Thunderbolts*.

The reference is used to confirm that Mr. Charles works for Valentina in the MCU. He says that he is from Langley, and that claim is backed up moments later when the CIA’s Director calls the attorney general and proves that Lillard’s character is more than welcome to be in the mayor’s office.

Valentina is the one who sent Mr. Charles to New York to help Fisk clean up the public disaster so that she can continue using his port. Based on the lone phone call between them, Mr. Charles appears to have a good rapport with Valentina. And with the mission she’s sent him on, he’s more than comfortable getting involved in her illegal operations.

Is Mr. Charles A Character In Marvel Comics?

Technically, yes. There is a character in Marvel Comics who has been named Mr. Charles. He was tied to an illegal drilling operation on one of Roxxon’s boats. But he was only ever in a single issue of the comics, one that takes place outside of any main continuity.

Mr. Charles’ only appearance came in AAFES #15 in 2013. The AAFES comics are Marvel’s exclusive series for the Army and Air Force Exchange Services, where 16 issues were made from 2008 to 2013.

The version of Mr. Charles in Daredevil: Born Again does have some slight similarities to the comic character of the same name. Both are shady individuals tied to illegal operations. But since the single-issue comic appearance didn’t really flesh out the character, there is not much else for the MCU to go on.

That is why there is a good chance that Lillard’s character is not meant to be the MCU’s take on such an obscure comic pull. The shared name could be a complete coincidence or used to cover up Mr. Charles’ real identity.

After all, it would seem strange to cast an actor as popular as Lillard and not give him a role with more history in Marvel’s comics. He’s been at the center of major movies like Scream and Five Nights at Freddy’s, and while there will be nothing wrong with him essentially playing a wholly original character for the MCU, there are other possibilities for his identity.

Mr. Charles Could Be A Cover Name For His True Identity

Daredevil: Born Again season 2, episode 1 has already teased this exact outcome. During the conversation with Fisk and Vanessa, Mr. Charles says, “I am what I am,” to which she says, “I doubt that very much.” She then wraps up the meeting by notably saying, “or whatever your name is” after calling him Mr. Charles.

This could be the show’s way of laying the groundwork for a twist that this is just his in-the-field cover name, with his true identity being a much bigger deal for comics readers. As for who Lillard’s character could really be, there are some options worth exploring based solely on the comics and good old-fashioned speculation.

One that is quite tantalizing is that Lillard is actually playing the longtime Daredevil villain, Mister Fear. Multiple individuals have taken on this mantle over the years, but the core of the character revolves around them using a special fear gas on their enemies.

While none of the people have ever been CIA agents before taking on this supervillain persona, the path for “Mr. Charles” to be Mister Fear is easy enough to imagine. As a CIA employee and someone close to Valentina, it’s quite possible that he has or will uncover a prototype for a fear-inducing gas during his missions.

Considering the show already has characters call him Mr., the leap to him using that as part of his villain title is right there. And if another connection is needed, the MCU could even combine him with Charles Boroughs, a serial killer who became part of one of Mister Fear’s plots against Daredevil, hence using Charles as a possible fake name right now.

Another option that could be worth considering is Henry Gyrich. He’s a government official who has held all sorts of positions of power in the comics over the years, including SWORD, the Thunderbolts, and Alpha Flight. Marvel could be hiding the fact that Lillard is playing Gyrich so that his true importance to the MCU’s future won’t become clearer until much later.

That all said, there is still a chance that “Mr. Charles” is just actually Mr. Charles, a CIA agent who works closely with Valentina. As he continues to pop up throughout the rest of Daredevil: Born Again season 2, we’ll hopefully learn a lot more about him, whether he is who he says he is or not.