Warning: contains potential spoilers for Daredevil #1!A new era is on the horizon for fans last saw Daredevil, he had sacrificed himself to save the souls of his friends from the Hand - but now, in a preview for Daredevil #1, Matt Murdock has seemingly returned, with a bold new direction that, while totally in character, fans still will not see coming.

Daredevil #1 is written by Saladin Ahmed, drawn by Aaron Kuder, colored by Jesus Aburtov and lettered by Clayton Cowles. The preview opens during rush hour in New York City. A cabbie is caught up in the traffic jam and fans can see his customer is Matt Murdock. The cabbie expresses dismay that he cannot in evening prayers due to how busy traffic is. Matt Murdock tells the cabbie that since traffic is not moving anytime soon, he can go to his prayers and be back in plenty of time. The cabbie is taken back, but he sees Murdock is serious. As the cabbie races off to perform his prayers, Murdock says: "Take as long as you need. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that when God calls you… you’d damn well better answer him." Readers then see Matt is wearing the clerical collar of a Catholic priest!

Daredevil Is Back... As a Priest

From there, the preview shifts to Elektra, in her Daredevil get-up, ruminating on how Matt has returned to life. The preview does not offer any hints on how Daredevil has returned to the land of the living, but instead provides a recap of the past few months: Daredevil attempted to bring down the Hand once and for all, only to fail spectacularly - and in the process, imperiling the souls of Foggy Nelson, Stick and everyone he loved. Daredevil seemingly sacrificed himself to save them all - but now, somehow, he is alive again.

Daredevil's New Direction Makes Perfect Sense

While Daredevil’s decision to become a priest may be shocking at first, it is totally in character for him. Matt Murdock was raised Catholic, and the beliefs he internalized have informed his crime-fighting career. Daredevil’s struggle with his faith has been at the center of some of his best-loved stories. In the late 1990s, filmmaker Kevin Smith wrote Daredevil, and leaned heavily into the character’s Catholicism. Superheroes who are also devout believers are a rarity, but seeing one as a priest is even rarer. Clearly, Daredevil’s experiences in Hell have changed him.

The mystery of what happened to Matt Murdock, to change him from street-level vigilante to Catholic priest, will play out over the course of Ahmed and Kuder’s run. Another question raised by the preview is: has Matt Murdock given up being Daredevil completely, now that he is a man of the cloth? Or will he still patrol Hell's Kitchen? There are many story possibilities inherent in a vigilante who moonlights as a priest, but it remains to be seen if this is the direction the creative team will take. Whatever the case, Daredevil has embarked on a bold new era, with a major reveal that changes his future forever.

Daredevil #1 is on sale September 13 from Marvel Comics!