Be aware that spoilers for the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again, “The Grand Design,” are in play.

The acclaimed Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 has proven to be just as brutal and emotionally draining as promised. Everything really ramped up over the last two episodes, with the latter of that pair concluding with the death of a major character. And this development could have some serious consequences for not just the Man Without Fear but New York City at large. Now, the actress who’s departing the series is speaking out and explaining how co-star Vincent D’Onoforio was helpful ahead of her character’s demise.

Even fans who’ve yet to see Born Again Season 2’s fifth episode can probably guess who’s no longer in the land of the living, based on that tragic Kingpin twist from the fourth episode. The mayor/mob boss’ wife, Vanessa Fisk – following surgery and a period of extreme lucidness – dies as a result of having her skull pierced by a shard of glass. After that, it’s quickly apparent that Wilson Fisk is distraught over the loss of his beloved wife.

The plot point was apparently a hard pill for Ayelet Zurer (the actress who’d played Vanessa since Netflix’s Daredevil series) to swallow as well. While speaking with ComicBookMovie, Zurer recalled the moment she learned about Vanessa’s fate and how her on-screen husband, Vincent D’Onofrio, was a source of comfort:

It’s sweet hearing about D’Onofrio taking the time to mourn the loss of Vanessa alongside Zurer, and it sounds like she really appreciated it. Empathy can be vital in any profession, and D’Onofrio’s ability to empathize with his long-time scene partner speaks volumes to who he is as both a person and a performer. An anecdote like this truly makes me understand why D’Onofrio has been working for as long as he has.

When it comes to Zurer, I can also imagine why Vanessa’s death would be hard for her. Not only is she saying goodbye to a job, but she’s also bidding farewell to a character she’s played across a little more than a decade now. It also seems, however, that Zurer understands the significance of her character’s death and her position as the figurative “gun” that sets off Wilson’s rage.

After getting involved with Kingpin, Vanessa proved to be just as ruthless as her husband, and her machinations were what actually led to the death of Franklin “Foggy” Nelson.” Considering Vanessa’s actions, it’s difficult not to wonder whether she deserved her fate, and Zurer shared her take on that:

“Complicated” is definitely a fitting word to describe Vanessa, and it’s an apt descriptor for her husband as well. Of course, following Vanessa’s death, all eyes are on Vincent D’Onofrio’s Mayor Fisk, who still has to contend with vigilantes as well as the enigmatic Mr. Charles. There are only three more episodes left in this season, and fans are just going to have to wait and see what lies ahead for Kingpin, DD and the rest of New York.

New episodes of Daredevil: Born Again premiere on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT amid the 2026 TV schedule and are available to Disney+ subscription holders.

Warning: SPOILERS for the Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 episode “Gloves Off” are ahead!

The original Daredevil TV series and Daredevil: Born Again have delivered a lot of shocking twists over the years, but the one at the end of the latter show’s latest episode is among the few that have made me physically uncomfortable. A glass shard impaled Ayelet Zurer’s Vanessa Fisk in the head during the final moments of “Gloves Off,” leaving Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin, with nothing to do but hold his wife and wait for medical assistance as she bled out. With Vanessa at death’s door, D’Onofrio shared how this twist will change his “devoted” character or the rest of Born Again Season 2’s run on the 2026 TV schedule.

I should clarify at first that while I was certainly surprised to see Vanessa get a glass shard to the head, it wasn’t the goriness that made me uncomfortable. It was thinking about how Kingpin will surely even become more unhinged if she dies. Sure enough, Vincent D’Onofrio indicated that is indeed what will happen in the latter half of the Disney+ subscription-exclusive Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, telling EW:

Now to be clear, it hasn’t been officially stated that Vanessa will die, but with a wound like that and now reading Vincent D’Onofrio’s comments, it feels like the writing is on the wall. While Wilson Fisk has been a ruthless, cold-blooded man his entire adult life, meeting and falling in love with Vanessa has resulted in some of his darker and more illogical impulses being curbed. Governor Marge McCaffrey straight up tells Vanessa in “Gloves Out” that Wilson Fisk being mayor of New York City concerns her, but if Vanessa remains by his side to keep him level headed, she’ll throw her support behind the couple.

With Vanessa dead (again, not confirmed), it’s no wonder Kingpin would become more of a loose cannon, and that can only mean bad things for the people of New York City. Despite his criminal past and the AVTF making life miserable for many of the Big Apple’s citizens, he’s managed to maintain an overall positive profile. If his grief drives him to become even more ruthless and kill even more people who stand in the way of getting whatever he wants, that’s makes it all the more necessary for Matt Murdock and his allies to remove him from office.

This new information also pairs nicely with the rumor that Kingpin will become an even more powerful crime lord in Daredevil: Born Again Season 3. We won’t learn if that is indeed the case until sometime in 2027, but there are four more episodes left to go in Born Again Season 2 to see how the tragic aftermath of Bullseye’s failed assassination attempt will drive Kingpin’s immediate actions. Now would be a good time for anyone in his inner circle to get their affairs in order.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe consistently releases new content for fans, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again was recently released on the streaming service, and fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order are thrilled to be back in Hell's Kitchen. In addition to returning characters, some newcomers have joined the fun such as Matthew Lillard's mysterious Mr. Charles. While I'm loving his presence in the show, Vincent D'Onofrio has another perspective entirely.

What we know about Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 has been limited, but fans were recently treated to its premiere episode on Disney+. Things are heating up with Fisk as Mayor, but he's got a new frienemy with Lillard's Mr. Charles. On the show's official podcast, D'Onofrio got real about working with the Scream icon, saying:

Sounds like there's a touch of method acting happening here. Because Fisk's disdain for Mr. Charles seemingly affected the way that D'Onofrio felt about Lillard while filming Daredevil: Born Again Season 2. And I can't wait to see how this dynamic plays out in future episodes of the Marvel series.

Vincent D'Onofrio keeps coming back to play Kingpin, and clearly the character means a great deal to him. Even if he's playing the show's villain, the actor has found a way to connect with Wilson Fisk. In the same podcast appearance he spoke more about how this colored his interactions with Matthew Lillard, saying:

While there's no actual beef between the two actors, it sounds like Fisk's POV was really sticking in D'Onofrio's brain in the midst of production for Born Again. As such, they needed to wrap before he could really enjoy Matthew Lillard's presence. And it should be fascinating to see how the relationship between Kingpin and Mr. Charles escalates throughout the eight-episode season.

Daredevil: Born Again releases new episodes Tuesdays on Disney+ as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll just have to see what drama happens between these two characters as we get deeper into the season.

Spoilers below for those who haven't yet streamed Daredevil: Born Again's Season 2 opener via Disney+ subscription.

Bring out the Hell’s Kitchen Orchestra, or whatever the most applicable performance troupe would be to celebrate the arrival of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 in all its dark and gritty glory. (Dark, save for Wilson Fisk’s suit collection, naturally.) We’ve got all manner of anticipation and expectation for what’s to come from Matt Murdock’s return for the 2026 TV schedule, especially after all the critical acclaim that’s come thus far. As it often goes, I can think of few better ways to celebrate a long-awaited show than blabbing all about it as it’s happening.

So please join me in reacting to Daredevil: Born Again’s second-season premiere, "The Northern Star,” written by showrunner Dario Scardapane and directed by Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson, who helmed Episodes 1, 8 and 9 from Season 1. I expect good things tonight, my friends.

PLEASE NOTE: While the article is being updated live as the episode airs, the entries will appear in reverse-chronological order, and will revert to chronological order after the updates are complete. Thanks for reading!

Pre-Game Message From Charlie Cox And Vincent D'Onofrio

Who doesn't love seeing these two lovable actors chumming it up before they clash like animals in Season 2?

Now for a few more minutes of anguished thumb-twiddling while thinking about watching The Punisher's upcoming special. Errr, I mean thinking about Daredevil...in the episode that's about to come on. (Sorry, Matty baby!

"Did Mayor Fisk Fix It?"

This is my new favorite tongue twister. Which of the Pickwick triplets did Mayor Fisk fix first?

Boo on propaganda of any kind, but who in their right mind would go on camera and say, "Nope, Fisk didn't do nothin' good, no how." A death warrant.

Hell Yeah, Starting Off With That Black Suit And A Baton Beatdown

The textbook way to start a season of Daredevil is for our friendly neighborhood lawyer vigilante to show off just how well-trained he's been. The fact that he can do it on a boat rocking in the water is even more impressive, as just saying it makes me slightly queasy. Not quite as queasy as seeing a dude's arm break over Matt's shoulder, but close.

I also feel like that wall of water would have killed anything in its path, but props to our guy for surviving it.

Matt And Karen's First Scene

Oh, it was definitely a choice to have both Matt and Karen out of breath throughout their first conversation, right before they start smooching.

Sure, what they're saying is important, and what Matt did to botch that boat shipment is gonna piss WIlson Fisk off. But kissing in the dark cannot be held back for later.

Matthew Lillard Like A Mother

Not the best first scene, sure. But the blasé way he lets this line go is worth it after saying he'd fly up to handle things.

• "I need the miles."

Anyone who talks about airline miles in the first minute you meet them is probably a mega-turd. So I cannot wait to see Lillard at his turd-iest.

Okay, Mr. Charles Is A Boss Kinda Boss

People having the nerve to get in Wilson Fisk's face (rightfully or not) are quickly shut the f--k down as soon as Lillard's Mr. Charles enters the room and foreshadows an ominous but very clearly laid out phone call.

While Mr. Charles is around, nobody messes with Fisk. How will having a spook from Langley affect the more Kingpin-ish side of his agenda and the people who chose to work with him? I'd eff with Fisk specifically to hang out with Mr. Charles, I think.

Tony Dalton Rules, Dr. Glenn Does Not

As if I wasn't already disgusted enough by Margarita Levieva's Heather Glenn for everything that happened in Season 1, she's now suffering PTSD-related hallucinations and is blatantly lying on psychological evaluations. FOR SHAME, DR. GLENN.

John Benjamin Hickey's D.A. Is One More In An Ocean Of Sleazes

This episode is really hammering home how corrupt nearly everyone in positions of authority are, save for Counselor Karen McDuffie and retired detective Cherry.

Matt Almost Definitely Just Doomed Cherry

Anytime a character says something like, "I'll tell you all about it when I definitely see you tomorrow," you know they're gonna die. Matt telling Cherry "That's why I'm gonna keep coming to you" has the same effect to me. Hopefully he doesn't die in vain.

Loving This Fake Kingpin Mess

This telecast takeover by a masked Kingpin is one of the things I've been most excited to see, and I'm glad he's just as disruptive and lo-fi as expected. It's kind of stupid, and I adore it.

Ugh, Powell Sucks Worse Than Dr. Glenn / Anyone Ever

I'm not sure how much sympathy we're actually supposed to have for the pair of ship crew members who were aware of what they were shipping, but even if they were almost the worst people in the world, the worst person in the world would still be Hamish Allan-Headley's crooked-as-a-lightning-bolt "cop" Powell. Nothing against the actor, who makes it super easy to hate this hateful monster, but geez, what a waste of space.

I Want Mr. Charles To Have Dinner With The Fisks All The Time

The combination of Lillard's free-flowing energy and Vincent D'Onofrio's reserved menace, buoyed by Ayelet Zurer's calmer menace, is quite the elixir. I'd like to see this three commentating on Monday Night Football and juding on Top Chef as well.

Karen's Wig Game Is Still At Both A 10 And A 0.5 Simultaneously

I mean, sometimes you gotta go out in public and the only thing you have are your dirtiest pants. And then there's Karen's decision to go out in her wigs.

Foggy Sighting!

It was only in one of Matt and Karen's post-sparring memories, and isn't indicative of anything legitimate, but still.

Cherry Takes A Beating, But Keeps On Ticking

Dammit, Matt. (And probably others.) Cherry got his a-- handed to him until Matt shows up, but at least he didn't die. And he also rattled off a trio of solid "gruffy ol' bastard" lines with:

• "You hit like a kid."
• "No, I'm not okay!"
• "Sure could take a punch a lot better ten years ago."

He's gonna be sore for weeks though.

Matt's Identity Discovered! Until It Isn't!

I was legitimately shocked as could possibly be when Matt's hesitation got him pummeled to the point where his mask was pulled off of his face. My mind started to race, thinking about where this story could go if everyone knows that....

Wait, no, those guys are all dead now.

Bullseye Saves The Day, And So What, Was Everybody Just Hanging Out Outside Of Cherry's Place?

Just when it seemed like New York City's most prominent lawyer-vigilante could no longer keep both personas separate, Matt is saved in a most brutal fashion by an offscreen Wilson Bethel's Benjamin Poindexter, otherwise known as Bullseye.

Would Bullseye not have killed those cops if they hadn't unmasked him? Why was he creeping around out there to even be the hero in that moment? Was he watching Matt and Karen kiss earlier like we were? Ewww, Dex. (But I get it, I guess?)

