Made available for streaming on March 18, the new installment of “Marvel’s Daredevil” on Netflix drags fans back into the seedy underground of the Marvel Universe. The first season of the series was met with critical acclaim abound and proved the newly Disney-owned Marvel Universe can get very, very dark.

Season 2 of “Marvel’s Daredevil” is a stellar continuation of an already fantastic series. The law firm of Nelson & Murdock is riding high off of their conviction of Wilson Fisk, Matt Murdock (played by Charlie Cox) is learning to embrace his role as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen (even showing glimpses of enjoyment as he pummels thugs to a pulp), and all is seemingly right with the world.

That is, until a mysterious force begins snuffing out gangs left and right. The highlight of season 2 is easily the arrival of Frank Castle, a.k.a. The Punisher, played by The Walking Dead’s Jon Bernthal (above). The Punisher provides a deadly and apathetic foil to the more optimistic Daredevil, who sees the good in everyone and would rather leave them to the mercy of the justice system. The Punisher, on the other hand, wants to permanently erase all traces of scum and villainy channeling his insatiable anger and military training. One of the most astonishing aspects of Bernthal’s performance is his way of going 0 to 60 at the drop of a hat. He is either cold, quiet, and calculating with a dead-pan expression on his face, or roaring and savagely beating anyone who gets in his way, including Daredevil. A supremely talented and physical actor, Bernthal’s Punisher looks and behaves as if he walked right off the pages of the comic books and onto the screen. Even as he’s growling, spitting blood and cracking skulls, it’s impossible not to root for Frank Castle because of the subtle, yet heart-breaking vulnerability he brings to the character. I found myself cheering to myself whenever Bernthal’s name showed up in the opening credits.

Another new addition to “Marvel’s Daredevil” is the sultry and lethal Elektra Natchios, played by Elodie Yung (above). A former flame of Matt Murdock, her arrival in Hell’s Kitchen throws a monkey wrench into both personal and professional aspects of his life. She appears out of thin air to employ Matt’s help to wage war against forces far bigger than anything he’s faced to this point, as well as tempt his heart. Elektra is initially introduced as a spoiled debutante, living off of her gorgeous looks and daddy’s money. However, it doesn’t take too long to learn that despite being raised with a silver spoon in her mouth, she’s far more adept with a silver sai in her hand. Yung plays this complex character with great elegance and menace. She’s been born and raised to be a walking weapon; to be wielded at the will of other men as opposed to living independently. Elektra accepts her deadly nature, even relishing in the fact that killing is a part of who she is. Her relationship with Matt Murdock is the only outlet through which we get to see vulnerability from this character, as the two find solace and understanding in one another. Much like the Punisher, killing comes naturally to Elektra, and she does so with the greatest nonchalance. In fact, one of the more chilling scenes in the new season is when she slits an enemy’s throat and in the same breath turns to Matt with a broken smile, saying “This is who I am. Do you still want me?” Yung’s performance will haunt you with how deeply ingrained violence is in her nature, as well as how comfortable she is with it.

As far as the show’s title character is concerned, Daredevil takes a bit of a backseat to the new cast additions, not unlike the way Batman was overshadowed by the Joker in The Dark Knight. However, despite a juggernaut performance from Bernthal, Cox is still able to perfectly embody Matt Murdock/Daredevil. We see Matt more fully embrace his role as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen and drift further toward the life of a vigilante. We see his outfit and weaponry morph ever closer to what we are used to in the comics, as well. What’s most pleasing about the titular hero is that previously mentioned leaning towards the life of the devil as opposed to the life of the lawyer. He fights with a matured skill and an unbridled rage, verging on enjoyment, but not quite to the extent of The Punisher or Elektra. He effectively puts down criminals, while adhering to his “no killing” policy. He is even seen smiling at the conclusion of one brawl in the first episode. Whether this glee is from seeing thugs brought to justice or the sheer enjoyment of whooping the tar out of them, we’re witnessing classic Daredevil at work.

The cinematography stays consistent with that of the first season, whether it’s grim back-alleys at night or the golden-tinged nostalgia of Fogwell’s Gym. One of the crowing achievements of season 1 was the dizzying “hallway fight scene” in which Daredevil is knocking out henchmen one after another in one continuous shot. This scene is important as it set the tone for the newly violent and harsh tone of the show, as well as showing just how tough and durable Daredevil is as a hero. The follow-up to this scene in season 2 is the sprawling “stairwell fight scene” in episode 3, “New York’s Finest.” Though visual effects are implemented more here than in the “hallway fight,” it’s still just a flat-out awesome scene.

The supporting cast of Matt’s lawyer buddy Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) and Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) get a fair amount of screen time, proving they have extremely important roles to fill. Nelson moves farther from wise-cracking friend into a more mature and formidable lawyer while Page shirks the “damsel-in-distress” label she struggled with in the first season. A strain is definitely felt amongst Murdock, Nelson, and Page as Matt distances himself from his day-job, but fans can only be so sad considering that means more Daredevil action.

Though season 2 of “Marvel’s Daredevil” does have some less than dazzling dialogue and a few continuity errors, it is still supremely entertaining. Also, while “Marvel’s Daredevil” is not quite as engaging on a character level as its companion series “Marvel’s Jessica Jones,” it is a wholly satisfying and exciting showcase of comic book action.