With the Daredevil revival edging ever closer, I decided to rewatch season 3 of the best-ever Marvel TV series.
While a bit slow to start, season 3 of Daredevil saw Matt hit his lowest point yet, as he struggled with his faith and alter-ego. Meanwhile, the Kingpin rose (quite literally, in that swanky penthouse of his) to full power. He manipulated the FBI, a grand jury and more into doing his bidding.
I had some some initial concerns about how Born Again would go down, considering the lighter-hearted takes on the characters in Hawkeye and She-Hulk, but the new teasers and information have settled those worries a bit.
The first footage promises brutal violence, as does the shocking 18+ rating. Only season 2 of Daredevil, season 1 of Iron Fist and both seasons of The Punisher have been given this in Marvel TV history.
However, the MCU has been slightly inconsistent with its lore in recent years, and after revisiting the ending of Daredevil, I’ve identified one key plot point that needs more explanation. If it’s not addressed, I don’t see how this MCU series will match the attention to detail of the Netflix original.
Spoilers for Daredevil season 3 and Echo below, along with plot rumours for Daredevil: Born Again
Marvel 2024 / Giovanni Rufino
How does Wilson Fisk become the mayor of New York City after Daredevil?
I’ll be the first to admit that it’s always brilliant to see Wilson Fisk’s wit in play. While yes, we all enjoy watching this absolute unit smash someone’s head into a car door, he shines even more with his calculated chess moves that are often many steps ahead of Matt Murdock, Foggy Nelson and Karen Page.
The trailer for the new Disney+ show, Daredevil: Born Again, reveals he’s used those smarts to get into an incredibly lucrative position as the mayor of New York City, reflecting a popular arc from the comics. However, this is a far cry from where he was when Daredevil concluded back in 2018.
Marvel 2024 / Giovanni Rufino
While Fisk managed to corrupt some of the highest-ranking officials in the FBI, his public image was by no means polished. Many scenes depicted widespread public protests against him.
It seemed like the tide was starting to turn in his favour during episode 11, when he gave a speech after being cleared of charges (with some of his ‘influence’, of course), blaming deaths in the city on Daredevil – murders he’d secretly orchestrated by using Ben Poindexter, AKA Bullseye, dressed in a perfect imitation of the vigilante’s suit.
That all came crashing down thanks to the recorded video confession of the late Special Agent Ray Nadeem, who blew the lid on Fisk’s plans, naming everyone involved and detailing his involvement as a key accomplice.
After a killer three-way fight between Daredevil, Kingpin and Bullseye, Matt ended victorious. In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to kill Fisk and instead opted to punish him by sending him to prison – and ultimately, far away from the love of his life, Vanessa.
His arrest appeared to be highly publicised, dragging his name back through the mud and effectively clearing Daredevil of all wrongdoing. So, how does someone come back from that, and more importantly, why has Matt sat idly by to let this happen?
Fisk starts his rise to power in Hawkeye and Echo
If the previous MCU properties that the Daredevil villain appears in are considered canon, then we at least know the beginning of Wilson’s comeback era… but it’s unclear how much of a role these plot beats will play.
An interview with executive producer Richie Palmer for Polygon seems to indicate that Echo, at least, is relevant, but another article with showrunner Dario Scardapane for SFX confirms that the show has ignored “some stuff” from the wider universe.
In both Hawkeye and Echo, Fisk is essentially operating underground, with street-level gangs and criminals. He isn’t surrounded by the establishment, yet.
His attention turns to the mayoral position at the end of Echo, with news commentators claiming that the city wants a “bare-knuckle brawler”. But how can the citizens have forgotten the damage and murders Fisk previously oversaw? And how did he get out of prison, again? That feat took a complex plan in Daredevil season 3.
Marvel Studios
Why The Blip may have changed Fisk’s fate in Daredevil: Born Again
One possible explanation is the effects of the Blip. Thanos’ wiping out of half the universe’s population would overshadow any other events in the superhero world, and it may also have created chaos in the prisons when it occurred.
Echo shows a flashback with Maya Lopez, who is recruited by Wilson after Ronin killed her father. That implies that Fisk survived the snap, as did Matt, as he also appeared briefly in a fight scene – though Charlie Cox was cagey about this fact when questioned by a fan.
If Fisk wasn’t dusted, then that could mean half the prison staff were absent, which could allow for an easy escape. It would also be the perfect chance to reinvent his image, with the city running into chaos after everyone who was dusted snaps back – but he’d still need a strong PR campaign to make his promises believable.
Screen Rant points out that New York does allow previously convicted felons to run for office, so it’s not impossible. Obviously, this is also something we’ve seen play out in real life on a much larger scale with the current President of the United States.
But I want to see this process via detailed flashbacks, not just referenced in a throwaway line of dialogue. Fisk is such a compelling villain because he seems to make the odds turn in his favour, even when his position appears completely impossible. Just when Matt thinks that there’s no way he can weasel out of being caught, he reveals his hand and what he’s been planning all along.
It’d be a disservice to ignore this complex ladder climb. While yes, I’m eager to see the gory story of the new villain Muse, I don’t want the Kingpin to be demoted in the process. Scardapane’s comments to GamesRadar about there being “more fun in the moments with these characters and a lot less navel-gazing” has set off some alarm bells.
Why would have Matt Murdock allowed Fisk to become mayor?
Matt went to extreme lengths to stop Fisk once and for all in the final episodes of Daredevil. He even wrestled with the idea of killing him, so much so that this mission almost took away his sense of self. Only after some convincing from best friend Foggy did he find another way to expose the criminal mastermind.
It’s hard to believe that Daredevil would let the Kingpin make any sort of political claim to the city, and yet, he’s discussing it very calmly with him in a diner during the trailer.
I’d like to hope that this footage is slightly misleading – that’s it’s either a flashforward, or later in the season than we think, so we still get chance to see these plot beats play out. We know that Matt hangs up his mask for some reason, but even then, he could find other ways to stop Fisk. Perhaps legally, via the Nelson, Murdock and Page firm.
Marvel 2024 / Giovanni Rufino
Realistically, a death close to Matt could be the catalyst. There’s speculation that Foggy (or Karen, though this is less likely) may die in Daredevil: Born Again. That could turn Matt’s world upside down, and in his grief, he may lose the drive he had to stop Fisk at any cost.
Thankfully, we don’t have to wait long to find out.
Daredevil: Born Again drops on Disney+ on 4 March 2025, while seasons 1-3 of the original Daredevil series are also available on the same platform. You can sign up for an account on the Disney+ website.