Also, I get that this dude has impeccable accuracy and all, but how would he have thrown that knife from outside the building and still had it stick straight up and down like that?

ALSO also, does he just have a bunch of knives with different messages on them, or is it only about receiving thanks with this guy?

Woo, Bullseye!

Final Thoughts On The Episode

• I want to see more message-knives from Bullseye.
• I don't like how easy it is to root for Daniel and BB's burgeoning ship-ness, given Daniel's icky career path, but Michael Gandolfini and Genneya Walton look genuinely happy to be around each other.
• Tony Dalton better not get killed off in jail because of what Dr. Glenn did. (I know Jack Duquesne is the character's name, but it's Tony Dalton or nothing from here on out.)
• I can't wait to see the height of Mr. Charles' powers and influence. I want this guy to be able to make the ball drop in Times Square on June 22.
• Instead of getting Foggy back for real, we're just going to see him via Matt's trauma, which is...maybe not as good. Especially if the show tries to mirror Matt's with Dr. Glenn's Muse visions.
• I already need Karen's red wig back.

But the biggest final thought of all is THANKS FOR READING and for joining me on this return journey to Hell's Kitchen.

Find new episodes of Daredevil: Born Again streaming on Disney+ every Tuesday night at 9:00 p.m. ET.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for consistently treating fans to new content, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Fans are all to aware that Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again is about to premiere on the streaming service, bringing back Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk/ Kingpin. But some fans are hoping to see him in upcoming Marvel movies, and now the actor has addressed that concern on social media.

Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order were thrilled when D'Onofrio returned as Kingpin in Hawkeye, Echo, and Daredevil: Born Again. But Kingpin has yet to appear on the big screen, with fans wanting to see him opposite Tom Holland in a Spider-Man movie. He was asked about finally sharing the screen with Peter Parker on Twitter, responding with:

Points were made. While D'Onofrio clearly wants to come to blows with the wall crawler, it's out of his hands. Sony and Marvel's joint custody of Spider-Man is a complicated legal situation that makes certain crossovers difficult to nail down. So it's unclear if we'll ever see Kingpin and Spider-Man actually meet on the big screen. Fingers crossed that it happens eventually; there's certainly tons of fan interest.

Just like in the MCU, in the comics Kingpin is a New York City-based villain. And as such, he's most commonly associated with battling Spider-Man and Daredevil. Unfortunately, he's only been able to battle the latter hero in the MCU so far, although he also had a notable conflict with Hawkeye and Kate Bishop.

Tom Holland's Spider-Man is clearly an important asset for Sony, but he's also one of the most popular characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And there are plenty of characters that fans want to see him paired with, especially those that he has a history with in the comics.

While it remains to be seen if this happens, D'Onofrio clearly loves playing Kingpin in any way that he can. And with Daredevil: Born Again already filming its third season, he's not going anywhere.

Season 2 of Born Again will premiere March 24th as part of the 2026 TV schedule, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day will hit theaters on July 31st with the 2026 movie release list.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a giant franchise, full of colorful superpowered characters. The shared universe (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription), is expanding again thanks to the release of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2. Stars Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio are back as Daredevil and Kingpin respectively, and recently spoke to CinemaBlend about why they keep coming back to their signature roles.

Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order were thrilled when characters from the Netflix Marvel shows started being brought back into the shared universe. Born Again Season 2 is arriving shortly and Season 3 is already filming, so it's clear that the Daredevil characters aren't going anywhere. As you can see in the video above, I recently spoke to Cox and D'Onofrio about their ongoing tenures in the MCU. I asked if the show's lack of real superpowers is why they stay so invested in the story, with the latter actor telling me:

He's not wrong. Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio have been playing Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk since back in 2015, so they've had many hours of television to explore their characters' inner psyches. Both the original Daredevil show and Born Again do deep dives on the motivations of their leading characters, and have street-level fights that feel brutal and ultra realistic. This stands out when compared to most MCU projects, which have a bigger scale but aren't quite as intimate.

Critics have been praising Born Again Season 2, and fans will be able to see the show for themselves when it premiers on March 24th. In our conversation, D'Onofrio went on to speak about the emotionality of Daredevil, which stands out among the rest of the shared universe. In his words:

This give and take is a big reason why fans remain so invested in Daredevil years later. Fisk and Murdock's fates are tied, and they have a complicated connection that puts them into conflict in a fascinating way. And there's no telling what craziness Born Again Season 2 will bring.

Charlie Cox is back in Daredevil's suit for the new season, but it sounds like he loves the human aspect of playing Matt Murdock. In the same interview, he echoed D'Onofrio's comments, offering:

As previously mentioned, production on Season 3 of Born Again has already begun. So this pair of actors will get even more room to explore their characters and their unique dynamic together. And I can't wait to see what's coming next as they continue to battle over control of New York City.

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 premiers March 24th, and new episodes will arrive Tuesdays as part of the 2026 TV schedule. With Fisk Mayor of New York, the stakes are very high. And smart money says it's going to be an explosive season.

Back when television was dominated by linear networks, deciding when certain shows would be released was important, as you didn’t want your best projects overshadowed by something else. But in an era where all TV is on demand, it’s less of a problem when multiple streamers release their highest-profile series or movies of the month all at the same time. This week is a prime example of that, as some of the best streaming content we’ve seen all month is hitting all at once.

Daredevil: Born Again, Season 2 March 24 (Disney+)

While the first season of Daredevil: Born Again might not have ended on a cliffhanger, fans have been waiting a year to see what happens next in the battle between Daredevil and Kingpin. Luckily, we already know that the Man Without Fear will get some help this season, as Krysten Ritter returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Jessica Jones.

Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special - March 24 (Disney+)

Miley Cyrus became a household name thanks to Hannah Montana, but in the decades since, she has become a true rock star in her own right. 20 years later, Cyrus reunites with her alter ego for the Hannah Montana 20th anniversary special. Right now, your Disney+ subscription will also give you access to a dedicated channel with all of the Hannah Montana episodes and films.

Pretty Lethel March 25 (Prime Video)

If you watched the recent John Wick spinoff Ballerina and thought, “This is great, but it would be better if there were more ballerinas violently murdering people,” then I have good news for you. This week, your Prime Video subscription gives you Pretty Lethal, a new film about a group of ballerinas who find themselves the target of killers and have to fight back.

MLB Opening Day 2026 LIVE March 25 (Netflix)

Netflix has been slowly growing as a home for live sports, and following the addition of football and boxing, starting this week, your Netflix subscription gets you baseball coverage with the opening day of the Major League Baseball season. In Netflix’s first game, the San Francisco Giants will host the New York Yankees in a battle that’s nearly as old as baseball itself.

For All Mankind Season 5 - Math 27 (Apple TV)

It’s a great time for fans of hard science fiction, as this past weekend saw the release of Project Hail Mary, and this week, your Apple TV subscription gets the fifth season of For All Mankind, a film that follows an alternate history of the space race that suggests what would have happened if the USSR had made it to the moon first. The new season will come very close to the modern day, being set in the 2010s.

Next week, we see March come to a close, and April gets started. A new month means the always fun content shuffle, but it will also bring a host of new original streaming shows and movies, including the animated Stranger Things spinoff, the final season of Prime Video’s The Boys, and returns for both Star Wars villain Darth Maul and Malcolm in the Middle.

It’s been nearly a year since we last saw Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock on a collision course with Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk, culminating in quite dour fashion to set up Daredevil: Born Again Season 2. This season is all about resistance, so snatch up that Disney+ and Hulu bundle now at a discounted price if you’re not a subscriber, because if these first reactions to early screenings are any indication, Marvel fans aren’t going to want to miss out on this.

In addition to the Daredevil and Kingpin actors reprising their roles with much of the Season 1 cast, Krysten Ritter will appear as Jessica Jones, Lili Taylor is joining as the New York governor, Matthew Lillard will clash with Kingpin as Mr. Charles, Tony Dalton as Jack Duquesne/Swordsman and Jack Mulhern as simply “Philip.” Vincent D’Onofrio has been hyping Season 2 as “fucking brutal,” and that’s an opinion that’s shared by critic Christopher Gallardo who posted on social media:

Thomas Storai of Future of The Force agrees, writing that the sophomore season takes the upcoming Marvel series to new heights:

Darren Movie Reviews posts that after seeing half of the Season 2 episodes, they can confirm Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is Marvel’s “most compelling television series to date” with excellent writing, strong performances and “exhilarating” fight scenes. Here’s what they have to say:

Many passionate fans have seen all of the Marvel movies in order, so when they’re excited enough to say Daredevil: Born Again’s second season is among the best the franchise has to offer, that’s a pretty good sign. Daniel Baptista of The Movie Podcast certainly has high praise for the eight-episode season, posting:

The relevance to current events does make for a bit of a rough watch, according to Brandon Norwood of The Film Blerds, but that doesn’t take away from the quality of the story, which he says includes a great redemption arc for one character. Norwood writes:

Nexus Point News declares Season 2 an “upgrade,” writing that Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio give “powerhouse performances,” but don’t sleep on a show-stealing Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page. Their post reads:

Rohan Patel praises the action scenes, writing that Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is the “MCU at its finest.” More from Patel:

We can’t forget about Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye, either, as Aeron Eclarinal of The Direct calls him the MVP of this second season, while echoing the previous critic’s sentiments about the action sequences. Eclarinal’s post says:

The first reactions to Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 are full of words like “brutal” and “mayhem,” with many reporting that the series goes darker this season than the first. Marvel fans appear to have plenty to be excited about — especially with Season 3 already in development.

Tune in when the series hits the 2026 TV schedule on Tuesday, March 24, with episodes available to stream with a Disney+ subscription.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been off to a great start already in 2026 with the surprising accomplishment that is Wonder Man. While the upcoming Marvel movie Avengers: Doomsday is certainly the project most fans are waiting for the most, there is plenty of other good stuff coming as well, including Daredevil: Born Again Season 2. This year has also added a new twist.

Vincent D’Onofrio and Charlie Cox are officially listed as executive producers for the second season of the show, titles they didn’t have last time around. One fan took to X to celebrate this fact, believing that it meant the two actors would have direct creative control over their characters. D’Onofrio personally set the record straight that while they are involved in creative decisions, they are just two voices among several. The actor wrote…

The executive producer title is sort of an odd one in Hollywood, as it can cover a wide variety of responsibilities, or lack thereof. In many cases, it can be little more than a ceremonial title, something some stars get once they reach a level of power in the process. It can also simply indicate that somebody has a financial stake in the product. Other times, executive producers do take a more active role in production. However, they are rarely, if ever, the “final word” on decisions.

In the case of Daredevil: Born Again, it seems likely that Cox and D’Onofrio are taking a more active role. The thing is, that this was already the case. It’s been widely reported that the major changes that happened during production of Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, which included the return of the characters of Foggy Nelson and Karen Page, happened at least in part because Cox and D’Onofrio expressed concern about the way Born Again had originally been planned.

If anything, the executive producer title is just formalizing an arrangement that was already in place. The actors have a voice in how the show moves forward, but they work with the other creatives to make it happen. In a follow-up post, D’Onofrio called out showrunner Dario Scardapane, as well as many of the other people involved in making Daredevil: Born Again the show it is. Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio are certainly big reasons the show is so good, but they’re not the only ones.

Since we know that Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 is already planned, we can expect Cox and D'Onofrio's influence to continue for a while. Season 2 hits Disney+ in March.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is one of the most hotly anticipated titles on the schedule of upcoming Marvel movies and, as a result, many rumors have been swirling around it. Details on Tom Holland’s fourth Spidey film are being kept under lock and key, but it seems some familiar faces are going to pop up in the film. Someone fans have been hoping to see cross paths with the web-slinger is Wilson Fisk a.k.a. Kingpin, who’s played by Vincent D’Onofrio. The actor was recently asked if he’d be involved, and he dropped an honest take.

It’s no secret that Wilson Fisk and Spider-Man have strong ties within the comics, as the two have gone toe-to-toe on plenty of occasions. That long and tense relationship is arguably a major reason why so many fans are eager to see Holland’s webhead and D’Onofrio’s Fisk come to blows on screen. D’Onofrio was asked about the notion of his character appearing while appearing on The Playlist’s Bingeworthy TV podcast. Ultimately, the veteran actor shared a response that’s surely wasn’t what fans would want to hear:

This is definitely unfortunate to hear, though it does track with other comments the Daredevil star has made over the years. In 2024, he got candid about essentially being stuck in the middle of Marvel Studios and Sony’s entanglement over characters. D’Onofrio shared more comments on the matter in 2025, as he emphasized that the technicalities involving ownership made the situation difficult. Still, rumors persisted that there might be a chance Fisk could appear in the fourth Spider-Man movie.

