It is stated that Matt grew up in St. Agnes Orphanage. Another character who says she grew up in the same orphanage is Skye from the series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013).
On the wall in Ben Urich's office there are two newspaper clippings: one titled 'Harlem Terror', the other 'Battle of NY'. These refer to the events of the films The Incredible Hulk (2008) and The Avengers (2012). Another clipping reads 'Cybertek Settles'; this is a nod to the Cybertek scandal in the first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. There is also a news item describing the damage Stark Tower suffered in the Battle of New York.
The black costume seen in the promotion was largely inspired by Frank Miller's Daredevil comic book story 'The Man Without Fear'. This story is an alternate telling of Daredevil's origin in a limited series.
Wilson Fisk (aka Kingpin) was first introduced in the comics in 1967 as an enemy of Spider-Man. However, he later became Daredevil's archenemy and is introduced as such here as well. The character is also one of The Punisher's recurring enemies; he encounters him in the second season.
The nickname 'Mike' that Claire Temple gives Matt refers to the early days of the Daredevil stories. In those stories, Matt impersonated his non-blind twin brother Mike Murdock to protect his secret identity. Matt's middle name is also Michael.
On the door of the office across from Nelson and Murdock's office, beneath the words 'Atlas Investments', there is a globe logo. This logo closely resembles the logo of Atlas Comics, which became Marvel Comics.
While discussing the charity gala with Fisk, Owlsley says, 'Let's make sure Richmond is on the guest list. He doesn't come, but he gets cranky if he isn't invited.' This is a nod to Kyle Richmond; a wealthy playboy in the comics, Richmond later gains superpowers and becomes the costumed hero Nighthawk. Nighthawk is an important member of The Defenders, but he does not appear in the Netflix adaptation The Defenders (2017).
Claire Temple was first introduced in 1972 as a supporting character of Luke Cage (then under the codename 'Power Man'). Her treating Murdock's wounds is a reference to the Marvel character 'Night Nurse' (actually a female doctor); Night Nurse runs an underground medical facility that secretly treats wounded superheroes such as Daredevil, Luke Cage and Spider-Man. Claire will also appear in Marvel's other three Netflix series and in The Defenders (2017).
The boxer Jack Murdock defeats is Carl Creel. In the comics, Creel later becomes Absorbing Man and frequently antagonizes heroes such as Thor and the Avengers. The character also appeared in the second season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Mirage Studios' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was actually designed as a parody of comics such as Cerebus, Ronin and Marvel's Daredevil from the early 1980s. In the TMNT origin, the same radioactive sludge that splashes onto young Matt Murdock after he saves the old man flows into the sewer and mutates the turtles. The turtles' mentor 'Splinter' is an adaptation of Daredevil's mentor 'Stick'. In the comics, Daredevil fights a mysterious ninja group called 'The Hand', while the TMNT's enemies are known as 'The Foot'.
There are many references to his comic book version in Melvin Potter's workshop. In the comics he becomes the villain Gladiator and throws circular saw blades from his wristbands. In the eleventh episode, drawings of these wristbands and the blades he uses in his fight with Daredevil can be seen. There is also a 'Revenge of the Gladiators (1964)' poster and, on the drawing board, a design of Gladiator's blue-and-gold emblem.
In the original comic book story, one of the habits that supports Matt Murdock's 'Daredevil' nickname was that, while on patrol, he would jump off buildings without planning in advance how he would get down. He improvises instantly in mid-air and moves from roof to roof this way.
The two paintings shown to Fisk and Murdock in the series are direct representations of their comic book counterparts. Fisk is shown a large, white painting; Murdock is shown a long, red one. In the comics, Fisk generally wears a white suit, while Daredevil wears a red costume.
At one point Ben Urich tells Karen Page that he looked into her and found something that would undermine her credibility as a witness, but he does not explain what it is. In Frank Miller's comics, Karen Page becomes a heroin addict, appears in pornographic films and sells Daredevil's identity in exchange for heroin. In the series, she is a drug addict and caused her brother's death.
