Here's hoping this casting is on target.
That Hashtag Show has revealed that the Netflix series Daredevil, based on the Marvel Comics superhero, has cast Wilson Bethel as Daredevil's most dangerous enemy, the assassin known as Bullseye.
Bethel was cast for the series in November, although it was originally reported he would "portray an FBI agent who will play a critical role in the conflict between Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk, better known as Daredevil and Kingpin respectively."
He joins new Season 3 actors Jay Ali as an fellow FBI agent named Ray Nadeem, and Joanne Whaley as Matt’s mother, Sister Maggie. The season is expected to adapt the storyline "Born Again", by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli.
Bethel, 34, is probably best known as Wade Kinsella on The CW series Hart of Dixie. In addition, he's appeared in episodes of How to Get Away with Murder, Criminal Minds, The Astronaut Wives Club, Bates Motel, The Young and the Restless, NCIS, JAG, and The O.C.
Created in 1976 by Marv Wolfman and John Romita, Sr., Bullseye first appeared in Daredevil (vol.1) #131 as Lester, who grew up in The Bronx, where he lived with his brother and his abusive father. His brother's main form of recreation was playing with rifles, leading Bullseye to become an expert shot. When he was 10 years old, his brother started a fire in their home in an unsuccessful attempt to kill their father. Shortly thereafter, Bullseye was placed in a foster home, and became a baseball player in high school. Bullseye was an extremely talented pitcher, and was offered a scholarship, but instead opted to enter the minor leagues. After three games, he was called up to play a sold-out Major League game. He had surrendered no hits the entire game, and in the bottom of the ninth with two outs, he became bored and requested the coach pull him from the game. The coach refused, and insisted that he finish the game. The opposing team's batter mocked him, accusing him of cowardice. Bullseye threw the ball at his head, killing him. As the ball struck, he said only one word: "Bullseye". He was barred from professional baseball and convicted of manslaughter.
His cold demeanor and unique skills, however, meant subsequent recruitment by the National Security Agency as an assassin was inevitable. He was soon assigned to train Contras in Nicaragua, but by the time he arrived, he claimed to have already been planning to leave the NSA. He had planned on robbing the Contras blind and fleeing, but soon discovered they were desperately poor. After leading the Contras in seizing a landing strip that the Colombian cocaine smugglers were using as a staging area before moving on to the United States, Bullseye planned to invite several organized crime heads to the airfield to broker a new deal with him. He took their money, but before the deal could be finalized, the Punisher (Frank Castle) arrived. Castle killed all the organized crime leaders in a fiery explosion from which Bullseye barely escaped. The two engaged in a fierce battle, where Bullseye used some blood-reddened mud to paint a bull's-eye on his forehead, mocking Castle's inability to hit him. The fight concluded when Drug Enforcement Administration agents arrived, and the Punisher fled. Bullseye turned himself in to the D.E.A. agents and soon was assigned to infiltrate the Kingpin's criminal empire. He obtained a costume, fled once again, and became one of the most dangerous hitmen in the world.
Bullseye soon battled (and defeated) Daredevil at a circus in order to establish his reputation as an extortionist. Shortly after, Daredevil by chance overheard him in the midst of an extortion attempt and captured him. Bullseye was later hired by Maxwell Glenn to kill Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson, until Daredevil interfered. Although Bullseye defeated him again, Daredevil escaped with his life, and Bullseye's professional reputation was damaged as a result. Seeking to regain his credibility, he challenged Daredevil on live television, but was soundly defeated.
While in prison, he learned that the Kingpin had employed a new chief assassin named Elektra, Daredevil's former lover. After escaping prison, Bullseye attacked Elektra and impaled her on her own sai. This failed to convinced the Kingpin, who said he would only rehire him if he killed Daredevil. Bullseye attempted to ambush Daredevil, but their battle ended with Daredevil dropping him from atop a telephone wire. The multi-story fall broke Bullseye's back, paralyzing him. During Bullseye's extended hospital stay following the fall, Daredevil broke into his hospital room and forced him to participate in a two-man variation on Russian roulette. The revolver used in the game was secretly unloaded, but Daredevil had Bullseye take the even-numbered turns so that he would feel sure that the last shot was going to kill him. Bullseye has repeatedly cited this incident as his greatest grudge against Daredevil.
Japanese scientist Lord Dark Wind liberated Bullseye and brought him to Japan, where he laced his bones with adamantium, thus restoring his mobility. Lord Dark Wind did this so that Bullseye would work for him as an assassin in return, but in spite the favor done for him, Bullseye refused to work for free. He instead made another play to regain the position of chief assassin for the Kingpin, who again said he would give him the position if he killed Daredevil, knowing he would fail. He was lated hired by the villain Mysterio to attack and confuse Daredevil. In the course of their battle, Bullseye killed Daredevil's longtime love interest, Karen Page, with one of Daredevil's own billy clubs.
Bullseye eventually made his way back to Hell's Kitchen and arrived at Shadowland, Daredevil's fortress, where he was confronted by Daredevil and a legion of Hand ninjas. Bullseye was unprepared for his enemy's newfound ruthlessness, as Daredevil dislocated both his shoulders and then stabbed him through the heart with his own sai, in much the same way Bullseye had killed Elektra years before. Daredevil later exhumed Bullseye's corpse, intending to resurrect him as a soldier loyal to the Hand, but the ceremony was interrupted by various superheroes, preventing Bullseye's resurrection. It was later revealed that Bullseye was still barely alive as his body disappeared after the battle, but due to his injuries he became an invalid who had to rely on a metal lung in order to survive. To get revenge, he was revealed to be the mastermind behind Klaw, Coyote, and Ikari's actions against Daredevil. He was later found by the hero, who defeated Ikari and Lady Bullseye. The warehouse where they were was subsequently destroyed, and Bullseye was nearly drowned in radioactive waste, leaving him scarred and blind.
This will be the second time the character will appear in live action, after Colin Farrell in the 2003 movie Daredevil.
Daredevil Season 3 is expected to be released on Netflix sometime in 2018.
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