Vincent D’Onofrio has, however, been vocal about the fact that he’d love to reprise his villainous character in a film and cross paths with the friendly neighborhood hero. That would make sense not just from a comic book standpoint but also from the perspective of the MCU. At present, Wilson Fisk is the mayor of New York, and he’s been cracking down on vigilante activity in the city. Of course, Peter Parker is one of the masked heroes who seemingly isn’t abiding by the Big Bad’s city-wide mandates. Like so many others, I’d love to see these two foes duke it out at some point, but it seems that’ll have to wait for now.

In the meantime, fans can look forward to seeing D’Onofrio’s Kingpin return amid the second season of Daredevil: Born Again. Early teasers show that Fisk’s power is going to be threatened as he continues to navigate the choppy waters of politics. D’Onofrio himself has hyped the new season as being “f–king brutal,” and I’m so excited. All the while, D’Onofrio is hyped for Brand New Day, and he responded positively to news that Jon Bernthal would reprise his role as Frank Castle/Punisher in the film.

Castle isn’t the only veteran MCU character that’ll play a supporting role, as it’s also been reported that Bruce Banner/Smart Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) is returning as well. All the while, there’s also speculation regarding the character Sadie Sink is playing. I’m eager to see how everything plays out in the film, which is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.

I’ll be seated in a theater sometime after Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens on July 31 as part of the 2026 movie schedule. And, although it’s a bummer that Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin won’t be involved, I still love that the actor himself is hyped for the film as well.

For everyone who loves watching butt-whooping action on the small screen, I’d wager Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is high on the list of must-watch 2026 TV shows. It’s a return to fisticuffs form for Marvel Studios following the delightfully atypical MCU series Wonder Man, and the cast seems far more excited to talk about this sophomore outing than they were about Season 1, given all the behind-the-scenes overhauls. Case in point, the Kingpin himself, Vincent D’Onofrio, has some mighty strong opinions to share.

D’Onofrio took the stage at Rhode Island Comic Con, alongside co-stars Deborah Ann Woll and Wilson Bethel, for a superhero-sized Q&A, and as one can imagine, Season 2 was quite a hot topic. Bethel, whose semi-villainous Bullseye will take on a larger role, hyped the new episodes by drawing a comparison to the first eight eps and saying they didn’t feel as much like the Netflix series like they could have. At which point D’Onofrio threw in his two cents, saying:

I don’t think anyone would throw doubt into the Full Metal Jacket vet’s face, but we are thankfully already aware of how awesome the future looks thanks to the Season 2 trailer that not only gave us Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones in all of her revived glory, but also our first look at Matthew Lillard’s new character Mr. Charles, and that weirdo Kingpin puppet-esque figure.

Not that D’Onofrio was finished. He continued by amusingly throwing the original iteration of Season 1 under the bus, calling out how much time was essentially wasted by filming a bunch of footage that would be deemed unworthy of making it into the final cut. In his words:

I can’t imagine a phrasing that would crush me more to hear as a creative than D’Onofrio saying they “had to live with” the Season 1 material that was already filmed and couldn’t be altered. It’s like a life-altering injury or a disease. Only one that was way more fun to deal with for viewers than anything painful. In fact, I kinda liked Season 1 of Born Again more than at least one of the OG seasons.

But that doesn’t mean I think the actor is off-base or full of it; it’s the exact opposite. If D’Onofrio wasn’t exceedingly impressed with Season 1, and feels this amped-up about Season 2, that just implies fans will explode with excitement over everything that’s coming. Not that we even know exactly what that is just yet. But Jessica Jones is back, so it’s gonna be amazing.

To that end, it’s rumored that Season 2 will lead to another Jessica Jones spinoff, this time of the MCU-branded variety. Elsewhere, Mike Colter’s Luke Cage comments make it sound like there are talks to bring him back for one or more projects. So I think this means we can take comfort in knowing Matt Murdock won’t be killed off anytime soon. Check out the teaser trailer below!

Fans will be able to make their own judgment calls about Daredevil: Born Again's second season when it debuts via Disney+ subscription on Tuesday, March 24, at 10:00 p.m. ET.

A new Swamp Thing movie has been in the works for years now, the project announced as part of the Gods and Monsters slate that was first revealed in early 2023, but forward motion has been a bit slow. James Mangold signed on to helm the film shortly after it was announced, but his focus then pivoted to the Oscar-nominated Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown, and he has also since signed on to make an upcoming Star Wars movie. The production appears to still be in very early stages, but one star who is very much hoping to get in on the ground floor and play the lead in the horror blockbuster is Vincent D'Onofrio.

Obviously, the Full Metal Jacket star has made quite an impression on Marvel fans bringing to life Wilson Fisk a.k.a. The Kingpin in Daredevil and Daredevil: Born Again, but while on a panel at L.A. Comic Con this weekend, he spoke about his desire to play Swamp Thing and why he has a passion for the character. Said D'Onofrio,

Comic book fans know Swamp Thing as a powerful albeit tragic figure, and letting a talent like Vincent D'Onofrio access those depths would surely result in some incredible cinema. The character has a god-like connection with nature, but he is perceived as a monster and kept at a distance from his former human life.

Incredible writers have brought the character to life on the page including the legendary Len Wein and Alan Moore, and Vincent D'Onofrio recalls being moved by the passion of the character's inner dialogue as he would read Swamp Thing comics as a young adult. Unfortunately, however, he doesn't think that his odds of actually ever getting to play the Avatar of the Green are all that high, adding,

Exactly why D'Onofrio thinks he is out of the running for the role is unclear, but it's worth noting that DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran have been doing some very smart button pressing as of late, and if they properly recognize the actor's passion for playing the part, I wouldn't qualify the casting as an impossibility.

Swamp Thing does not yet have a release date on the schedule of upcoming DC movies, but our excitement for the blockbuster should assure you that we'll have news about updates coming your way here on CinemaBlend as soon as they are available. As for those of you who need a Vincent D'Onofrio fix, you can enjoy his latest turn as Wilson Fisk watching the first season of Daredevil: Born Again (available to stream with a Disney+ subscription) and join us in anticipating his forthcoming return to the powerful antagonist in the forthcoming Daredevil: Born Again Season 2.

Everyone loves a ruthless TV villain. From Cersei Lannister to J.R. Ewing to Mr. Burns, great villains come in all kinds of ways on our television schedule. They may be cold and calculating, or they may be impulsive and crazy, but a great villain always makes for a much better show. This is a list of just a few of my favorite and most ruthless villains in TV history. Enjoy! If you don't, they may come for you.

J.R. Ewing (Dallas)

J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) was a villain who was so cunning and so ruthless that when he was shot on the Season 3 finale of Dallas, literally all of America waited months to find out who shot him. It wasn't just one of the best cliffhangers ever; it was a cultural moment that I don't think will ever be matched.

Livia Soprano (The Sopranos)

When you're a mob boss and your worst enemy is your mother, you know you're in a bad spot. Livia Soprano, Tony's domineering and, frankly, nasty, mother, played by the late Nancy Marchand, was a brilliant antagonist for the powerful boss of the family. She was so underhanded and so unhinged at times, you never knew just what she was capable of or if there was any good in her at all. It would have been amazing to see where her character went, had we not tragically lost Marchand during the show's run.

Kilgrave (Jessica Jones)

Kilgrave, played by David Tennant in Jessica Jones, just might be my favorite comic book villain in the modern era. The fact that his ability to change the reality you understand in your own head is diabolical and terrifying. Tennant's performance is flat-out amazing.

Gus Fring (Breaking Bad)

Giancarlo Esposito's performance as Gus Fring, the mortal enemy of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) in Breaking Bad, is simply terrifying. He's calm and cold while exacting terrible violence. He's ruthless in his pursuit to control the game, and he's completely without remorse. It's the perfect combination to make an amazing villain.

Nina Myers (24)

There is nothing more ruthless than turning on your co-worker and country, like Nina Myers (Sarah Clarke) did in Season 1 of 24. It was a moment that completely blew viewers' minds, who never could have predicted that Jack Bauer's right-hand woman would end up the villain.

Negan (The Walking Dead)

I'll make a confession here: Negan (Jefferey Dean Morgan) was too much for me. I started to tune out of The Walking Dead right about the time he entered. He was just too violent and too mean for me to keep going. The Walking Dead had a number of great villains, but for me, he's the king of the worst.

The Trinity Killer (Dexter)

The only person to actually match wits with Dexter on the show of the same name was, of course, Arthur Mitchell, aka The Trinity Killer, played by the brilliant John Lithgow. He was an unbelievable foe for everyone's favorite anti-hero/serial killer and a big reason the show was as successful as it was over the years.

Aunt Lydia (The Handmaid's Tale)

The Handmaid's Tale is one of the hardest shows to watch, ever. There is just so much evil throughout virtually every moment of the show. That evil is personified by Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd), the "aunt" who is "caring" for June Osborne/Offred and her fellow handmaids. It's impossible to sum up just how evil she is.

Moriarty (Sherlock)

One of the greatest villains in Western literature is Moriarty from the Sherlock Holmes books. On the show Sherlock, Moriarty is portrayed perfectly in a modernized way by Andrew Scott. He is a master criminal, sure, but really, he just wants to torment our hero, Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch)

Mr. Burns (The Simpsons)

Any villain who once tried to block out the sun to drive up profits for his company belongs on this list. Mr. Burns' attempt to shroud Springfield in darkness on The Simpsons led to dozens of suspects after he was shot. Of course, it was actually CM Burms' attempt to steal candy from a baby that actually got him shot. It's a toss-up as to which is worse.

Homelander (The Boys)

One of the most disturbing villains you can watch with a Prime subscription has to be Homelander from The Boys. He finally answers the question: "What if Superman were evil?" Luckily, he's as funny as he is scary, which makes him as watchable as any other baddie on this list.

Cersei Lannister (Game Of Thrones)

One show that gave us all multiple villains that could be on this is Game of Thrones. Perhaps the most coniving, most ruthless, and most disturbing of them all was Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey). She made it (almost) to the bitter end of the show after setting herself up as the villain very early on. She wasn't alone, but she was the most dangerous in the game.

Vern Schillinger (Oz)

Vern Schillinger (J.K. Simmons) is the personification of evil on Oz. The racist prisoner was ruthless, but he was also weak in a lot of ways, making him even more dangerous.

Al Swearengen (Deadwood)

There are no villains on this list with the verbal panache of Al Swearengen on Deadwood. Ian McShane's performance, delivering those amazing lines like only he could, made Swearengen a fan favorite, despite just how awful he could be. Just hope he doesn't turn that silver tongue on you, or you might get fed to the pigs next.

Ben Linus (Lost)

This first season on Lost saw the castaways mostly fighting among themselves. There was no real "villain" until the 14th episode of the show's second season. That is when Henry Gale is captured by Rousseau. Soon, we would all learn his real name, Ben Linus, and his real motive, and they weren't benevolent. Actor Michael Emerson played the role perfectly.

Wilson Fisk (Daredevil)

Matching his brains with tremendous brawn, Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio) has everything he needs to be one of the most powerful baddies on this list. In both the original Daredevil, which streamed on Netflix before moving to Disney+, and Daredevil: Reborn, Kingpin is as formidable as any villain ever. It doesn't hurt to have the talented D'Onofrio playing the supervillain, one of Marvel's best.

Alexis Carrington (Dynasty)

What J.R. Ewing did for Dallas, Alexis Carrington (Joan Collins) did for Dynasty. The show was a direct response to Dallas, and it had the same vibe, and Alexis was just as conniving and ruthless as J.R.

Skeletor (He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe)

This one is personal. When I was a kid, I was actually a little scared of Skeletor in the original He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe cartoon. He's been the central villain throughout all of the various versions of the franchise. He was thwarted most of the time, but he never stopped coming at He-Man and his cohorts.

Hannibal Lecter (Hannibal)

One of the most ruthless and terrifying villains on TV and on the silver screen has to be Hannibal Lecter. The cannibal psychiatrist was played by Mads Mikkelsen on the show Hannibal, after Sir Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar playing the role in The Silence Of The Lambs. Whomever plays him, he's pure evil.

Marlo Stanfield (The Wire)

One of the things that makes The Wire such an amazing show, one of the best shows ever in the peak era of television, was that there were very few pure villains. Every character, cop or criminal, was presented in shades of gray. Some good, some bad. One character that was pretty much all bad, however, was Marlo Stanfield (Jamie Hector). His takeover of the drug trade in Baltimore was as ruthless a takeover as you could imagine. He was cold and calculating, but he wasn't afraid to be as violent as he could.

Sue Sylvester (Glee)

Sue Sylvester might not be the most violent or the most criminal villain on this list, but that doesn't mean that she is any less ruthless in the pursuit of her goals than anyone else on this list. The great Jane Lynch was born to play the role, too. She was not only ruthless, she was hilarious. The perfect example of a character we all love to hate, and that's a complete compliment to the great Ms. Lynch.