The red and yellow robe worn by Battlin' Jack Murdock recalls Daredevil's yellow costume from his first appearance. The 2001 limited comic book series 'Daredevil: Yellow' reveals that Matt made his yellow costume from this robe.
Throughout the first season, Fisk is never called 'Kingpin'.
In the comics, Daredevil knows that Spider-Man is Peter Parker and vice versa (before the One More Day and Purple storylines), and he is good friends with Deadpool.
Leland Owlsley and Madame Gao's plan to eliminate Vanessa, believing she distracts Wilson from his activities, is based on a comic book story from the Frank Miller era. In that story, Kingpin's partner Lynch, believing Vanessa's influence is steering Wilson away from his criminal life, secretly tries to kill her; in both stories, Vanessa survives.
In the series, Matt Murdock takes the nickname 'Daredevil' from newspaper reports after preventing Fisk's escape at the end of the first season (similar to Tony Stark at the end of Iron Man (2008)). In the comics, however, he developed the nickname himself after other children mistreated him because of his disability.
Stan Lee Cameo: In season 1, episode 13, as Detective Hoffman surrenders to Officer Brett Mahoney, a photograph of a retired or deceased officer is visible over his left shoulder. The person in the photograph is Stan Lee, recognizable by his sunglasses.
The second season poster pays homage to Michelangelo's 'The Last Judgment,' which depicts the Christian apocalypse. On the left of the painting are those ascending to heaven (in the poster, Foggy, Karen, etc.), and on the right are those cast into hell (Fisk, Vanessa, Wesley, etc.). Separating the two groups is Jesus (in the poster, Matt himself).
Murdock's Catholicism plays a major role in the series; first season showrunner Steven S. DeKnight describes him as 'one of the most religious characters in the Marvel Universe, perhaps the most religious.'
The 'Van Lunt' sign on the window of Foggy and Matt's office references Cornelius Van Lunt (also known as Taurus). Van Lunt is a former New York real estate mogul and founder of the criminal organization Zodiac.
When James Wesley is told how dangerous and destructive the 'man in the black mask' (Daredevil) is, Wesley refers to Iron Man and Thor by saying 'a masked man with no iron suit or magic hammer,' reinforcing the connection to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The WHIH news channel occasionally seen on television is the same channel that reports Scott Lang's release in Ant-Man (2015). The anchor delivering that report, Christine Everhart (Leslie Bibb), is the reporter who covered Tony Stark in Iron Man (2008) and Iron Man 2 (2010).
Nobu served as the representative of a Japanese Yakuza group in Wilson Fisk's criminal cartel. The outfit he wears when fighting Daredevil and his ability to slow his heartbeat (allowing him to approach Daredevil without triggering his Radar Sense) are based on the Hand, a malevolent ninja assassin group introduced in Daredevil comics during the Frank Miller era. Nobu's connection to the Hand would be confirmed when the group became the main antagonist of the second season.
In the second season, a newspaper featuring the article titled 'Punisher Punished' contains a sidebar about new theories regarding a lost city. This references K'un L'un, the mystical city visited by Iron Fist; Iron Fist would later star in his own series, Iron Fist (2017).
The Veles taxi company takes its name from the god of the underworld in Slavic mythology.
In the promotional art for the second season (and in a church fresco seen as the camera pulls back in the trailer), Daredevil stands amid many people. On his right are the people in his life as Matt Murdock and those he fights to protect: firefighters, police officers, his father, Foggy, Karen, etc. On his left are those he encounters as Daredevil: Kingpin, Owlsley, Wesley, a Hand ninja, thugs, etc. (Stick is below him, but closer to the Matt Murdock side, and other comic book characters likely to appear this season are also present.) The entire image is overshadowed by the Punisher's skull symbol, indicating his importance in this season, as well as Foggy's importance; Foggy's importance is represented by the amount of mist behind the characters on either side of the image. Matt/Daredevil is at the center, symbolizing the balance he brings to Hell's Kitchen and showcasing his key role in the scales of justice he influences as both a lawyer and a vigilante. The city is shown at the top and is the clearest part of the image, because it is unclouded by either persona: it is the focus of both Matt and Daredevil. At the 'heart' of the city is the DD flame symbol from the comics and the first season.
