3 Daredevil Villains Who’d Be Better for Born Again Season 3 Than Kingpin

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Daredevil seems to be running low on villains. While Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin has been a major threat throughout the Netflix series and the new Daredevil: Born Again seasons, a lot of other enemies have already appeared – including new versions of characters like Turk Barrett, Gladiator, and Typhoid Mary, as well as Elektra, The Hand, Muse, and Bullseye. With fewer comic book villains left to use, it’s not surprising Kingpin is coming back, even though the last season ended with him being exiled. Still, there have to be other possibilities, right?

While Vincent D’Onofrio is fantastic, and the idea of him playing a different kind of villain is exciting, constantly using Kingpin as the main threat could become repetitive. He’s earned a break, and it would be great if Sony could find a way to include him in a Spider-Man movie. Ideally, the Daredevil: Born Again show should explore other villains to take Kingpin’s place. Even though Kingpin is returning, there’s still an opportunity to give someone else the main villain role – it just requires some creativity. The new villain also needs to fit the storyline established at the end of Born Again Season 2. Setting aside the confirmed return of Lady Muse, here are some of the best choices for the main villain in Daredevil: Born Again Season 3.

3) Mister Fear

While not as powerful as Kingpin, Mister Fear is a compelling Daredevil villain who hasn’t made it to the screen yet. The version of the character known as Larry Cranston – the third in a series of four – has a fascinating connection to Matt Murdock that could be a great storyline for Season 3. In the comics, Cranston was a fellow law student who resented Murdock’s success and ultimately sought revenge. With Matt currently in prison, introducing a new lawyer to help him could be a natural fit, and revealing that lawyer to be Mister Fear, secretly plotting against Matt, would create a compelling and suspenseful story.

Mister Fear is Marvel’s version of the Scarecrow, employing a toxin that induces psychosis. He once used this toxin to incite chaos in New York by turning criminals against the city. This concept could be powerfully revisited with Bryan Cranston’s character using the toxin to torment Matt Murdock, unleashing criminal mayhem on New York. With Kingpin and Daredevil both out of the picture, Hell’s Kitchen would be vulnerable, creating an ideal situation for villains. It would be particularly fitting if Mister Fear used his toxin to create a wave of delusional, seemingly invincible supervillains, all while Daredevil is imprisoned and simultaneously fighting to clear his name due to Cranston’s machinations.

2) Every Criminal in New York’s Prison System (& The AVTF)

Given that Matt Murdock’s testimony led to the imprisonment of several former AVTF members, it’s likely they’ll reappear in Daredevil Season 3. However, Marvel should make them the central antagonists of the season. A season focused on Matt being imprisoned with the criminals he put away – not just the AVTF, but every villain he’s defeated as Daredevil – would be a compelling and gritty storyline. It would essentially be Marvel’s version of a story similar to the Arkham Asylum movie that Ben Affleck was once planned to star in.

The show’s portrayal of Matt Murdock in a difficult, cornered situation is very engaging, especially when contrasted with Karen Page’s efforts to free him through legal means. Bringing back Jon Bernthal as the Punisher, with his own plan to break Murdock out of prison, would create a strong, standalone story that doesn’t necessarily need a major overarching villain like Kingpin. This setup would also allow for a confrontation between Frank Castle and Hamish Allan-Headley’s Powell, who was responsible for the brutal attack on him in Season 1 of Born Again.

1) Ma Gnucci (& Bushwacker)

As a huge fan of these Marvel Netflix shows, I was really surprised by how the recent Punisher special, One Last Kill, actually laid some groundwork for the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again season. Even though the special felt like a complete story on its own, it cleverly set things up. We saw Ma Gnucci, played brilliantly by Judith Light, desperate for revenge on Frank Castle for taking out her entire family – her husband and three sons (plus another Gnucci from his earlier show, though they don’t mention that connection). But her plan ultimately fails, which ironically just solidifies Frank’s commitment to being the Punisher and protecting the city. The frustrating thing is, she doesn’t even get a final confrontation with him – she just vanishes! And honestly, that can’t be the last we see of her. She was completely consumed by grief and losing her attempt at revenge won’t make her feelings disappear, so I’m expecting her to resurface somehow.

Now that Kingpin is gone, a power struggle has begun in Hell’s Kitchen. Gnucci has already demonstrated her influence by sending numerous hitmen after Frank, and bringing her back for Season 3 of Daredevil: Born Again would allow her to rebuild her criminal organization while Daredevil is absent. This could even draw the Punisher back into the conflict. The idea of Gnucci trying to keep Daredevil imprisoned to maintain her control is a compelling storyline that would raise the stakes of his incarceration, making it even more perilous.

Now that Ma Gnucci’s family is out of the picture, she’ll need to find some new strong allies. This could also create an opening for another Daredevil villain to emerge. In the comics, Bushwacker – a former priest and CIA agent – actually worked for the Gnuccis, and he’s exactly the type of ruthless, action-packed killer that Born Again Season 3 needs after losing Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye. Plus, Bushwacker is tough enough to give the Punisher a serious challenge, making him a valuable addition to the show.

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2026-05-15 20:10