Damon Pope (Sons Of Anarchy)

It wasn't often that SAMCRO ran up against a foe that they couldn't take out pretty easily in Sons of Anarchy. Damon Pope, played by Harold Perrineau, was one exception to that rule. Pope was the main antagonist in Season 5 of the show, and he was responsible for one of the most brutal deaths in SOA history when he arranged Opie's death in front of his brothers. I still get sick to my stomach just thinking about it.

Joffery Baratheon (Game Of Thrones)

In a show full of villains, Joffrey Baratheon was the most unpredictable and the most ruthlessly violent. He was a terrible sadist, as shown over and over, and he had absolutely no morals. He is among the most hated TV villains of all time.

Thomas Barrow (Downton Abbey)

Downton Abbey isn't a show that jumps out as having any ruthless villains, but Thomas Barrow (Rob James-Collier) definitely fits the bill here. He's conniving, sniveling, and awful. Sometimes his motives don't even seem reasonable, but that doesn't stop him from trying to undermine his perceived enemies.

Ralph Cifaretto (The Sopranos)

The Sopranos never really found a villain quite as evil as Livia Soprano, but when Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano) returns from Miami in Season 3, we did get a formidable foe to Tony. He was rash and violent, but he also always found a way to justify his questionable decisions, even when they went against Tony's orders.

Amanda Woodward (Melrose Place)

As a spinoff of Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place was decidedly more "adult," not just in the age of the characters, but in the way those characters acted and were treated. 90210 didn't really have villains, but Melrose had Amanda Woodward, played by the wonderful Heather Locklear. While she did garner some sympathy as the seasons rolled on, in the beginning, she was 100% villain.

Newman (Seinfeld)

There aren't a whole lot of villains in sitcoms, at least, not any as devious as Jerry's neighbor Newman (Wayne Knight). He was buddies with Kramer, but a sworn enemy of Jerry's, and it made every single interaction between the two characters hilarious. The disdain they had for each other was palpable every time they met. Newman and Jerry got along.

Sideshow Bob (The Simpsons)

While Mr. Burns is a villain to everyone in Springfield (even Smithers most of the time), Sideshow Bob (voiced by Kelsey Grammer) is a villain to just one poor kid in town, Bart Simpson. Over the years, the Bond Villain-like Bob has come up with all kinds of schemes to take out who he thinks is his nemesis, but he is thwarted each time. It's made for some of the best episodes of The Simpsons.

Sylar (Heroes)

Sylar (Zachary Quinto) was not only ruthless on Heroes, but he was insanely powerful, and that made him one of the scariest villains on this whole list. Zachary Quinto played the role masterfully,

The Governor (The Walking Dead)

Of all the villains in The Walking Dead, The Governor, played by David Morrissey in Seasons 3 and 4, is one of the most menacing. Maybe it's the eye patch, but there was always something very unsettling about him, even when he wasn't being totally awful (which was rare). The villains got more violent as the show went on, but they didn't get any scarier than The Governor.

Villanelle (Killing Eve)

Villanelle's cat-and-mouse game with Eve (Sandra Oh) is what makes the show so great. Jodie Comer, who plays Villanelle, and Sandra Oh have great on-screen chemistry, which is often underrated when it comes to great villains on TV. Sometimes, the back-and-forth is what makes the adversaries great.

Rowan Pope (Scandal)

It's always bad when your most ruthless enemy is part of your family. For Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington), her father, Rowan Pope (Joe Morton), was the one enemy who knew how to really twist the knife in the normally unflappable Olivia.

At a time when popular streaming series can go multiple years between seasons, fans of Daredevil: Born Again were lucky when Disney+ decided to give the show two seasons out of the gate. Of course, those fans are certainly hoping we’ll get more than just those two seasons.

This is why fans freaked out a bit at recent viral comments from Daredevil: Born Again star Charlie Cox, which implied that the show may end following this second season. However, Cox’s co-star is jumping in to let fans know where things stand.

What Charlie Cox Said About Daredevil: Born Again’s “Final Season”

The viral clip in question has Charlie Cox at a recent Galaxycon event where he was answering a question regarding his favorite Daredevil suit over the course of his time playing the character. He mentioned a suit that will be seen in the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 that he really loves, but in referencing it, he also implied it might be the last time we see Cox as Daredevil. He said…

Needless to say, Cox calling Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again the “final” season got fans talking. While no seasons past Season 2 have been officially announced, neither had their been any confirmation that the show would end after the forthcoming season. This led one fan to specifically seek out Daredevil: Born Again’s other big star to try and get some clarification.

How Vincint D’Onofirio Responded To Panicked Fans

One of the upsides to social media is that sometimes you can interact directly with a famous person and get some real answers to your questions, and that’s what happened with Vincent D’Onofrio after Cox’s comments went viral. Somebody reached out to the Kingpin actor on Twitter and asked if he could confirm the flaim. While D’Onofrio didn’t indicate a third season was happening, he did indicate that it was something that could happen, saying…

Following his initial response regarding Daredevil's potential future, D'Onorio has been inundated with addtional questions from fans about the same clip, and the actor has continued to respond to seemingly every single one, giving roughly the same answer.

If nothing else, word that a third season is at least possible would seem to indicate there’s nothing in the upcoming Season 2 that would necessitate it being a “final” season. While Daredevil: Born Again is arguably the most violent thing you can watch with a Disney+ subscription, the show has been well received so far at it seems likely Marvel may want to keep it going if

Considering that Cox and D’Onofrio have both been intimately involved in everything surrounding Daredevil: Born Again up to this point, it seems unlikely that one would know something the other does not.

Cox may have just used the word “final” because the two seasons of Born Again were created together and tell a single story. That story, as far as we know, will come to an end at the end of the next season, which perhaps is what makes it a “final" season.

We’re finally just days away from our return to Hell’s Kitchen in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, which will be available with a Disney+ subscription. Over the last few months, we gotten some hints about the season in the first trailer, and learned who all the new and returning cast members will be.

In Season 1, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) was fully reintroduced to the world of the MCU after his cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home in 2021 and again in She-Hulk (sort of) in 2022. We were finally treated to the first reconfigured show featuring the hero in Daredevil: Born Again, in 2025, which essentially serves as a continuation of the Man Without Fear's original streaming series on Netflix (and has since migrated to Disney+ with the rest of the MCU).

Anchored by Wilson Fisk's ascent to Mayor of New York, the show quickly became a massive hit for Disney+, and Season 2 was already confirmed straight from the beginning. But when will we get this new season? Who will be back? Here is what we currently know.

What Is The Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Premiere Date?

Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again is the next upcoming Marvel TV show, with the first episode debuting on the 2026 TV schedule on March 4, 2026.

The news that the show would drop in March 2026 was first announced directly by showrunner Dario Scardapane on his Instagram in April 2025, after the first season concluded:

Having a release window as early as we did for Season 2 shouldn’t be weird, but that’s pretty much become the standard for shows to take years to release new seasons, such as Stranger Things Season 5 or how HBO tends to take years to release its shows, as seen with Euphoria Season 3. Instead, we knew right away that it would be back less than a year after the finale aired.

The production of Daredevil: Born Again encountered a setback in the early stages, to the extent that the entire story was revamped into what we know now. The original idea of a massive 18-show season was split into two. Season 2 will be the second part, but more on that later. However, thankfully, any potential concerns have been addressed, and Season 2 has stayed on schedule. We also know that there will be a Season 3, which was confirmed in September 2025. Disney already confirming a third season certainly bodes well for what those behind the scenes think of the upcoming season.

There is even more good news for Daredevil: Born Again fans: Season 3 is expected to begin production sometime soon, though, as of this update in February 2026, it has not been reported that production has begun.

The Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Cast

We’ve learned quite a bit about the cast for Season 2, and most of the characters are returning, as well as a couple of exciting new additions.

Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio will be back as Matt Murdock/Daredevil and Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, respectively, of course. Most of the rest of the cast from Season 1 is expected to return. One big question is how Elden Henson, who plays Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, will be a part of the story, as Henson is announced as returning, despite Foggy’s death in Season 1.

The most exciting addition to the Daredevil: Born Again cast is Krysten Ritter, who will be reprising her role as Jessica Jones from her own Netflix show of the same name. Lili Taylor is also joining as the governor of New York, and Matthew Lillard will be playing a character named Mr. Charles, who we don't know much about.

One big addition to the cast is Tony Dalton as Jack Duquesne/Swordsman.

Another returning character from the original Netflix Marvel franchise is Royce Johnson as Sergeant Brett Mahoney. He appeared in the original Daredevil series, as well as Jessica Jones and The Punisher. Speaking of The Punisher...

Will Jon Bernthal's Punisher be back? We know he will be in the upcoming Spider-Man movie, and he's got his own special on the way, but his participation in Daredevil: Born Again has become a bit of an intriguing mystery.

Early reports indicated that he would not be returning for Season 2, but in an Instagram post in late December 2025, Royce Johnson posted several behind-the-scenes photos from Season 2, and one included none other than Jon Bernthal. Could this mean he will appear? Here's the post:

Here are all the cast members that we can confirm will be part of the show:

• Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil
• Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin
• Margarita Levieva as Heather Glenn
• Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page
• Wilson Bethel as Benjamin “Dex” Poindexter/Bullseye
• Ayelet Zurer as Vanessa Fisk
• Michael Gandolfini as Daniel Blake
• Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones
• Michael Gandolfini as Daniel Blake
• Tony Dalton as Jack Duquesne / Swordsman
• Lili Taylor as the governor of New York
• Matthew Lillard as Mr. Charles
• Clark Johnson as Cherry
• Genneya Walton as BB Urich
• Nikki M. James as Kirsten McDuffie
• Arty Froushan as Buck Cashman
• Zabryna Guevara as Sheila Rivera
• Annie Parisse

There is a lot to get excited about, that's for sure!

What Is The Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Story?

The Daredevil: Born Again finale was crazy, so what can we expect with Season 2? Here is what we know so far:

Season 2 Is Going To Be A ‘Resistance Tale’ Against Kingpin

As we saw at the very end of Daredevil: Born Again, Daredevil was gathering up a squad of people to take down the corruption of New York City, bit by bit, using the bar he frequented with his friends as cover. One of the directors behind the show, Aaron Moorhead, revealed in an interview with THR that this is essentially what Season 2 is going to be – a “resistance tale.” In his words:

Fighting back against Fisk is hardly a surprise, but it seems like Daredevil is going to get some serious help from the likes of Jessica Jones and others. Could we see other surprise characters from what used to be the Netflix Marvel universe, like Luke Cage and Iron Fist? We can't wait to find out.

The first trailer finally dropped in January 2025, and it only reveals a little:

We see some of the new cast members, and there is an ominous "missing" post with Matt Murdoch's face on it, and it looks like Fisk is celebrating... and boxing. Otherwise, it's certainly helping to build excitement without giving away too much.

Bullseye Is Going To Have New Sides To His Personality In Season 2

We saw just a glimpse of Bullseye in Daredevil: Born Again, as this villain is essentially an utter psychopath and a former FBI agent. But in Season 2, it turns out, we’re going to be seeing a whole lot more of him. In an interview with Collider in July 2025, Wilson Bethel says that Season 2 will feature “new sides” to the villain never seen before:

It also seems like Bethel could be back for Season 3, but as we've learned with Foggy, that doesn't reveal much about anything in the plot.

Karen Is Going To Have Some Very Cool Scenes In Season 2

Karen Page made her return alongside Foggy and other characters, and those hoping Deborah Ann Woll would get more scenes in Daredevil: Born Again's second season will have their wishes granted. Charlie Cox revealed in an interview with TV Line in May 2025 that Page is going to have a lot more character moments in Season 2 and will have some “cool” scenes that are quite superlative.

Now that’s something to get excited about. Not that everything else wasn't, but it'd be hard to watch new episodes if they weren't finished first.

We're just a few weeks away from the show hitting the 2026 TV schedule, so get ready, Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 will be here in no time.

If you’re a fan who's been keeping up with upcoming Marvel movies and new MCU TV shows, you probably know that Vincent D’Onofrio plays one of Marvel’s coolest villains. The seasoned actor portrays the intimidating crime boss Wilson Fisk a.k.a. Kingpin. As acclaimed as D'Onofrio's performance has been, he recently fired back at a fan who complained that Kingpin was “nerfed." I appreciated that D'Onofrio ultimately did it with the kind of confidence that only Fisk could pull off.

