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- “I've been writing about crime in this city since before you were born. The only thing I know without a doubt is you don't get to be the man at the top without making enemies looking to tear you down to the ground.”
- ―Ben Urich and Karen Page discuss Wilson Fisk
Ben Urich is a Marvel Comics character that appeared in the MCU series Daredevil. He was an investigative journalist for the New York Bulletin who was killed by Wilson Fisk.
Ben Urich was created by Roger McKenzie and Gene Colan.
Appearances
Daredevil
Urich was a African-American struggling journalist at the New York Bulletin, who is trying to take care of his Alzheimer's-afflicted wife Doris, as he is unable to afford her medical payments or move her to a retirement home. He also clashes regularly with his editor-in-chief Mitchell Ellison, with Ellison more interested in keeping Bulletin circulation numbers up to compete with social media while Ben is more interested in writing stories about important public matters. After writing a piece exposing corruption at Union Allied Construction, Ben attracts the interest of former Union Allied secretary Karen Page, and begins working with Karen and her new employers, Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson, to expose Wilson Fisk.
Eventually, his investigation leads him to begin working with Matt's alter-ego, "the Devil of Hell's Kitchen". As the season progresses, Ben is urged to no longer associate himself with Karen. However, after Karen manipulates Ben into visiting and interviewing Fisk's mother Marlene Vistain, he sees the need to take down the man once more. Ben's dedication to the story eventually costs him his job after he suspects and accuses Ellison of being paid by Fisk to censor him. Later, when he tries to write his story and publish it on a blog, Fisk ambushes him at his apartment and strangles him to death with his bare hands as retaliation for speaking to Marlene, and he lies about being alone so that Fisk will not seek out Karen.
Father Lantom later oversees Ben's funeral. During the service, Doris tells Karen that she embodies the traits Ben would have liked to have in a daughter and that he set up a life insurance plan for her. When Carl Hoffman, a corrupt detective that Fisk had threatened into killing his own partner, turns state's evidence on Fisk with the help of Nelson & Murdock, it is revealed that although Ben was wrong about Ellison, his suspicions that Fisk had a mole at the Bulletin are proven correct as Ellison's secretary Caldwell is arrested by the FBI for her involvement with Fisk's criminal activities. Ellison can only bow his head in guilt for not believing Ben until it was too late.
In the second season, Ellison takes over the role Ben had played as Karen's mentor. Out of guilt for her part in Ben's death, Karen keeps all of his old articles up on the walls, and heading into the third season, Karen also takes over Ben's role as Matt's newspaper confidant.
Cloak & Dagger
In the episode "Shadow Selves", Brigid O'Reilly mentioned that when she was undercover, she kept case notes on playing cards, and learned it from Ben Urich in New York.
Daredevil: Born Again
Urich's niece BB Urich was named after him, and also became a journalist. She mentioned it to Wilson Fisk when she first met him.
Trivia
- In the comics, Ben Urich is caucasian.
- In the 2003 Daredevil film, Ben Urich was portrayed by Joe Pantoliano.
External links
Ben Urich on Wikipedia
Ben Urich on the Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki
Ben Urich (Earth-199999) on the Marvel Database
