Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for Daredevil: Born Again season 1, episodes 5 & 6.Marvel's Daredevil: Born Again episode 5 and 6 feature Yusuf Khan's guest appearance, pits the Devil of Hell's Kitchen against Muse in the villain's own lair, and prepares Wilson Fisk for a full-fledged war against New York's vigilantes. However, both Daredevil and Wilson Fisk find obstacles in their respective paths.

Wilson Fisk is struggling to leave his criminal life behind. Luca's threat visibly bothers Fisk, and the only way to let out his frustrations is to take them out on Vanessa's former lover, Adam. Wilson Fisk's Kingpin persona is coming back with a vengeance, but Fisk needs to keep his rageful, criminal alter ego in check in order to maintain his public image and continue pulling the strings as Mayor of New York. Aside from his criminal alliances and his political connections, one of the people who gets in Fisk's way is none other than a comic book Avenger.

Who Is Swordsman (Who Plays Him & Comic Book Origins Explained)

Jack Duquesne Is An Avenger In Marvel Comics

Jack Duquesne a.k.a. Swordsman made his first comic book appearance in The Avengers #19 (August 1965), where he was introduced as a villain. Despite making his debut as an enemy of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Swordsman's origin story reveals he isn't truly evil. Jack Duquesne mastered swordsmanship after witnessing his father's death, and he used his skills to become a freedom fighter in his home country. Later on, Jack Duquesne ed a carnival crew and trained a young Clint Barton, though Barton distanced himself from his mentor after discovering Duquesne stealing.

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Years later, Jack Duquesne adopted the Swordsman moniker and tried to the Avengers as a secret agent, working for Iron Man's nemesis, the Mandarin. Nevertheless, Swordsman betrayed the Mandarin. After having a few encounters with Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Swordsman ended up gaining the Avengers' trust and a spot in the team. In the MCU, Better Call Saul star Tony Dalton plays Jack Duquesne a.k.a. Swordsman, though he has only appeared in his civilian form so far — once in Hawkeye and once in Daredevil: Born Again episode 6.

Swordsman's MCU Origin In Hawkeye Explained

Tony Dalton's Jack Duquesne Is More Heroic Than His Comic Book Counterpart

Tony Dalton's Jack Duquesne as Swordsman in Hawkeye and the comics

Tony Dalton's Jack Duquesne is quite different from his comic counterpart. In Hawkeye, Kate Bishop learned that Jack Duquesne had begun a relationship with her mother, Eleanor Bishop. Duqusne became a prime suspect in the Tracksuit Mafia's criminal activities, but it was soon revealed that Eleanor was using him as cover. Kate Bishop then left her prejudices aside in Hawkeye's season finale and ed forces with Duquesne in order to defeat the Tracksuit Mafia and uncover Eleanor's crimes.

It's only until Daredevil: Born Again episode 6's opening scene that Jack Duquesne appears on-screen wearing some semblance of a superhero costume

Unlike his comic book counterpart, Tony Dalton's MCU Jack Duquesne isn't interested in criminal activities, and he prefers to use his family's wealth to enjoy a life of luxury, complete with a collection of rare and expensive swords. Although the MCU's Jack Duquesne is clearly adept at swordsmanship, he doesn't seem to have worked as a circus performer, let alone a freedom fighter or an assassin. It's only until Daredevil: Born Again episode 6's opening scene that Jack Duquesne appears on-screen wearing some semblance of a superhero costume.

Swordsman Is Basically Tony Stark's MCU Replacement

Jack Duquesne Is The Closest Vigilante To Iron Man

Tony Dalton as Jack Duquesne in Hawkeye

Daredevil: Born Again centers around New York's street-level vigilantes. Daredevil fights crime either through the law or through non-lethal combat, whereas the Punisher takes matters into his own hands, wielding an arsenal of deadly weapons. The late White Tiger took a similar approach to Daredevil, and other off-screen heroes like Spider-Man and the Defenders presumably fight crime in their own areas of New York as well. Now, Daredevil: Born Again reveals that Jack Duquesne is also an active vigilante, but the biggest difference between Swordsman and New York's other heroes is that Duquesne is incredibly wealthy and takes up vigilantism for sport.

An image of Daredevil bathed in red light looking over his shoulder from Daredevil: Born Again (2025) above a blurred homepage of Marvel's Disney+ collection
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Swordsman's brief cameo in Daredevil: Born Again provides little information about Jack Duquesne's motivations. However, Duquesne's slightly longer appearance as a civilian reveals he genuinely opposes Wilson Fisk's mayorship. Tony Dalton's Jack Duquesne may be closer in wealth to Iron Man than any other street-level hero, but it would be more risky for him to reveal Swoardsman's true identity to the world, like Tony Stark did in Iron Man. In order to keep fighting crime as a vigilante, it makes sense for Duquesne to get in the way of Wilson Fisk's plans without a mask.

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