D'Onofrio put a stamp his the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Kingpin in three gritty seasons of Netflix’s Daredevil as well as appearances in Hawkeye and Echo. The character returned amid the 2025 TV schedule in Daredevil: Born Again. Let’s just say Fisk hasn’t become any softer with age, and this backs up my belief that the MCU's TV villains are the best out there. But not everyone agrees. One fan went on X (formerly Twitter) to say Marvel “nerfed” Kingpin in his latest appearance, suggesting they toned him down for a broader audience. D'Onofrio wasn’t having any of that, saying:

Boom. Graceful, measured, and totally Fisk-like. Instead of lashing out or dismissing the fan’s opinion outright, Vincent D’Onofrio approached the criticism with a bit of humility, but he did not miss the teachable moment which had presented itself. In a series of follow-up posts, he went deeper, pulling back the curtain on what it really takes to bring a complex character like Kingpin to life on screen. He added:

He didn’t stop there. In what might be the most graceful burn of the year, D’Onofrio offered some genuinely wise advice, not just for the commenter, but for anyone with strong opinions on art and media:

Agree with this fan or not, it’s hard to deny how passionate the Full Metal Jacket actor is about the role he’s been working on since 2015. His take on Kingpin is a big part of what makes Daredevil so memorable, and his clever reply shows he cares just as much off-screen as he does when the cameras are rolling.

As for what’s next? D'Onofrio is confirmed to return as Wilson Fisk in Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again. That aside, it sadly doesn't look like the actor will join a Spider-Man movie. Before D'Onofrio celebrated Jon Bernthal’s Punisher being added to Spider-Man 4, he confirmed that Kingpin could not appear due to legal reasons. While that my indeed be disappointing for avid comic book fans, there's comfort to be found in the fact that Born Again will continue to showcase D'Onofrio's stellar work.

Marvel fans can check out Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin through all his appearances by streaming them with a Disney+ subscription.

Marvel Cinematic Universe fans were treated to some major news this past week, as it was reported that Spider-Man: Brand New Day added a major star. TV fan-favorite Jon Bernthal is set to reprise his famous role of Frank Castle a.k.a. The Punisher in the buzzy threequel. What makes this news particularly exciting is that it’ll mark Berenthal’s first time playing the role in a big-screen production. People flooded social media on Friday to share their reactions, and a take was later even shared by Berenthal’s colleague, Vincent’ D’Onofrio.

Avid followers of the MCU likely know Vincent D’Onofrio best for his now-iconic turn as Wilson Fisk (the Kingpin), which he most recently reprised for Daredevil: Born Again. Those who are chronically online may also be aware of the fact that he frequently interacts with the fans, sharing his thoughts and answering questions. With that in mind, Kyzo Films tagged D’Onofrio in an X post regarding his TV co-star’s Spidey casting. When responding to the account’s appeal for his thoughts, D’Onofrio simply provided two words:

I’d like to think that sentiment aligns with the feeling that most fans have following the massive casting news. What’s great about the Kingpin actor – aside from his excellent acting chops and jovial personality, in general – is that he’s truly a fan of the material. That was evident in the way that he helped Marvel Studios “correct course” on Born Again amid its creative overhaul. So it doesn’t surprise me at all that, just like so many of us, he’s pumped to see what lies ahead for Frank Castle.

The Punisher’s inclusion in the fourth Spider-Man movie in Tom Holland’s franchise honestly marks the realization of a long-held dream. Many have long wondered whether Frank might ever cross paths with the MCU’s version of Peter Parker. The mere thought of the two fighting crime side by side on the streets of New York is so exciting. I’m not sure exactly what’s going to go down when Jon Bernthal’s Castle meets Holland’s Peter Parker (who doesn’t typically use lethal tactics like the former). Still, I’m excited to find out.

What I’d also be eager to see is Wilson Fisk in any of the upcoming Marvel movies. Vincent D’Onofrio has long been vocal about the fact that he’d love to play the villainous crime boss-turned-mayor in a Spider-Man film Unfortunately, D’Onofrio recently revealed that there’s still legal red tape preventing Kingpin from appearing alongside Peter Parker on the big screen. It’s disappointing for sure, given that the Punisher is set for Brand New Day and Daredevil appears in No Way Home.

It seems fans are just going to have to hold onto hope that maybe one day Vincent D’Onofrio and Tom Holland will get to share the screen in a Marvel film. But, right now, I’m just pleased that Jon Bernthal’s Punisher will get to rub shoulders with the wall crawler and that D’Onofrio is pumped for that as well.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is scheduled to open in theaters on July 31, 2026. In the meantime, stream Daredevil: Born Again using a Disney+ subscription to get a taste of what Frank Castle is all about.

Spoilers below for anyone who isn’t watching Daredevil: Born Again’s Season 1 finale with a Disney+ subscription.

I can still recall the sting of learning that Netflix canceled Daredevil after Season 3, and the worry that Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk may never grace the screen together again. Thankfully, no one could keep the vigilante and the Kingpin down for the count, and it’s rather incredible that we’re now here to (hopefully) celebrate the conclusion of Daredevil: Born Again’s solidified-through-reconfiguration first season.

Like many fans, I’ve enjoyed the mostly weekly episode drops, but having to wait a full week after seeing Matt become Pointdexter’s second target of the season has been a strain, especially without a hint of Jon Bernthal in the penultimate ep. So please join me as I live-blog Episode 9, "Straight to Hell,” with the hopes of seeing way more of Frank Castle here ahead of The Punisher’s eventual standalone special and whatever other upcoming MCU TV shows are smart enough to use him.

Note that while the article is live, posts appear in reverse-chronological order, and revert to chronological order when it is no longer live.

Thanks For Joining Me, Daredevil Fans!

I think we’re all in for a good pummeling tonight, both from Daredevil’s fists and, you know, from like, emotions and shit. But before any of the good stuff goes down, let me throw a few hopes out there into the ethers:

• Foggy returns from the dead, or just returns not dead
• Karen returns, but also not dead
• The Punisher clones himself
• Matt and Heather split up in a big, juicy, dramatic way
• Fisk's entire Task Force become target practice for Pointdexter's lethal spitballs

It's So Close I Can Taste It Even Without Super-Senses

A final toast to the first eight Season 1 episodes before we slam our faces down violently into this finale!

Starting Off With A Flashback

I can't say I would have predicted Daredevil: Born Again's swan song kicking off with a reference to Jay Ali's Ran Nadeem, but I'll take it, I suppose.

I'm not sure how much we should be reading into Vanessa touching Pointdexter's hands so much while convincing him to sign that paperwork, but it seemed to work like a charm. Well maybe not a charm, since it led to Foggy and Matt getting shot.

Worked like a 'harm. There it is.

I cannot believe they just faked me out with a Karen hallucination, and then it turned out to be Heather. WHY, TV SHOW, WHY?!?

Fisk Kinda-Sorta Puts A Hit Out

Wilson Fisk namechecking Gallo in an optimistic way feels destined to blow up in his face. And yelling at his staff (even if it's justified) doesn't exactly help.

And then he's gonna follow all that up by threatening Matt's life?!? By sending that dork Cashman?!? (I know the character has a comic history, but this live-action version is a nerve-grating dingus.)

For all of his own problems, I can appreciate anytime someone in any position of power can say a statement like this with confidence, even if it's just acting:

Which of course then leads to complete chaos across the city.

But look who failed to get his target: Cashman.

Hell Yeah, Frank Is Here Baby!

Nobody else can just jump into an MCU property and say a line like this that makes one feel both threatened and empathetic to Frank's plight:

A guy like that needs his caffeine, you know?

Epic Fight #1

Oh. My. Red. Horned. Devil. God. That was one hell of an action sequence in every good way possible.

So many faces smashed. So many bones broken. So many bullets put just through that one guy's face and that desk. So many squelching noises as Frank went blade-crazy on that other guy.

In most cases, I'd be bothered that Matt didn't knock the radio out of that Task Force agent before he alerted others about Frank's presence, but at this point, I want them to come and get their asses ripped apart and fed to them, or whatever Frank has cooked up.

Karen Karen Bo Baren!

It would have been baffling if Deborah Ann Woll had returned only to film that one fakeout scene. But no, she's back! And in the same room with both Frank and Matt! It's the dream team!

Of course this show IMMEDIATELY split up the dream team, and then Frank reminded her that he paid his favor back, making it sound like he had no plans on seeing her again in the near future. So, kind of a net-negative, but still! Karen!

Even though Daniel Blake as a character doesn't excite me very much, I do love the way that Michael Gandolfini is able to appear completely warm and cuddly in one second, and like a possessed psychopath in the next. I gotta hope his pops would be proud.

Now We Know What The Fisks Are Up To

Karen and Matt just can't let things like feelings and happiness to see each other stop them from fulfilling the mission. So it's good that Karen was able to immediately figure out the big secret behind the Fisks' plan.

Red Hook' charter makes it a free port, which Vanessa has taken advantage of with her stored art. They want to make Red Hook a city/stage, at least that's how Matt sees it.

The Punisher Gets Punished

Kudos to Frank for trying to enact some justice by taking out some of the Task Force members that were showing zero discretion about their murderous patterns. And he certainly did take down some of them.

But sadly not everyone, and it was more depressing than I thought to watch him get whooped up on before having to sit tied up in front of a bunch of poseur shitbags in skull-emblazoned garb.

I wish we'd have the chance to see all of those cops on fire to test whether or not Frank would piss on them or not.

This Franchise's First Jaw-Ripping Murder

I don't know if it's poetic exactly that we've gone from Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin slamming someone's head into a pulp with a car door to the point where he's ripping faces off of police commissioners in full view of others as a Mayor of a metropolis. But it has certainly been fun to watch this evolution in brutality all the same.

I thought he was going to squeeze Gallo's head until it popped or something, but no, he was just loosining the man's head bones until it was all malleable enough to just rip that sucker off of the rest of his skull.

His post-face-destroying etiquette is on point, at the very least.

Martial Law In New York City, Because Fisk Said So

This is all going to go very well for everyone. That's my prediction. Foolproof.

Josie's Is Back! But Fisk Is Keeping His Enemies In Cages...

I thought I was ready to get hyped about Josie's actually looking like it will be open again in the foreseeable future, and that it already had quite a few friendly customers to help a city's vigilante in need.

But then the episode went and took us into the Fisks' underground lair, where a bunch of their opposers like the Swordsman and...sadly, Frank. It sucked to see Punisher all chained up like that.

Especially after seeing quick shots of all the other main characters in Daredevil: Born Again that 100% deserve to be caged for a while.

Post-Credits Punisher Goodness

Thankfully, we didn't have to wait very long to get a reassuring resolution for Frank Castle's state of confined plight. Because he clearly got paired up with the biggest dipshit of all the guards who could have been keeping an eye on everyone. Like, he should have had some pride in front of all the other prisoners by feeding right into Frank's plan.

Which is all to say, I don't feel sorry for that guy or any of his shattered bones.

Also, I know this is Daredevil: Born Again and all, but I could not be happier that this first season full-on embraced the fact that this corner of the Marvel-verse is where fans first met Jon Bernthal's Punisher and first heard Frank Castle''s hauntingly primal screams.

Final Thoughts

On a scale of 1-10 Batons To The Throat, where 10 is the more positive score, I'd give "Straight to Hell" an A for Absolute Visceral Joy. Wait, that score doesn't sound right at all. Maybe I got hit in the head during one of those fight scenes.

In hindsight, though, it was about as dour and downbeat an ending as it gets for a superhero series, with the bad guys coming out on top and most of the good guys left to heal up in the dark before setting up for a renewed attempt to take the city back from its corrupted mayor and his growing army of sycophants. Of course he gave Heather a promotion. Ugh. How did anyone ever trust her with their inner thoughts?

It says something that the final shot we get of Daredevil himself isnt' in any kind of an intimidating hero pose, but through a torn hole in one of Josie's papered-up windows. The only spot of brightness to be found is the blue in Karen's eyes. Otherwise, it's a sad, sad day for Lady Justice.

Except for when Frank made it clear he was about to escape Fisk's secret prison.

We Did It!

Thanks to everyone who read along with me live while the episode aired, and an equal thanks to those who are reading after the fact. I think we can all agree there's no wrong time to watch Frank Castle break someone's face open on the edge of a table.

And now we wait for Season 2, and to find out who Matthew Lillard will be playing for his MCU debut.

One last round for the night to share this thank you post from Daredevil: Born Again showrunner Darjo Scardapane. Congrats on a job well done.

When it comes to upcoming Marvel movies, one of the most intriguing, yet elusive titles on the way is the next Spider-Man movie, which got an official title this week. When last we left Tom Holland’s Spidey, he became a nobody and street-level vigilante starting from square one and a lot of fans have had hopes that could mean he could finally cross paths with Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin. However, the actor has ruled it out before, and recently he delved even further into why he thinks his villain won’t be in a future MCU movie either.

I’m not going to sugar-coat this, it’s a real bummer of an answer. Here’s what Vincent D’Onofrio said about a potential team up with Spider-Man:

When D’Onofrio was on the Happy Sad Confused, he got real about why Wilson Fisk probably won’t make the jump from the small screen anytime soon. Apparently the character is caught up in “rights” knots that are stunting the character from jumping to the big screen.

