Warning! This article contains spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again episode 7.
Daredevil: Born Againepisode 7 revealed Muse’s true identity as Bastian Cooper, marking a notable change from Marvel Comics. Theending ofDaredevil: Born Againepisode 6saw the titular character return for the first time since the premiere, this time facing off against Muse. Muse’s targeting ofDaredevil: Born Again’s Angela del Toroforced Matt to put the suit on once more, with episode 7 continuing the trend now that the hero is dedicated to bringing down the art-inspired serial killer.
After Angela’s near escape, Muse went after another person close to Matt’s heart: Heather Glenn. However, this was just a coincidence given that Muse is a client of Heather’s, something teased in aDaredevil: Born Againepisode 2 Easter egg. Via his therapy session with Heather, Muse’s true identity was revealed, separatingDaredevil: Born Againepisode 7from the source material. By revealing Muse’s identity as Bastian Cooper, the show puts a new spin on the character that was not present in Marvel Comics.
Daredevil: Born Again Reveals Muse’s Identity Is Bastian Cooper
A Troubled Client Of Heather
As already alluded to, Muse’s identity reveal inDaredevil: Born Againepisode 7 came via a therapy session with Heather.Hunter Doohan’sDaredevil: Born Againrolewas first teased in episode 2, with episode 7 revealing the actor to be playing Bastian Cooper. Bastian Cooper is described as a troubled individual, one who had been involuntarily committed to psychiatric hospitals multiple times throughout his life. Moreover, Bastian Cooper was said to be an elite Taekwondo fighter, explaining his ability to go toe-to-toe with Daredevil in episode 6 despite lacking his comic book superpowers.
Okay Marvel, I’m Actually Not Mad Daredevil: Born Again Totally Left Out Muse’s Superpowers From The Comics
Daredevil finally fights Muse in Daredevil: Born Again episode 6, and I’m actually glad that he doesn’t seem to have his superpowers from the comics.
It was revealed by Detective Kim that Bastian was trained in Taekwondo by Lee Suk Ji, with Bastian concurrently telling Heather how much he hated his training. Bastian insists that he was forced to train as Kim tells Fisk that Lee Suk Ji was found dead shortly after moving into the Cooper household. Bastian then reveals his true nature to Heather, all but confirming his murder of Lee Suk Ji and the countless others Muse has killed throughoutDaredevil: Born Again.
Bastian tells Heather that she helped unlock his true identity as Muse. Muse then suits up after knocking out Heather, attempting to use her in one seemingly final art piece that will allow the city to truly see who he is. Bastian is quickly thwarted by Daredevil, though, before Heather shoots him dead. Interestingly, this storyline inDaredevil: Born Againepisode 7 adds much more to the character of Muse.
Muse’s Identity In Daredevil: Born Again Is A Major Change From The Comics
Muse Is More Of An Enigma In The Source Material
The reveal of Muse’s identity inDaredevil: Born Againepisode 7’s endingis completely original for the show. Muse is a character taken from Marvel Comics, but his identity is much more mysterious in the source material. Despite appearing at length in several Daredevil storylines, the true history of Muse was never revealed, with the character remaining a deranged, art-inspired serial killer who constantly sought to decorate New York with his murderous art.
Where Cooper is concerned, however,Daredevil: Born Againhas presented arguably the biggest departure from the comics thus far…
The backstory involving Bastian Cooper has been entirely crafted forDaredevil: Born Again.TheMarvel Disney+ TV showhas its own differences from the comics in other ways, but a lot of elements are taken from Daredevil storylines. Where Cooper is concerned, however,Daredevil: Born Againhas presented arguably the biggest departure from the comics thus far, by giving Muse an entire backstory and, more broadly, an identity that has never been confirmed in printed projects.
Why Daredevil: Born Again Changed Muse’s Origin Story
Daredevil: Born Again Delves Deeper Into Its Characters
With this big comic change in mind regardingDaredevil: Born Again’s Muse, the burning question is why the show’s creators made this choice. After all, Muse’s character has proven to be very effective as an enigmatic killer with no real backstory. This arguably makes the character more scary than he is, as a face and a past have not been attributed to the dark crimes he commits.This is altered inDaredevil: Born Again, with the show likely wishing to make Muse more of a character with depththan a typical comic book villain.
As a terrifying villain, the Muse from Marvel Comics arguably works better thanDaredevil: Born Again’s iteration. However, after episode 7, none can argue that the latter interpretation is more compelling as a well-rounded character. Making Muse a normal person with a history of mental illness adds a lot of depth where there was none from the source material, something that superhero TV shows likeDaredevil: Born Againhave the benefit of doing. By confirming Muse as Bastian Cooper, the nameless villain from Marvel Comics is made more real and tangible.
Muse’s Death In Daredevil: Born Again Is Also A Major Change From The Comics
Muse’s Comic Book Death Is Linked To Another Big Marvel Superhero
As it turns out, Muse’s backstory as Bastian Cooper is not the only significant changeDaredevil: Born Againmakes from Marvel Comics. The other comes in the form of Muse’s death. InDaredevil: Born Again, Heather shoots Muse after the latter fights with Daredevil, ending Bastian’s violent crime spree for good. This makes a lot of sense for the show and gives Heather much more involvement in the show’s overall story, something that could not be said forDaredevil: Born Again’s new cast memberbefore.
After Daredevil: Born Again Episode 4, I’m Very Concerned About What Marvel Has Planned For Matt Murdock’s Girlfriend
Daredevil: Born Again has given Matt Murdock a new girlfriend in Heather, but after episode 4, I worry for her safety in the remaining episodes.
That said, Heather’s murder of Muse marks another big departure from the source material. Beyond Daredevil, Marvel Comics depicts the superhero Blindspot as a major opponent to Muse. Blindspot often helps Daredevil fight against the serial killer, with the former eventually being responsible for his death. After a lengthy storyline involving the Hand, Blindspot defeats Muse, prompting the latter to commit suicide by way of burning debris.
Of course, Blindspot is not a part of the MCU, meaning he is not part ofDaredevil: Born Again. Instead, the MCU opted to tie Muse to Heather’s storyline, with his death furthering her character development. Although it would have been cool to see Blindspot and his rivalry with Muse play out, the story simply did not fitDaredevil: Born Again. At the end of the day, the show made the best choice for adapting the various elements of Marvel Comics in a compelling way, be it the method of Muse’s eventual death or the reveals about his past as Bastian Cooper.
