Vincent D'Onofrio will return to his iconic Kingpin role for Daredevil: Born Again. The series will pit him opposite Charlie Cox as Daredevil, after the two previously costarred for three seasons on Netflix's Daredevil. Both characters have separately appeared within the MCU proper over the years. While Kingpin showed up in Hawkeye and Echo, Daredevil made appearances in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk. As a result, Daredevil fans have long hoped for the MCU to continue their iconic rivalry. These dreams seemed to come true when a continuation was announced in 2022.

However, much further."

The Disney+ series, set to release in March of 2025, will follow up on Kingpin's story in Echo, which concluded with him becoming inspired to run for mayor of New York City. The official synopsis for Daredevil: Born Again reads: "Marvel Television’s “Daredevil: Born Again” catches up with Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer with heightened abilities, and his nemesis, Wilson Fisk, who’s pursuing his own political endeavors in New York."

The MCU Is Setting Up Kingpin For One Major Comic Book Arc

Wilson Fisk Is Running For NYC Mayor

Unsurprisingly, the idea of Kingpin running for mayor of NYC has its roots in the comics. On a platform aimed to restore order to the city by outlawing vigilantism, Wilson Fisk runs as an independent and with the help of some rigging, wins the election. He took advantage of rising anti-superhero sentiment both to obtain power and to act on his personal vendetta against Daredevil.

In a comic run culminating in the "Devil's Reign" crossover event, Kingpin uses his position of power to suppress superheroes. Fisk creates an anti-vigilante task force, which is formed using of the Thunderbolts and led by USAgent/John Walker. Additionally, he created legislation to fully outlaw them in the city and to give his task force jurisdiction to round up any offending vigilantes. Given Fisk's run-ins with Daredevil, Hawkeye, and others in the MCU, it's not a huge stretch to imagine he would take a similar course of action.

Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin in black and white and a Thunderbolts* poster of the team in color

Kingpin Is Behind Thunderbolts*’s Asterisk In Wild MCU Theory

A new Thunderbolts* theory explains how Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin could be the reason for the film's asterisk after his Daredevil: Born Again story.

Posts

The tease of Fisk's mayoral ambitions at the end of Echo make total sense. The degree of canonicity with the previous Daredevil series has with the MCU is unknown, but the events of that series would be enough for him to hate Daredevil and by extension, vigilantes. However, if only considering his appearances in Marvel projects, Fisk both got beaten up by Kate Bishop and failed to lure his surrogate daughter back into his criminal enterprise. Kingpin's got a score to settle with vigilantes, and within the MCU, he's not the only one.

Kingpin's Anti-Superhero Stance Would Fit Perfectly With The MCU

The Sokovia Accords Sought To Regulate Superhero Activity

As far as the MCU goes, one major force has rallied against superheroes such as the Avengers: Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross. Starting off as a decorated Army General, Ross worked on the failed attempt to recreate the super soldier serum that yielded both the Hulk and the Abomination. He then transitioned to politics, becoming Secretary of State. His key agenda in the role was to regulate the activities of super-powered vigilantes, which had wrought destruction in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Sokovia. Captain America: Civil War sees Ross introducing the Sokovia Accords, aimed at regulating superheroes, namely The Avengers.

This legislation led to in-fighting among the Avengers. Iron Man's faction ed the Accords, while Captain America's faction found them restrictive. Unfortunately, the nuances of the comic storyline were largely lost in translation, as Cap's side of the argument was overshadowed by his morally dubious defense of Bucky Barnes. Regardless, Ross' primary role in the conflict was enforcing the Accords, and the aftermath of Civil War, saw him spearheading the hunt for those who sided with Captain America. His actions in dividing the Avengers indirectly led to their inability to prevent Thanos' snap. As a result, the Accords were repealed.

With a vocal opponent of super-powered vigilantes as President, Kingpin becoming the Mayor of New York City on an anti-hero platform makes sense.

Even so, the anti-vigilante sentiment espoused by Ross is likely still prevalent in the US as it exists in the MCU. In fact, Captain America: Brave New World is set to showcase Ross as the President of the United States. With a vocal opponent of super-powered vigilantes as President, Kingpin becoming the Mayor of New York City on an anti-hero platform makes sense.

The Sokovia Accords Are Gone, But Kingpin Can Continue That Story

The Accords May Be Gone, But The Anxiety Surrounding Heroes Isn't

Interestingly, the repeal of the Sokovia Accords was revealed in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law with Daredevil himself saying so. Despite the Accords' repeal, the U.S. Government and the United Nations will likely continue trying to regulate superpowered individuals in another way. Kingpin as the Mayor of New York, one of the primary cities in which heroes operate in the MCU is a natural extension of this conflict. Considering that he is a huge villain for not just Daredevil but also Spider-Man, giving Fisk this level of power could reshape the trajectory of the franchise.

Additionally, the team that Fisk uses to enforce his anti-vigilante ban is—as mentioned before—the Thunderbolts, which has ties to Ross in some comics. As they have their own feature film releasing next year, it's unlikely that the team will be deployed to work for Kingpin. However, the connection between the team and Fisk could still come up at some point, especially with USAgent featuring heavily in Thunderbolts*.

Utilizing the setup for Kingpin to become mayor of New York would be an interesting way to merge the world of Daredevil into the wider world of the MCU. Moreover, the conflict that an anti-vigilante act would cause for Daredevil is a compelling premise even without the broader implications. Daredevil: Born Again has the potential to be equal parts entertaining for fans and important to the overall Marvel story.