In the eighth episode of the second season, during Frank Castle's trial, as the doctor is cross-examined, an X-ray of Frank's skull is projected on screen. The X-ray image shows only the skull without the lower jaw, as seen in normal skull X-rays, making it resemble the Punisher logo.
As in the comic book series, characters in the television series almost always refer to the setting as 'Hell's Kitchen.' This name is linked to the protagonist's personality, and he is sometimes called 'the Devil of Hell's Kitchen.' Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton, is a neighborhood on the west side of Midtown in the borough of Manhattan, New York City. Hell's Kitchen is traditionally considered to be bounded by 34th Street to the south, 59th Street to the north, Eighth Avenue to the east, and the Hudson River to the west. The area provides transportation, medical, and warehouse infrastructure support to Midtown's business district.
Carrie Ann Moss's character Jeri Hogarth from Jessica Jones (2015) connects the two franchises by offering Foggy a job at her law firm. The four Marvel Television Netflix heroes would later come together for The Defenders (2017).
In the New York Bulletin newsroom, there are a series of framed newspapers from the Bulletin's past. Some are real articles, such as pieces about the World Trade Center bombing and September 11. But on the wall there is a fictional cover story mentioning 'Stark Tower,' referencing Tony Stark/Iron Man's headquarters.
The Punisher's first appearance in the Daredevil comics was in issue 181, published in 1982 during Frank Miller's run. In issue 183, he clashed with Daredevil over a suspect in a two-part story. Miller also intended to compare and contrast the two vigilante characters: the differences between Daredevil's liberal methods of standing up for justice and the Punisher's more conservative and ruthless methods of dealing with criminals, despite the two having things in common.
On his first date with Vanessa, Wilson Fisk mentions meeting a wealthy man in a white suit and a scarf. Fisk disdains the outfit. In the comics, Fisk is frequently depicted wearing a white suit and a scarf (usually purple). He was later seen sporting the scarf in the MCU miniseries Hawkeye (2021).
In the tenth episode of the first season, when Fisk meets Madame Gao in a rooftop garden, fans may recognize it from Spider-Man (2002); after the Green Goblin terrorizes the parade, Spider-Man saves Mary Jane and lowers her onto the same rooftop garden. Both Spider-Man and Daredevil are owned by Marvel Enterprises and, as of Captain America: Civil War (2016), are officially in the same cinematic universe.
Vanessa Marianna is an adaptation of Kingpin's wife Vanessa Fisk from the comics.
The black costume and mask are a tribute to Rex Smith's Daredevil in the television film The Trial of the Incredible Hulk (1989) and to the 'Man without fear' costume from the comic series of the same name.
Artist John Romita Sr. originally modelled Kingpin on Sydney Greenstreet.
In Semper Fidelis (2016), during Frank Castle's trial, the words 'In God We Trust' can briefly be seen on one of the courtroom walls. One of the second season's taglines was 'In The Devil We Trust'.
In the ninth episode of the first season, Father Lantom quotes the Bible, saying 'the righteous who gives way to the wicked is like a muddied spring or a polluted well.' He then says it is Proverbs 25. The actual verse is Proverbs 25:26.
Throughout the second season, it is frequently mentioned that the Punisher and rival gangs turn New York City into a battlefield. 'The Punisher: War Zone' was a spin-off comic series featuring the Punisher, the first of three separate series that ran from 1992 to 1995. 'War Zone' was also the subtitle of the film Punisher: War Zone (2008), the same year the Marvel Cinematic Universe began with Iron Man (2008).
MCU characters often have double initials (Peter Parker aka Spider-Man, Reed Richards aka Mr Fantastic, Sue Storm aka Invisible Woman, Bruce Banner aka The Hulk, Stephen Strange aka Dr. Strange). Coincidentally, Matt Murdock aka Daredevil is played by Charlie Cox.