After Daredevil: Born Again’s Season 2 Finale, I Really Wish That Was Kingpin’s Ending in the MCU

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Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again was a significant step up from its first season, with many considering its finale the best of any Marvel series on Disney+. Recent behind-the-scenes information has created a lot of excitement among fans for Season 3. The new season will see Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) – Daredevil – imprisoned for his actions as a vigilante. Meanwhile, his former teammates from the Netflix Defenders team – Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter), and Iron Fist (Finn Jones) – will work to both protect him and keep the city safe.

One storyline for Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 is already causing disagreement among fans: the return of Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpin, played by Vincent D’Onofrio. Photos from the set show him with a new appearance, hinting at unexpected directions for the character.

Honestly, I don’t think we need to see Wilson Fisk’s story continue in Daredevil Season 3. His story already had a fantastic conclusion within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so revisiting it feels unnecessary.

Daredevil & Kingpin Had A Perfect 3-Round War

When you consider the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, the rivalry between Matt Murdock (Daredevil) and Wilson Fisk (Kingpin) is arguably the most compelling hero-villain story. Their conflict played out over three distinct phases, reaching its peak in the season finale of the Daredevil: Born Again series.

The first season of Netflix’s Daredevil ended with Matt Murdock fully embracing the Daredevil identity and defeating the Kingpin in a physical fight after legal options failed. Season two introduced a new threat, The Hand, which Daredevil battled alongside the Punisher and Elektra. The third and final season returned to the conflict with the Kingpin, culminating in a violent showdown with Bullseye that many viewers felt was a satisfying conclusion to the series.

The first season of Daredevil: Born Again felt unfocused and didn’t fully establish what the show wanted to be within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even delaying a showdown between Daredevil and Kingpin until a potential second season. Now, the second season has finally delivered that long-awaited fight – and it explored the conflict on multiple levels. Matt Murdock faced off against Wilson Fisk verbally as a lawyer and mayor in a courtroom, while Daredevil and Kingpin engaged in a physical brawl that mirrored each other, culminating in parallel fight sequences in the courthouse hallways.

The latest installment of Born Again successfully returned to the quality of the first Netflix series, allowing Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio to deliver a powerful and emotionally satisfying conclusion. This ending felt far more impactful than any action-packed superhero battle – arguably even better than most villain arcs in the MCU. So, it’s puzzling why the show seems to be undermining this success, potentially just to prolong existing storylines.

The MCU Needs to Learn How to Build Up To Great Comebacks

As a huge Daredevil fan, I was genuinely blown away by how Daredevil: Born Again delivered another Kingpin showdown. Honestly, it felt just as epic, if not more so, than the best finales we got from the Netflix series. It would have been the perfect way to wrap up Wilson Fisk’s story, and finally let Matt Murdock and the team move forward without constantly looking over their shoulders. Thinking about it, exiling Kingpin from New York would have been a brilliant move. It would’ve kept him around as a threat, but given fans time to really miss him before he inevitably made a comeback. It felt like a natural and satisfying place to leave things for a while.

Marvel Comics frequently brings back villains thought to be gone for good, but the Marvel Cinematic Universe struggles with this trope. The MCU either makes villains central figures throughout an extended storyline, like with the Winter Soldier and Thanos, or quickly disposes of them after a single appearance or two (examples include Ronin, Zemo, and many others). This inconsistency is a significant issue for the franchise.

Just like comic books, the Marvel Cinematic Universe needs to carefully manage when and where villains reappear. Bringing back major antagonists after a significant absence creates excitement and boosts interest in related shows, as seen with Kingpin’s unexpected appearances in Hawkeye and Echo, which built anticipation for future Daredevil, Spider-Man, and Punisher stories. However, his recent portrayal in Season 3 of Born Again—appearing as an aged and somewhat unremarkable figure—didn’t have the same impact.

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2026-05-11 04:10