Born Again’ Season 2’s Vanessa Twist Finally Tops Iconic 2019 MCU Moment

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, Episode 5, “The Grand Design.”Seven years ago, we lost Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man in a death scene that has gone down in Marvel history as one of the all-time greats. In 2026, the MCU has just had its first on-screen demise that lives up to that of Tony Stark’s, but in a very different way. While most of the more memorable Marvel deaths come in the wake of (or even during) explosive fight sequences, the franchise does have other ways of having long-running characters make their exit in extraordinary ways.

Although it’s not a universal rule, most Marvel deaths become legendary when the character in question has been part of the franchise for years, racking up a notable amount of screen time and a great deal of active story involvement. These deaths are often even more memorable when it’s a hero who dies, rather than a villain. After all, villains are generally more disposable by comparison, and their defeat is usually the sign of better things to come. All of these criteria fit when discussing Iron Man’s sacrifice in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, but almost none of them are relevant to what Daredevil: Born Again just did. Regardless, it worked brilliantly.

Vanessa’s Death in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Is One of Marvel’s All-Time Greats

Vanessa’s (Ayelet Zure) delicate state forms the narrative basis of Born Again Season 2, Episode 5, “The Grand Design.” In the wake of Bullseye’s (Wilson Bethel) attack at the mayor’s boxing match, Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk spends most of the installment’s runtime watching over his wife and hoping for her recovery. After a short stint of disoriented consciousness, Vanessa eventually succumbs to her injuries and slips away. On paper, it sounds positively dull for a Marvel death, but it’s perfectly written, shot, acted, and directed by everyone involved. It’s also interesting for being so emotional in spite of both characters being bad guys rather than heroes. Still, Vanessa’s role in the story dates back more than a decade to Daredevil Season 1, and she wasn’t a villain when we first met her. As such, Born Again is right to showcase her death like this.

“The Grand Design” is Ayelet Zurer’s 24th appearance as Vanessa.

Furthermore, her gradual decline in the hospital bed opens the door for “The Grand Design” to adopt an incredibly cool approach to the entire episode’s script. With Vanessa’s dying mind taking the opportunity to revisit the past by showing us previously unseen events via purpose-shot flashbacks, Born Again does so at large by giving the entire episode permission to do the same. “The Grand Design” becomes a perfect blend of Born Again‘s glossy Disney+ aesthetic in its present-day sequences and the gritty, green-tinged vibe of Netflix’s original Daredevil series when revisiting the past. Even the aspect ratio changes to be more authentic to each of the two eras. Without Vanessa’s imminent demise, another way would have needed to be found to pull this off.

How the Fallout of Vanessa’s Demise Will Impact ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Going Forward

Fisk mourning Vanessa's death in Daredevil: Born Again

Fisk already despises vigilantes, as proven by the task force he’s put together to take them all down. That said, his hatred for them burns especially hot now that Bullseye has taken Vanessa’s life. The fact that Charlie Cox’s Daredevil was also there during Bullseye’s attack is more than enough reason for Fisk to double down on his already intense search for both of them. The mayor’s deep love for his late wife will understandably turn him into even more of a vengeance-seeking machine, so the vigilantes of New York will need to redouble their efforts to keep out of his line of intensified fire.

In addition, it was largely Vanessa’s level head by her husband’s side that was settling the nerves of New York’s governor, who had been making noise about trying to remove him from office for his extreme policies. Now that Vanessa is out of the picture, that scheme will likely be reignited. Mayor Fisk will not go quietly, but it is possible that sheer bureaucracy will strip him of his title, plunging him back solely into the criminal underworld and seeking vengeance against New York’s politicians as well as its masked vigilantes. One thing is for sure: there’s no way D’Onofrio’s Marvel character or Daredevil: Born Again will ever be the same now that Vanessa is gone.