We don’t know the legal details about why Kingpin, or specifically D’Onofrio’s Fisk has limited places he can go in the MCU, but the actor doesn’t sound confident it will ever happen. As he continued:

I told you, didn’t I? As fans of the Spider-Man movies, we’ve been itching for Tom Holland’s Web-Slinger to play in the world of Daredevil: Born Again, which is a more gritty, street-level side of the MCU. And it definitely seemed possible given Charlie Cox made a cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home. However, both Daredevil and Kingpin have gone through some complicated rights over the years given they were originally part of Netflix’s Marvel Universe before Disney+ snatched them up for this new series.

So far, Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin has showed up in the Hawkeye show, Echo and now Daredevil: Born Again, but his comments definitely raise questions about what’s going on with the character’s rights and if the same situation now applies to Daredevil. It’s especially a tough pill to swallow given D’Onofrio has shared his hopes for his Kingpin to share the screen with Spider-Man for years upon years.

Of course, you never really know with these Marvel actors. They are often sworn to secrecy regarding upcoming projects and wouldn’t tell the public about their next appearances if they wanted to. Either way, for now you can catch Kingpin in the last two Daredevil: Born Again episodes, coming out the next two Tuesdays. And get ready for Spider-Man: Brand New Day heading to theaters on July 31, 2026.

During the formation of any good team, there’s a moment where all involved just know it’s going to work. Judging by how people have reacted to Daredevil: Born Again’s run on the 2025 TV schedule, it’s safe to say that the world is sold on Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin and Charlie Cox’s Daredevil. You’d probably get a whole bunch of answers if you asked fans what moment convinced them of that fact, but the mayoral candidate for the New York seen in the MCU shows has one moment he likes to highlight as the ultimate proof of success.

You can thank GQ for this conversation, as a recent interview with D’Onofrio and Cox saw the co-stars watching clips from their Marvel resumes. One of the scenes selected was Kingpin’s conversation with “The Man Without Fear,” from the Season 1 episode "Condemned,” which prompted both men to share this anecdote from shooting:

• Vincent D’Onofrio: "He's talking to me on the walkie, and I'm off camera."
• Charlie Cox: "And we'd never worked together."
• D’Onofrio: "So I had no idea whether he could have been the shittiest actor I'd ever worked with. So, I was hiding behind some crates or something, doing off camera, so he couldn't see me, but I could see him. And we're talking, and he's doing really good with the dialogue and stuff, 'cause he's a great actor."

By the time Charlie Cox was cast to help reboot blind lawyer Matt Murdock for this eventual Disney+ subscription booster, the Irish actor had already racked up credits on shows such as Downton Abbey and Boardwalk Empire, as well as films like the Heath Ledger-starring Casanova. But to Vincent D’Onofrio’s credit, Daredevil’s titular lead wasn’t truly a known quantity until the meteoric response to the gritty streaming reboot.

Even as someone who’s not fully read into the lore, I can definitely agree with iconic actor who wowed the world with Full Metal Jacket and Men in Black, as well as his intriguing take on Wilson Fisk, which includes Daredevil: Born Again’s surprisingly entertaining therapy sessions. Between his experiences and his chops, I’m further inclined to agree with Mr. D’Onofrio’s further assessment of this scene, and why he knew he was on a winning team:

Outsiders and comic loyal skeptics alike kind of see shows like Daredevil: Born Again from a distance. But all anyone really needs to observe is how the crowd that’s truly invested in the result reacts; especially when you’ve got fans trying to piece together how Daredevil should fit in the MCU.

If you went solely on Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio’s interview above, you can tell that there’s something magic happening here. That's something important to remember, even if Born Again’s Rotten Tomatoes feedback may tell a different story.

Warning: SPOILERS for the newest episodes of Daredevil: Born Again are ahead!

With the exception of pummeling the man who had an affair with his wife into a bloody pulp in “Excessive Force,” which premiered on the 2025 TV schedule a few days ago alongside “With Interest,” Wilson Fisk has been able to keep his violent tendencies in check on Daredevil: Born Again. Instead, the man also known as Kingpin has been keeping busy on the political front as the newly-elected mayor of New York City. That hasn’t been remotely easy for him, and it’ll get a lot harder for him with the introduction of a new adversary in Born Again Season 2.

Lili Taylor of Mystic Pizza, The Conjuring and Six Feet Under fame is joining the Disney+ subscription-exclusive Marvel TV show in its sophomore season. The only details Deadline provided in its casting report is that it will be a recurring role where she plays a “political foe” for Vincent D’Onofrio’s character. While I look forward to learning the identity of this character and what her deal is, I don’t need to learn any more information to know it won’t take long for her to get under Fisk’s skin.

The first that came to my mind was that Taylor will play someone who’s running against Fisk in a new election, but unless there’s a big time jump between Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 and 2, I don’t see how this would be possible unless it was some kind of emergency recall situation. So instead, I’m guessing she’ll be someone high up in New York politics, be it on a local level or maybe as a United States Congresswoman, and her goals don’t align with Fisk’s. Maybe she’ll take deliberate steps to hinder what he’s trying to accomplish, be it with the rebuilding of the port or something else.

Either way, I look forward to the day when Lily Taylor’s character frustrates Wilson Fisk so much that his lip starts twitching. We’ve already seen it happens a few times this season already, and once that lip twitches, the chances of someone facing his wrath skyrockets. They’ll be lucky if he just screams in their face and doesn’t bloody his fists on their face. Here’s another question: will dealing with this political foe be as painful for Kingpin as sitting through that children’s choir singing “We Built This City”?

Lili Taylor is the fifth new actor to be board Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, following Matthew Lillard (who I hope is playing Mr. Fear), Sydney Parra, Annie Parisse and James Armstrong. As far as established people go, Vincent D’Onofrio and Charlie Cox will be joined again by Clark Johnson, Michael Gandolfini, Genneya Walton, Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson (which is especially weird considering he’s, you know, dead). Filming for the next season began in February and is expected to conclude in July.

Meanwhile, there are just three episodes left to go in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1’s run. Among the other major events that happened in this week’s episodes were Ms. Marvel’s Yusuf Khan meeting Matt, Matt suiting back up and fighting Muse, and the introduction of a new vigilante named Swordsman.

Daredevil: Born Again has been quite a surprise across the board. It's far and away the most violent show on Disney+, critics and audiences all seem to love it, and I think it's as great as the previous Netflix show ever was. For all the things I love about this show, I can't get over how the thing I'm most enamored with is the scenes with Vanessa and Fisk.

Even the arrival of Jon Bernthal's Punisher didn't outweigh the latest scenes with Vincent D'Onofrio and Ayelet Zurer's characters. In a revival series where I expected to be captivated by Matt Murdock kicking ass up and down the streets of Hell's Kitchen, I'm the most tuned into an MCU villain attending therapy with his wife.

I'm Glued To The TV During Fisk And Vanessa's Couples Therapy Scenes

Don't get me wrong, the romance of Wilson and Vanessa Fisk has always been fascinating. Her admiration for Kingpin, as well as her ability to cut through the darkness in him, is something we've seen played on many times. It's even central to the plot of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, so it's not like Daredevil reinvented the wheel.

What is has done, however, is give us more depth to Vanessa and Wilson's relationship that we didn't see in the original Netflix series. Seeing the two trade barbs in therapy with Dr. Heather Glenn is as captivating as it was when they were a couple. While one would think Fisk preventing his wife from going to jail would be enough to earn her undying support and admiration, it takes more.

We don't know the full extent of Vanessa and Wilson's troubles in Daredevil: Born Again, but one thing that remains clear is that it is complex and full of nuance. I think that's a major part in why it's what I'm most looking forward to every week when I fire up my Disney+ subscription. I need to see just how deep this therapy goes and everything that happens in between. Like, does anyone else truly wonder if the therapy is working?

I have my doubts, especially after seeing that Kingpin kept Vanessa's one-time affair partner, Adam, captive in a random dungeon that he visits to eat his dinner at night. Those don't seem like the actions of a man who is taking the lessons he's learning in therapy to heart, and I would love to see how Vanessa reacts if she were to discover what really became of her affair partner.

Watching Villains Navigate Their Everyday Lives Is So Fascinating

Perhaps it's because superhero shows and movies always show the perspective of the protagonist that I'm so enamored with what villains are up to when they aren't being nefarious, but it's something I always wonder about. What does The Joker shop for when he goes to the market? Does he have to hire someone to do shopping for him?

Both Daredevil and Daredevil: Born Again have been good about giving us an inside look at Wilson Fisk, but in fairness, he's a rather easy villain to portray. It's not hard for an audience to believe how a crime lord operates day-to-day in New York City, especially after Echo set him on the path to pursue his political aspirations.

The level of access viewers see from Wilson Fisk's life further humanizes him, even as monstrous as he can be. So often we see Marvel villains who are just one-dimensional, and I think it's because we can only understand their motivations and perspectives from a limited point of view. That's not a problem with this series, and it's something I appreciate more as the episodes continue.

I think Daredevil: Born Again also thrives when it shows Fisk outside of his comfort zone. When the monster inside of him is struggling to go off the rails as children sing "We Built This City" to him inside of a classroom is a hilarious example. I think it's fair to say he's equally uncomfortable in therapy and having to be vulnerable about the thing he cares about most in life in front of someone who is essentially a stranger. Kudos to Marvel for recognizing how captivating these scenes would be.

I Do Wonder Why We The Audience Are Being Shown This

As entertaining and thrilling as it is to see Fisk and Vanessa work through their marriage, I do have to wonder why there's such a focus on it in Daredevil: Born Again. Had Vanessa and Fisk just found stability in their relationship without the need for therapy, would we have found that so odd? It wouldn't be the strangest thing I've seen happen in the MCU!

I think one obvious theory is that Heather Glenn has a very clear path for Fisk to piss off Matt Murdock should he harm her or threaten her in any way. It seems like the most direct path for these two to have a showdown, especially with Fisk having little to do with what's going on with his ongoing battle with corrupt cops in Hell's Kitchen. Maybe that's the sole reason it's in the story, to set up the inevitable battle between Fisk and Daredevil toward the finale.

Or maybe there's some reason why knowing what's happening with Fisk and Vanessa throughout this season is so important. Maybe this could be the beginning of the end for the couple, especially if she finds evidence that he's not really putting in the work they're talking about in therapy. I think the only thing more dangerous for New York City would be Vanessa and Fisk embroiled in a bitter divorce that has all sorts of collateral in making moves against one another. I'm not sure anyone wants to see that happen, so hopefully the good doctor is doing all she can to mend the bridge between these two.

Whatever the reason is for the therapy scenes, it has me coming back for new episodes of Daredevil: Born Again on Tuesdays over at Disney+ at 9:00 p.m. ET. I can't wait to see where the rest of this season heads, and I'm hoping we get some more compelling moments between Wilson and Vanessa.

Warning: SPOILERS for the Daredevil: Born Again episode “Sic Semper Systema”

It’s been 10 years since Vincent D’Onofrio began his tenure as Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While I know I’m not alone in considering him a great villain, it’s also safe to say that he doesn’t mesh well with humor. However, the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again to air on the 2025 TV schedule delivered an exception to the rule, as it delivered the most hilarious moment yet from D’Onofrio’s Kingpin tenure. As the cherry on top of this proverbial sundae, it turns out the scene needed to be reshot for an amazing reason.

In addition to “Sic Semper Systema” featuring the return of Jon Bernthal as The Punisher, this episode also gifted us the glorious minutes of Disney+ subscription-exclusive television that were Mayor Fisk uncomfortably watching a children’s choir singing “We Built This City” off tune in front of him. I truly laughed out loud when I saw this, and my appreciation for the scene has only grown after hearing what Daredevil: Born Again director Jeffrey Nachmanoff told Brandon Davis about why the first version didn’t quite work:

That’s fantastic. It surely would have been tough for anyone who remotely has an ear for music to sit through those kids belting out a poor rendition of Starship’s 1985 debut single. But for Wilson Fisk, a man with known anger issues and doesn’t like his time being wasted, you could practically feel the discomfort emanating from him. He tried to put on a good front once the performance was done by saying it was “wonderful” and that the children had “such talent,” but he couldn’t get out the door quick enough when the teacher said there’d be another song.

It was the right move to have some kids singing off tune added to the recording. Because like Nachmanoff, had they been singing well, Fisk might have still be uncomfortable, but it wouldn’t have been felt as strongly. Oh, and I failed to mention, things only got worse the New York mayor from there.

Immediately afterwards, Wilson Fisk learned about the article published by BB Urich calling him a “union buster” for his unorthodox plan to deal with the city’s garbage problem. He was understandably angered when Sheila Rivera told him about this, as he wouldn’t accept leaks in his administration. However, rather than going back to his office immediately to find the culprit (it was Daniel Blake, albeit accidentally), he had to go to the Latvian Cultural Center for an event celebrating Latvian Heritage Day. And what was the choir singing? That’s right, we got another round of “We Built This City,” but this time in the Latvian language.

