Daredevil fans lost their minds when the Netflix version of the character, played by Charlie Cox, appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Even better, his Netflix nemesis Kingpin also recently joined the MCU thanks to an appearance in Hawkeye. A rematch feels inevitable at some point, but there are many more powerful villains from Marvel Comics for Daredevil to fight.
A fair number of Daredevil's most powerful villains also count among Spider-Man's enemies, making a crossover between the two heroes in the MCU highly likely. In addition, powerful assassins and fighters pushed Matt Murdock to his absolute limits personally and professionally. All of them stand a very good chance of making Daredevil's life very hard in the MCU.
Updated September 21st, 2022 by Darby Harn: Marvel Studios confirmed Daredevil: Born Again at D23, with both Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio reprising their iconic roles. With eighteen episodes scheduled, the series generates more than enough canvas for the iconic superhero to fight other villains beyond Kingpin. Some key characters from his Netflix past likely appear but there are several classic Daredevil villains from Marvel Comics yet to get their shot in live-action. Well-know Daredevil villains like Bullseye potentially appear but there's also a chance for obscure ones like Stilt-Man, especially now the MCU seems to have embraced its lighter side.
Stilt-Man
Stilt-Man might count among the silliest Marvel Comics villains for some, but he nevertheless proves a challenge. Stilt-Man wears an armored suit with telescoping legs that extends his height nearly three hundred feet into the air. The armor also insulates him against most practical attacks, including Spider-Man's web shooters.
Stilt-Man first appeared in Daredevil #8 and remains a consistent threat in modern comics. With a goofy but iconic gimmick, this classic Daredevil villain likely appears in the MCU in some form.
Mysterio
With Daredevil and Spider-Man both based in New York City, it makes sense there is some overlap in their villains. Mysterio, the master of illusion, ranks among the most powerful to harass both heroes. Comic book fans know Mysterio has no superpowers, but his use of elaborate tricks and illusions was as effective against Daredevil as they were Spider-Man.
Mysterio sets his sights on Daredevil only after accepting he'll never defeat Spider-Man. Mysterio begins a terrifying and effective campaign of psychological terror against Daredevil, bringing him close to the breaking point in the Guardian Devil storyline, among the best Daredevil comic book storylines ever.
Man-Bull
Man-Bull gained superhuman strength, stamina, and durability after he ingested an experimental serum. His power ebbs and flows without much warning, sometimes reverting him to human form and other times increasing his size and strength. He also wields two large horns made of dense material that can generate much destruction.
Man-Bull first appeared in Daredevil #78 and though he's made sporadic appearances in the years since he potentially appears in a cameo role in the upcoming MCU series if it proves less grounded than the Netflix one.
Mr. Fear
Mr. Fear dates back to Daredevil #5 and triggers a powerful fear response in victims through the use of his fear gas. In a second, he hampers even the bravest people with high levels of stress and anxiety. Daredevil is no exception, and he's been the victim of Mr. Fear on numerous occasions.
Mr. Fear fires his gas in the form of a pellet, meaning he can deliver it from a distance and not have to directly engage his opponents. This makes him particularly dangerous and his persistence makes him even more effective as a Daredevil villain.
Ikari
The assassin Ikari counts among the most gifted and dangerous martial artists in the Marvel Universe. Trained in a variety of disciplines, Ikari almost killed Daredevil in a battle between the two in Daredevil #25. Bullseye hired the deadly assassin specifically for the job, an acknowledgment of Ikari's supreme skill.
Ikari appears to have an extrasensory perception like Daredevil does, a radar sense apparently gained in a similar accident that Matt Murdock suffered as a child. This has never been confirmed in the comics, though, nor has Ikari's true identity been revealed.
Echo
Hawkeye audiences know Echo is a serious fighter. Comic book fans know Echo is even more powerful. A master martial artist, Echo easily matches Daredevil in strength, skill, and determination. The two fought from her early appearances beginning in Daredevil #9 in the late 1990s.
Echo's greatest talent lies in being able to mimic any fighting style or ability she sees. This photographic memory reflex echoes that of the Avengers villain Taskmaster and aids her in becoming one of Kingpin's top enforcers before she ultimately turns on him with the help of Daredevil.
