Bullseye was only given that moniker in the last episode of Daredevil: Born Again by Jon Bernthal's Punisher, with Daredevil season 3 only referring to him by his name, Benjamin Poindexter. Still, it's good to see Daredevil: Born Again lean into its comic book origins, while Bullseye nearly fully embraced the supervillain's unique style by sporting gloves with target patterns sewn in.

This hopefully heralds another appearance from the iconic Daredevil villain despite being sentenced to life in prison for Foggy's murder. With the Punisher pointing out took the life of Foggy Nelson, this could be on the cards as another motivation for Daredevil to return to his no-holds-barred heroics should Poindexter escape prison. It would be great to see Wilson Bethel continue to embody the role as the few short minutes he was seen in the first episode prove how perfect he is for it.

Daredevil: Born Again's Wilson Bethel Was Almost Cast In Another MCU Role

Wilson Bethel Could Have Embodied A Pivotal MCU Role

If Wilson Bethel had successfully landed the first role he went for in the MCU, we would have been deprived of his exceptional Bullseye. During a Fan Expo event earlier this year, Bethel revealed that the "hardest hit" he took was being turned down for the role of Captain America. He even got as far through the process as donning the suit before his agent delivered the bad news. His full quote is as follows:

"The hardest hit I took was...I came very close to being cast as Captain America. I went through multiple rounds of screen testing, and the suit felt incredible. Yeah [when asked if he has pictures] There were all these things that were happening that made me feel like I was getting the part. And then I my agent calling me one day, and they're like, 'No, actually, they offered it to Chris Evans' or whatever."

It isn't uncommon for actors to get so far in the casting process only to be denied the role at the eleventh hour. Still, I can also see why this rejection would have carried a particularly potent sting as Captain America is one of Marvel's, and now the MCU's, most iconic characters. It must have also been difficult for Bethel to see just how much of a powerhouse Captain America became in the franchise. However, seven years after Captain America was first brought into the MCU fold, Bethel successfully seized another Marvel opportunity.

Wilson Bethel Has Played Bullseye Since Daredevil Season 3

Wilson Bethel Excellently Portrayed The Daredevil Villain

Wilson Bethel was cast in 2018's Daredevil season 3 as Benjamin "Dex" Poindexter. Comic aficionados would have made the Bullseye connection immediately from the name alone, though Daredevil essentially depicts his origin story in full and even goes so far as to convey his childhood through cleverly crafted flashback sequences as Kingpin reads up on his history. This is where his deep-seated psychopathy is revealed, though he makes earnest attempts to suppress his violent urges through therapy.

Dex begins the show as a particularly gifted FBI agent who initially rallies against Kingpin and his manipulations and continues down a straight-and-narrow path. He is unfortunately just as vulnerable to Kingpin's machinations as any of his victims, however, and is slowly baited into acting on his violent urges as Kingpin unearths pivotal information. Kingpin successfully brings Dex under his wing, using him as a weapon against Daredevil and his friends.

One of Dex's most memorable scenes was his massacre at the New York Bulletin offices dressed as Daredevil in Kingpin's attempt to besmirch his rival's good name. Dex is allowed to indulge in wanton violence on all except Karen Page, who is used to lend credence to Dex's false identity. Later, however, Dex learns that Kingpin ordered a hit on his love interest, Julie Barnes. This leads to a monumental three-way tussle between Dex, Daredevil, and Kingpin during the Daredevil season 3 finale.

Kingpin is able to overpower Dex and ostensibly breaks his back on the corner of a wall. This could have written Dex out of the franchise, but his return was thankfully heralded by his final scene in which his back is being operated on and the pattern of a target is reflected in his eyes. It is no wonder, then, that Bullseye returns with a vengeance in Daredevil: Born Again episode 1, now embracing his violent urges and hitting Matt Murdock where it hurts most.

Daredevil: Born Again Proves Wilson Bethel Is A Way Better Bullseye Than Captain America

His Minor Role Remains One Of The Most Memorable

This episode only features Bethel's Bullseye for a short period, though it remains a highlight of the whole show so far. Dex's swagger as he descends on the bar before throwing a smoke grenade and his continued attempts at murder even when locked in a fight with Daredevil paint him as a truly careless, psychopathic, and terrifying MCU villain who is just as sadistic as his comic book counterpart. This is all punctuated by Dex's chilling response when Daredevil demands that he explain himself: a callous laugh.

After attempting to murder Bullseye, Matt Murdock relinquishes the Daredevil mantle because he believes "a line was crossed."

It's no wonder, really, that Daredevil's hopelessness caused him to throw Dex from the roof, whether it was out of sheer vengeance or a desperate attempt to bring a decisive halt to Bullseye's wanton violence. Bethel's acting decisions in this scene prove that he was made for this role, and it's hard to see how this would translate to Bullseye's polar opposite, Captain America. With that being said, I can't help but wonder if this is proof of Bethel's acting ability, and how different the MCU might have looked had he been successful.

The MCU Might've Been Very Different Without Chris Evans' Captain America

Chris Evans Is Now Synonymous With The MCU

Chris Evans is arguably as synonymous with the MCU today as his Avengers co-star, Robert Downey Jr., despite it being six years since his Steve Rogers was last seen on-screen. It isn't easy to imagine anybody other than Chris Evans portraying Captain America, a notion that some of the the MCU's third-lowest-grossing movie, Evans made a lasting impression as the MCU's Steve Rogers despite being a relatively minor name in Hollywood at the time.

He keeps the character approachable yet commanding, with a noble modesty that has come to define the Captain America mantle.

Wilson Bethel was even less well-known around the time the MCU began, boasting just one movie credit, Tunnel Rats, in 2008. This means Captain America: The First Avenger would have been distinctly lacking in star power, where Chris Evans already had a large superhero movie presence after starring in Fox's Fantastic Four duology and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. While 2012's The Avengers certainly benefited from the combined star power of its cast, it's safe to say that Chris Evans was a big part of that draw and helped to make The Avengers so successful.

Ultimately, it is hard to imagine any other actor striking the same balance needed for Steve Rogers as Chris Evans. He keeps the character approachable yet commanding, with a noble modesty that has come to define the Captain America mantle. There is a good reason fans are clamoring for his return in a future MCU installment like Avengers: Doomsday, after all. In any case, I'm glad that Wilson Bethel was instead picked to portray Bullseye and I hope there is more in store for him in Daredevil: Born Again.

MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

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  Spider-Man: Brand New Day

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

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Source: Fan Expo