There are still five episodes left in Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, but I can confidently say this will stick as one of my favorite moments in the season. Hopefully there’s a way for Born Again Season 2 to deliver a similarly humorous moment, as I like seeing Kingpin put into these kinds of situations.

Disney is a studio that produces content of such a particular type that calling something a “Disney Movie” usually tells people everything they need to know. Those with a Disney+ subscription tend to have a certain understanding of what to expect when it comes to its television and movies. It’s family-friendly entertainment that will rarely be objectionable to most viewers. And yet, Daredevil: Born Again is now on Disney+, and quite simply, this show is not for everybody in the family. Not even close.

It would be difficult to gauge what the “most violent” movie or series on a given streaming service would be. Most of the best streaming services have a much broader variety of content that changes fairly frequently. However, considering where most Disney content falls, it’s not too much of a stretch to say that Daredevil: Born Again is the most violent show on Disney+. It might even be the most violent thing on the entire platform.

Mature Content Is A Fairly Recent Addition To Disney+

Disney has certainly dabbled in more mature content over the years. Touchstone and Hollywood Pictures were started to give the studio an outlet for more grown-up films without dirtying the Disney name by having movies where people used foul language. However, for the majority of Disney+’s existence, that content could not be found on the streamer.

It was only three years ago that Marvel Studios gained the rights to all of the series that had been originally produced for Netflix. When these shows debuted on Disney+, the streaming platform had to introduce entirely new systems to manage content, as it simply hadn’t been necessary before.

A few months later, the first rated-R movies arrived on Disney+ in the form of Logan and the first two Deadpool movies. For the most part, mature content has still been kept to a minimum, unless of course, you have your Hulu account tied to your Disney+ subscription.

Still, while the first three seasons of Daredevil that were produced for Netflix are on Disney+, that didn’t mean that Marvel Studios, under the Disney umbrella, was going to produce something as grim and violent as that. And yet, they absolutely did.

I’ve Seen Daredevil: Born Again, And You Are Not Prepared

If you are reading this, you may have already seen at least a few of the early episodes of Daredevil: Born Again. I have actually seen more, and while I promise there will be no spoilers here, let me assure you that if you’re not already convinced that Daredevil: Born Again embraced its freedom to go dark, you will be before the show is over.

I didn’t count the number of times Matt Murdoch gave somebody a compound fracture on screen, but I’m pretty sure there isn’t another series or movie on the platform that exceeds it. The violence is visceral in a way that we just don’t see on Disney+.

Certainly, other shows on Disney+ are not like this. Star Wars has always been more family-friendly and the other Marvel series have remained firmly in the same PG-13 space as the rest of the MCU movies. Even the Deadpool films, including Deadpool & Wolverine, while certainly violent and deserving of their R-ratings, blend the violence with humor, which softens it in a way that Daredevil: Born Again simply does not. You feel the violence of Born Again in a way you don't in Deadpool & Wolverine because it's handled so seriously.

I cannot find a single series that was created specifically for Disney+ that has even close to this level of violence, or language for that matter. Only the other seasons of Daredevil and the other Marvel/Netflix projects even come close. Maybe it's the fact that Born Again is more recent, but I do feel like the level of violence in the new show even exceeds those. They really went hard.

There Are Elements Of A Less Violent Daredevil In Born Again

One of the more interesting things about the production of Daredevil: Born Again has been the fact that the version of the show we are getting now is essentially the second bite at the apple. The drama originally went into production as something different before some, including stars Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, argued it was the wrong direction for the show.

What seems clear after watching all of Daredevil: Born Again is that one of the changes that was made had to do with the level of violence. For example, there’s an episode midway through this season that probably has the least blood of any episode, and has the most direct connection to the previously established MCU. It also has the fewest connections to the other episodes of Born Again. It feels like it’s from another series, and maybe like the original version of Born Again.

I fully expect the episode will be divisive, but I actually loved it. It shows that Daredevil: Born Again maybe didn’t need to go so hard with the violence. It still could have worked as something more in line with the rest of the PG-13 MCU.

Time Will Tell If This Means Even More Mature Content On Disney+

It will be interesting to see how Daredevil: Born Again does on Disney+. While there will certainly be people for whom the more mature content isn’t appropriate, and those for whom there is just little appeal, the studio is obviously looking for a large swathe of people to identify with the content and hopefully want more.

We already know that Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is happening, and there’s certainly no reason to expect that it will pull any punches when it comes to content. But what will happen after that? We could very well get more seasons of Daredevil, but the real question is, will we get more shows like Daredevil?

Other characters who got their start on Netflix Jessica Jones and Luke Cage are potentially getting returns of their own. I certainly would love to see the Defenders return. If Born Again is a massive success, that all certainly becomes more likely. It's not the most interesting piece of the success puzzle though. I’m most curious to see if we could see a significant increase in TV-MA and R-rated content on Disney+ in general.

Could entirely new Marvel series or movies be conceived as more violent takes on the material? Could we see a more adult take on Star Wars? (Please.) Could Disney start considering acquiring original shows that wouldn’t otherwise fall into what we consider to be “Disney” entertainment?

I’m not particularly in favor of that, though I’m not particularly against it either. I thoroughly enjoyed Daredevil: Born Again, violence and all, though I’m pretty sure my wife will never watch it.

SPOILERS are ahead for the first two episodes of Daredevil: Born Again, now streaming with a Disney+ subscription or Disney+/Hulu bundle.

I don’t think I’m alone when I say I’m in a weird place with the new Marvel movies. While it used to feel like every movie was an unmissable event film that would play into the next release, now it feels like we’ve seen scattered ideas across a number of hits and misses since Avengers: Endgame. The MCU just doesn’t feel dependably good anymore. So when Daredevil: Born Again premiered this week on the 2025 TV schedule, I was cautious with my expectations. However, I was happy to find myself absolutely geeking out about Daredevil’s MCU TV show debut.

In fact, I’m so happy to see Matt Murdock in the universe that I think he already deserves a swift promotion. Let’s get into it.

Now That Daredevil Finally Has An MCU Show, It Feels So Right

I shared some concerns with fans that Daredevil in the MCU just wouldn’t be the same, especially considering the specific edge it wore like a badge of honor. However, as both the executive producers have spoken to CinemaBlend about, and is already being proved by what we’ve seen of the show, it’s clear that Marvel Studios really cares about the character as much as we do. They've really pulled the stops to make Daredevil: Born Again a return worth waiting for. (Can you believe it’s been six years since the last Netflix episode?)

Even as someone who wasn’t necessarily a Daredevil superfan, but enjoyed the show, it felt special to see Charlie Cox back under the mask for the premiere episodes – even if they killed off one of my favorite characters within the first few minutes. It feels like an event TV show that I need to (and want to) tune in to, both because it feels like coming home to a character I used to enjoy watching prior, and because there’s a really solid setup already being established between Daredevil and newly-voted-in New York mayor, Wilson Fisk.

Additionally, I feel like the MCU needed a more grounded and edgy hero on their slate after titles like Deadpool vs. Wolverine and Agatha All Along. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind some goofy-ness in the Marvel world, but Daredevil: Born Again is a really solid change of pace from what we’ve seen from the studio lately.

Look, I Know He's A 'Street Hero', But I Think He Should Be A Candidate For The New Avengers

After watching the premiere episodes of Daredevil: Born Again, I couldn’t help but wish he was seen as an A-hero rather than a B-hero only for TV screens. I know why he’s still a TV hero. It’s because the comic book hero is thought of a “street hero” who works on a smaller scale than a character like Thor, who can do things like take down an alien race from destroying Earth or something like that.

In the past Daredevil was perfect in the TV realm because the character is a lawyer in the daylight hours, which just works so great for a crime series. However, considering where we are right now with the lineup of heroes in the MCU that will assemble in the upcoming Avengers movies, I actually think they could use someone like Daredevil.

Particularly, when I line up Matt Murdock next to some of the other characters, I don’t think there’s enough great characters fans have an on-screen history with. Sure, there might be Doctor Strange, Ant-Man, Thor, Captain Marvel, Spider-Man and the new Captain America, but Born Again has reminded me that Daredevil could add a different energy to the Avengers lineup that perhaps would strengthen the team.

When Matt Murdock Showed Up In Spider-Man: No Way Home, It Got A Huge Reaction

But how should Daredevil find himself in an MCU movie? The movie I’d ideally like to see him and Wilson Fisk first is in Tom Holland’s fourth Spider-Man movie, but considering it was apparently recently ruled out that the pair of Born Again leads are linking up with Holland in his 2026 movie, let's talk about something else. I want to talk about what happened when Matt Murdock cameoed in No Way Home.

I remember going to opening night of No Way Home, and how fans were absolutely geeked by Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock showing up for like a minute in the Spider-Man movie. It made me wish he was in the movie more, and by the gasps and cheers in my theater, it was clear to me that I'm far from the only one. After he owned that brief moment, I think he absolutely deserves a place in the movies alongside his own TV show. He has enough blood, sweat and tears over the years to have earned it!

Plus, Wilson Fisk Being A Main Villain In A Future MCU Movie Would Be Amazing

That brings me to my final point, which has less to do with Daredevil and more to do with Vincent D'Onofrio’s continually incredible performance as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin. I think he’s such a solid villain in Daredevil: Born Again that I think it would be amazing if he got his own promotion in the MCU as one of the franchise's big bads later on. Right now, he might only be a threat to New York City, but Fisk has been known in Marvel Comics to be a villain to Spider-Man, along with being affiliated with groups like The Hand, HYDRA and so forth.

While he might not be the brawn of an operation, he certainly has the power to create a team of supervillains in the future that could become a larger threat if he goes overboard with his masterplan. A group of supervillains to play off the Avengers honestly could be a nice change of pace from one big bad like Thanos. If so, Daredevil would suddenly become an incredible aly to the Avengers who could help with strategy since he’s known the guy for so many years.

Here’s hoping the MCU is two steps ahead of me and is already setting this up in Daredevil: Born Again. But, we’ll have to see how the season unfolds on Tuesdays.

A little over three years ago, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker teamed up with his Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield-portrayed counterparts from other corners of the Marvel multiverse in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Now the countdown has begun for us to reunite with this version of Marvel Comics’ Web-Slinger, as the yet-to-be-officially-titled Spider-Man 4 is slated for a summer 2026 release. However, the popular Spider-Man villain Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin, just got ruled out for the upcoming Marvel movie, and I’m disappointed to learn he won’t appear.

Vincent D’Onofrio, who’s been playing Kingpin since the original Daredevil TV series premiered in 2015 on Netflix, broke the bad news while speaking with Adam Barnhardt alongside his Daredevil: Born Again co-star Charlie Cox. In the midst of these two discussing their upcoming Marvel TV show, which will soon premiere on the 2025 TV schedule, Barnhardt mentioned that he didn’t want to get them in trouble by asking a question like “if you guys are in Spider-Man 4,” to which Vincent D’Onofrio said:

If you’re like me and spend a lot of time reading news on upcoming superhero movies, you’ve likely seen various opinion pieces on how Spider-Man 4 should tell a more street crime-level story and pit Tom Holland’s Peter against Kingpin, who was introduced in 1967’s The Amazing Spider-Man #50. Furthermore, this would provide the perfect reason for Peter and Charlie Cox’s Matthew Murdock, a.k.a. Daredevil, to team up, which frequently happens in the comics. After all, Cox was able to cameo as Matt in No Way Home, and he also vocally reprised the character recently in the Disney+ subscription-exclusive animated series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

Alas, neither of these things will be happening, as D’Onofrio and Cox have not been contacted about Spider-Man 4. At this point, they’d almost certainly know if they’d be involved since filming is expected to begin this summer. It’s a shame though, as I’ve been looking forward to a Spider-Man vs. Kingpin fight in live-action for a long time, especially after seeing Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in 2018. Partnering up with Daredevil would be the icing on the cake, as Matt is one of Peter’s closest superhero allies in the comics. Can’t we get this someday?

Perhaps the upcoming Spider-Man movie could still make a street-level story work with a villain like Hammerhead to Tombstone, though there have also been rumblings that the flick will once again lean into the multiverse. That would make sense given No Way Home’s success and that Spider-Man 4 is sandwiched in between the releases of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, the capstone events of The Multiverse Saga. That doesn’t I can’t have my issues with the movie utilizing Kingpin and Daredevil, as that would also surely help put butts in seats.

Spider-Man 4 spins its web in theaters on July 31, 2026, just two weeks after Tom Holland will be seen in Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation of The Odyssey. Meanwhile, the first two episodes of Daredevil: Born Again come out next Tuesday, March 4.

Since Netflix’s Daredevil ended in 2018, fans have been excited to see Matt Murdock pop up on the MCU timeline in She-Hulk and in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (which is set in an alternate continuity). Now, the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen is back leading his own series, Daredevil: Born Again, set to hit the 2025 TV schedule on March 4. The first episodes of the upcoming Marvel series have screened, and first reactions are hitting social media.