Typhoid Mary
Typhoid Mary featured in some of the best Daredevil comic book issues from the 1980s. A mutant with limited telekinesis, she also possesses the ability to spontaneously combust objects. She also hypnotizes people and puts them in trances. If that wasn't enough, she excels as a martial artist, proving a highly dangerous foe against Daredevil in hand-to-hand combat.
She also occasionally used another persona, Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary often armored herself in blunt and sharp objects like knives which she held together with her telekinesis.
Elektra
Most people think of Elektra as Matt Murdock's lover rather than Daredevil's villain, but they fought numerous times. Elektra counts among the best martial artists in Marvel Comics, a master in most forms of combat, as well as the master of several weapons, including her most iconic ones, the sais. She used these to devastating effect against Daredevil and other opponents.
This alone proved challenging in her early battles with Daredevil. Elektra also possesses telepathy, and this gives her an extraordinary advantage over most of her opponents. She also casts her mind into others, controlling them to some degree.
Purple Man
Comic book fans know Jessica Jones suffered egregiously thanks to the Purple Man. They may not know this insidious character also ranks among Daredevil's most powerful villains. Zebediah Killgrave controls people with a unique pheromone, divorcing them completely from any agency, which gives him unimaginable power in any situation.
He first appeared in Daredevil #4 and wields even greater power now. He eventually attained a healing factor that makes him essentially invulnerable to physical attacks and perhaps immortal.
Bullseye
Bullseye proved his lethal fighting ability when he killed Elektra in single combat in Daredevil #181, among the best Daredevil comics ever. Bullseye stands at the forefront of the world's greatest and deadliest assassins, skilled in every form of weapon and combat known to man.
Bullseye built his reputation on his perfect aim, throwing knives and other sharp objects with terrifying accuracy from any distance or position, regardless of how difficult. He also continues to become an even more powerful Daredevil villain by having his skeleton coated in adamantium, like Wolverine.
Nuke
Thanks to cybernetic implants, Nuke gained superhuman strength, stamina, and agility. He even gained a backup heart in case his original one is knocked out.
A specialized plastic polymer covers Nuke's skin, making him even more durable. The superhuman cyborg proved to be one of the most difficult opponents Daredevil ever faced in the classic Born Again storyline in the 1980s, written by Frank Miller and drawn by David Mazzucchelli.
The Hand
A powerful criminal organization rooted in the ninja arts and occult mysticism, The Hand represents a major threat to Daredevil and Hell's Kitchen. This international cabal features countless ninja warriors, assassins, and hired guns, with most trained in elite combat and advanced weaponry.
Their devotion to The Beast grants them some supernatural abilities as well, including mystical perception and on occasion, access to magical dragons which elevate them beyond most criminal outfits in Marvel Comics.
The Punisher
The Punisher brings elite combat training and considerable experience to any fight. He also brings a single-minded determination to gain vengeance, which is what makes him a powerful Daredevil villain on occasion. The two came to blows in Daredevil #183 while both pursued a criminal, though with vastly different intent.
In recent comic books, Frank Castle gained even more power by joining The Hand. By committing to their order, he gained superhuman strength and stamina, as well as a healing factor. He also now possesses The Eye of the Beast, a form of clairvoyance.
Kingpin
Kingpin doesn't possess any true superpowers despite his size and strength, but he's by far one of the most powerful Daredevil villains in Marvel Comics. Wilson Fisk's power and influence in the criminal underworld leave deep marks in New York City and beyond, and he's brought all of that weight down on Matt Murdock again and again.
Kingpin systematically destroyed Matt Murdock's life, stripping him of his law license and blowing up his apartment. He drew blood in ways few other villains have, and continues to in modern comics, making him one of Daredevil's most dangerous and despised enemies.
Electro
From a purely practical standpoint, Electro counts as the most powerful villain Daredevil has gone up against. Max Dillion commands electricity and generates charges that are lethal to most people. He also absorbs limitless electrical energy, making him even more powerful.
Among the best Spider-Man villains, Electro faced off with Daredevil relatively early in their respective comic book careers, in the second issue of the Daredevil series in 1964, Electro remains a powerful threat who could potentially fight him in the MCU, depending on how the franchise proceeds with both characters.