Contains spoilers for “Daredevil: Born Again,” Season 1, Episode 4 — “Sic Semper Systema”

At the end of “Sic Semper Systema,” Episode 4 of the Marvel Studios/Disney+ series “Daredevil: Born Again,” the show offers us our first real look at the Man Without Fear’s latest opponent: Muse. The episode reveals that the strange disappearances that White Tiger, aka Hector Ayala (played by the late Kamar de los Reyes), had been looking into are directly correlated with the mysterious serial killer. In fact, from what we can tell, he is also the one responsible for those strange murals popping up around the city, many of them centering on Wilson Fisk’s (Vincent D’Onofrio) tenure as mayor. 

But who is this supervillain really, and what do fans need to know? Well, this is where things are going to get a bit darker. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly ahead of the series’ premiere, executive producer Sana Amanat revealed that the Muse episodes of “Born Again” are some of the show’s darkest. “I would warn people to be very mindful of any kind of triggers there because Muse is a serial killer,” she explained. “He is not a good guy by any means, but some of the sequences with him are pretty compelling and creepy.” 

While the original Netflix “Daredevil” series was prone to get dark and violent itself, the show never delved into “masked serial killer” territory. This is where “Born Again” is pulling directly from the world of Marvel Comics and emphasising its connection to the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe. As it turns out, Muse and Daredevil have quite the comic book history, one that will no doubt factor into his role on this series.

First appearing in 2016’s “Daredevil” #11, Muse’s real name has never been revealed, but he’s terrifying from the first time we meet him. In addition to being a serial killer, Muse uses his victims’ blood in the murals he paints all over New York City. The villain is even known to kill Inhumans (with some speculating that he may be an Inhuman himself), making him a more formidable threat than most serial killers. Though his first confrontation with Daredevil lasts only a few issues, Muse returns after Wilson Fisk is elected mayor of New York City. As we can see on “Born Again,” the comics and the television series seem to directly overlap.

One of the most interesting things about Muse is that he actually has superpowers of his own. In addition to heightened strength and speed, Muse possesses “imperceptibility,” which allows him to avoid detection by even Daredevil. In this way, his body is almost like a void, keeping the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen from accurately locating him during a fight. Considering Kingpin’s Spider-Man reference, it would make sense that “Born Again” might play with superpowered villains this time around. Although, since the Netflix series itself didn’t explore that territory, it’s possible Muse will appear without powers at all.

Muse’s tenure in the Marvel universe didn’t last long, as the character was killed in “Daredevil” #600 less than two years after he first debuted. That didn’t quite stop him from being a menace, however, as his spirit has been known to terrorize others from Hell, as depicted in the “Daredevil: Unleash Hell” limited series. Since first reactions to “Daredevil: Born Again” have been great, we’re thrilled to see this villain adapted to the screen here.