Daredevil: Born Again boss reveals cryptic Kingpin line was an “inside joke” about Marvel franchise

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The showrunner for Daredevil: Born Again‘s second season, Dario Scardapane, revealed they included a playful nod to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe in their more focused series.

Now that Daredevil has moved from Netflix to Disney+, some viewers are concerned that being closer to other Marvel content might lessen the impact of its stories and the sense of danger.

Marvel’s Thunderbolts launched shortly after the first season of Daredevil: Born Again ended, but the massive fight with The Sentry (Lewis Pullman) in New York City wasn’t affected by Kingpin’s control of the city’s government.

This is simply the nature of complex, interconnected stories, and both Marvel fans and the people who make these gritty, action-packed tales will need to accept it – much like comic book readers have done for years.

However, just because the new Daredevil series is a fresh start doesn’t mean it can’t acknowledge the larger Marvel universe, like it did in season 2. For example, in episode 2, Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpin (played by Vincent D’Onofrio), thought about how he would be remembered.

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I was really struck by this exchange with Fisk. Someone asked him, basically, if he’d ever be content just ruling New York, or if he needed to take over everything. And his answer? It wasn’t some grand declaration of power, it was just… ‘How many are there?’ It’s chilling, honestly. It shows he doesn’t even see a limit to what he wants, which is terrifying.

Dario Scardapane, showrunner for Daredevil: Born Again, told TopMob that the line originated as a playful joke shared among the writers, the studio, and everyone involved in the production.

He explained that the idea comes from a famous, but often misremembered, quote about Alexander the Great being upset that he had conquered all the world. This line has become popular in movies and other media – you might remember it from the film Die Hard, spoken by the villain Hans Gruber.

I’m not involved in any decisions about Kingpin appearing in other universes,” said Scardapane. “That’s something for the show’s executive producer, Sana Amanat, to handle,” and she didn’t offer any further comment.

This character is best known for appearing in down-to-earth, street-level Marvel stories focused on crime, rather than large-scale, universe-threatening events. However, the 2018 film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse proved that he can also work well in stories with cosmic or wider-reaching themes.

For now, though, it’s probably wise not to get your hopes up for Avengers: Fisk’s Day.

Daredevil: Born Again is available to stream on Disney+. Sign-up to Disney+ from £5.99 a month.

Don’t miss Daredevil: Born Again! Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app. Download the app today for daily TV suggestions, exclusive features, and more.

Authors

David CraigSenior Drama Writer

David Craig writes about scripted TV dramas and comedies for TopMob, keeping fans up-to-date on the newest and best shows. Before joining TopMob, he worked at Starburst Magazine, hosted the podcast ‘The Winter King’ for ITVX, and earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Sheffield.

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2026-04-01 10:36