Daredevil: Born Again (available soon with a Disney+ subscription) is a continuation of the popular Netflix series and will see most of Daredevil’s cast return. That means Charlie Cox, of course, is back as the titular superhero, and Vincent D’Onofrio is pumped to reprise Kingpin and show different sides of the character. We’ll also see Jon Bernthal, Ayelet Zurer, Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson, to name a few, delivering a layered story that CinemaBlend's own Sean O’Connell calls a great start to the series. He writes:

Anthony Gagliardi of The Movie Podcast says fans are in for a treat. He opines:

That’s got to be good for fans to hear, and Rayvan of The Cine Geek agrees, saying that the scripts are tight and gritty, with the action even sharper than before. The critic says:

X (Twitter) user @davybirth also says the Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk portrayers are highlights of the upcoming Disney+ series and writes that Born Again continues the Daredevil story perfectly:

While the first reactions to Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again are overwhelmingly positive, a couple of those who were able to screen episodes early are struggling a bit with the CGI. Eammon Jacobs of Business Insider says:

Chris Killian of ComicBook.com also says the CGI feels rushed, but neither of these critics seemed to be too distracted to enjoy the new streaming series, which Killian says is among his favorite Marvel series released by the House of Mouse:

Some fans expressed concern about the show switching streaming services, worried that the Man Without Fear might lose his edge moving to Disney+ from Netflix. The Electric Playground’s Victor Lucas is here to alleviate those thoughts, writing:

WongUpdates also mentions the new MCU project’s brutality as he calls the series a vision of what the future holds for Marvel fans:

Using the same all-caps adjective, Daniel Baptista of The Movie Podcast has high hopes for the rest of the season after screening the first two episodes. Baptista says:

While comparisons to the Netflix show are inevitable (and mostly favorable so far), Nick van Dinther says the Disney+ series has a different essence, but it still satisfies. In van Dinther’s words:

Matt Mitovich of TV Line disagrees slightly, though, saying Daredevil: Born Again feels very much like its predecessor (in the best way):

Well that’s got to make Matt Murdock and MCU fans feel pretty good about what awaits the superhero in its new series. Even more good news — it’s already been renewed for Season 2. The first two episodes will be available to stream March 4 on Disney+, with new episodes dropping each Tuesday.

Three years after Daredevil ended on Netflix, Vincent D’Onofrio returned to the role of Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin, for Hawkeye, and it just so happened to occur the same month that Charlie Cox cameoed as Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home. D’Onofrio then reprised his Marvel character in Echo, and now we’re only weeks away from him stepping back into Fisk’s shoes for March’s Daredevil: Born Again. With roughly a month to go until the series’ premiere on the 2025 TV schedule, the actor has shared a major way Kingpin this time around will differ from how we saw him in Hawkeye, and it makes a lot of sense.

When Kingpin popped up on Hawkeye in late 2021, he was significantly stronger and more durable than he’d been presented in Daredevil, which played into the ambiguity of whether this was actually the same Wilson Fisk that those with a Netflix subscription had watched for three seasons. It’s since been clarified that Daredevil and the other Netflix-era Marvel shows did indeed take place take place in the main MCU continuity rather than another corner of the Marvel multiverse. That being said, D’Onofrio alluded to SFX (via ComicBookMovie) that we shouldn’t expect Kingpin to be shown at such a superhuman level in the upcoming Marvel TV show. As he explained:

That’s not to say that Wilson Fisk won’t be physically imposing in Daredevil: Born Again. In fact, later in the interview, Vincent D’Onofrio said that the Born Again team is “doing some things in this new season we're about to shoot that require his size to be more specific and more detailed.” But if you’re expecting to see him rip off car doors without breaking a sweat or shrug off being impaled with an arrow or direct explosions, don’t hold your breath. While the use of the word ‘world’ shouldn’t be taken literally, it’s pretty clear that Born Again is going for a much more grounded tone, and that’ll include how Kingpin is depicted.

Between this and Matt Murdock’s romantic dalliance with She-Hulk not being mentioned, it seems like Daredevil: Born Again is doing its best to stand on its own within the larger MCU landscape. That said, obviously those who’ve seen the original Daredevil series will get a lot more enjoyment out of Born Again, and if you haven’t seen it, rectify that now with your Disney+ subscription. Other returning faces on Born Again include Elden Henson, Deborah Ann Woll, Jon Bernthal, Eyelet Zurer and Wilson Bethel, and the lineup of newcomers includes Margarita Levieva, Zebryna Guevara, Nikki M. James, Genneya Walton, Arty Froushan and Michael Gandolfini.

I’m ok with Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin not being as powerful as he was shown in Hawkeye as Daredevil: Born Again unfolds, as I’m much more interested in whatever machinations he’s up to as the mayor of New York City. Besides, if I want to see an onscreen Kingpin built like a monstrosity, I can just rewatch Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Earlier today, the first footage for Daredevil: Born Again, one of several upcoming Marvel TV shows slated for the 2025 TV schedule, premiered to the public. While I still eagerly await when an actual Born Again trailer is released, it was nonetheless nice to see some official snippets of this series that was announced in May 2022 went through a major creative overhaul in September 2023. That said, after re-watching the footage a few more times, I now have a big question about Wilson D’Onofrtio’s Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin, and what’s happened to him since Echo: how did his eye heal?

At the end of Hawkeye, Fisk was shot by Maya Lopez, his adoptive niece, in retaliation for him having arranged to have Clint Barton kill him during his Ronin days. While initially implied in this scene that Maya killed Fisk, he was revealed to still be alive, albeit blinded in his left eye. By the end of Echo, Fisk’s eye was still damaged when he decided to run for mayor of New York, but as you can see in the above screenshot from the Daredevil: Born Again footage, that left eye is seemingly back to normal.

In the comics, Wilson Fisk lost the use of both his eyes when Maya Lopez shot him, but he regained his vision after an eye transplant. Is that what’s happening here in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? It’s a simple enough explanation, although then I wonder why D’Onofrio’s Fisk didn’t just arrange for such a procedure sooner. After his five-month recovery, did he feel it more urgent to try and reconcile with Maya rather than get his eye fixed? As twisted as his love for Alaqua Cox’s character was, I could see him doing this.

However, since this is a superhero universe we’re talking about, I hope there’s a more fantastical explanation for why Wilson Fisk has two working eyes again. With a show like Daredevil: Born Again, I highly doubt that there will be any magical elements involved given its more grounded nature. A more high-tech explanation seems more plausible, i.e. Fisk having been outfitted with a mechanical eye between the events of Echo and Born Again that looks normal from the outside, but has some special features built in. Or maybe he could have been injected with a special serum that completely regenerated the eye.

Maybe I’m just overthinking this and this will be quickly dealt with through a mention of an eye transplant. Whatever the reason, I hope that Daredevil: Born Again at least acknowledges that Kingpin’s left eye is working again. While I can understand that many who will tune into the series with their Disney+ subscription won’t necessarily have watched Echo, Fisk being shot and losing use of that eye is too big an event to just gloss over.

Daredevil: Born Again premieres on March 4, 2025, so continue visiting CinemaBlend for more news on what to expect from the show. You can also stream all three seasons of the original Daredevil show that was originally housed at Netflix.

When Daredevil debuted on Netflix it was a very different look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The show was dark and violent, and…amazing. It was so popular with fans that even after the show was canceled, they held out hope that not only would the characters join the official MCU, but the same actors would return as well. Still, many were shocked it was revealed that exactly that would happen, as the series Daredevil: Born Again joined the list of upcoming Marvel shows. However, none were perhaps as surprised as Matt Murdock himself, Charlie Cox, who says he got the call about reprising his role four years ago.

Over the weekend, I was at D23 in Anaheim when we were given our first look at Daredevil: Born Again. The show brings back the main Daredevil cast from the original series, many of whom were in attendance at the show. During the weekend Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio spoke with People, and the stars revealed just when the conversation about bringing them back happened. Cox explained…

Daredevil ran from 2015 to 2018, and it was canceled by Netflix after three seasons. At that point, a two-year clock started ticking, becuase the character rights would revert back to Marvel. It sounds like there was never any question of anybody other than Charlie Cox and company playing these roles, as it appears Kevin Feige made the call to Cox pretty much as soon as he was able to do so.

Of course, in the years between the stars didn’t know what might happen. Vincent D’Onofrio has talked about the fact that he was always fairly confident that Marvel would call them one day, but Cox was never so sure. D'Onofrio also said the Matt Murdock performer eventually saw his optimism as “pathetic.” However, in the end, the once and future Kingpin would turn out to be right. As they put it…

D’Onofrio: It became really pathetic in Charlie's eyes.

Cox: He was right. I didn't see it. For me, it was shocking. Shocking. It was a great show.

While the trailer shown at D23 didn’t reveal many details about the story of Daredevil: Born Again, for all intents and purposes, it looks like Season 4 of the Netflix series. All the characters are back, including Jon Bernthal’s Punisher. So, it appears to be exactly the show the fans want and the cast wanted to make. We’ll find out for sure if that's true when the show premieres for those with a Disney+ subscription in March 2025.

When it comes to the schedule of upcoming Marvel shows, one title that really seems to have fans excited is the revival series Daredevil: Born Again. This small-screen drama will see Charlie Cox reprise his role as the eponymous hero, while Vincent D’Onofrio will once again play the villainous Kingpin. It’s no secret that the series has seen some shakeups behind the scenes since being announced in 2022, which collectively resulted in a massive overhaul of the project. Cox and D’Onofrio recently explained how they helped “correct course” on the superhero show and, as someone who’s excited for what’s to come, I have mixed feelings.

What Did Charlie Cox And Vincent D’Onofrio Say About How They Helped Out?

Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio recently appeared together at Fan Expo Boston 2024, where they discussed their Marvel Cinematic Universe-based show. During the panel (which is on YouTube), the two were explicitly asked whether they had battles with the powers that be ahead of the creative refresh. D’Onofrio humorously held his tongue at first, while Cox shared some insight: 

Vincent D’Onofrio eventually added in his own thoughts. While discussing the changes, he opened up about the way that both he and his co-star supported each other through the process. And, based on his statements, he and his on-screen nemesis had major hands in shaping this latest iteration of the Man Without Fear’s story:

As Charlie Cox mentioned above, it originally appeared that Born Again was going to be almost entirely different from its predecessor, yet that all ultimately changed. I’m pleased that Marvel Studios – and by extension, Disney – took the two actors’ feedback to heart. However, there’s one concern I can’t seem to shake, and it doesn’t necessarily have to do with this series specifically but possibly TV shows and movies in general.

Why Do I Have Mixed Feelings?

Please understand that I truly believe the suggestions from the two Daredevil stars will ultimately help to make the show better. Linking it to what Netflix did years ago just makes sense and should help to maintain a strong sense of continuity. I also still can’t believe that actors like Deborah Ann Woll (Karen Page) and Elden Henson (Franklin “Foggy” Nelson) weren’t originally part of Born Again’s cast. After they were hired, Charlie Cox said it was “heartbreaking” that his co-stars originally weren’t part of the production. So, all in all, these changes feel right and could certainly benefit the finished work.

However, what’s nagging at me is the notion of Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio having such a large amount of pull in this part of the creative process and neither are producers. Yes, they’ve played their roles for a while now, and they both understand the characters and the role they inhabit. Which is why I think everything will work out here. But leaning on stars like this could be a bit hit or miss depending on the production whether it’s MCU-related or not. What if another studio opts to utilize the method Marvel used for Born Again and give its stars so much power. There’s a chance that could work but, on the other hand, the actors may not be as cerebral or knowledgeable as D’Onofrio or Cox. At the end of the day, plenty of actors do their work with the fans in mind, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll hit the mark with their execution. 

I can admit that this is definitely a pessimistic viewpoint to have, though I think it’s worth considering such creative approaches, especially in the context of high-profile productions like this MCU one. But, once again, my confidence in this DD revival far outweighs any doubts I have. And, in some respects, the two lead actors deserve credit for advocating for themselves and the show as a whole. 

Like so many fans out there, I’ll certainly be willing and ready to see what this show has to offer. Chances are that Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio (who’ve already appeared on MCU shows like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Echo) along with their cohorts are really going to bring their A-game. Let’s hope it lives up to the hype!

Daredevil: Born Again, which is set to run for 18 episodes split up into two halves (as far as we know) is set to premiere for Disney+ subscribers in March 2025. In the meantime, you can take to the platform and stream all three seasons of the OG show to prepare. You can also look for other programs to watch by checking out the 2024 TV schedule.

In December 2021, three years after Netflix cancelled the Daredevil TV show, and just a few days after Charlie Cox’s cameo appearance at Matt Murdock was first seen by there public in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Vincent D’Onofrio reprised Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin, in the Hawkeye finale. Then D’Onofrio returned to the role earlier this year for Echo, and next, Marvel Cinematic Universe fans with a Disney+ subscription can look forward to him and Cox finally reuniting onscreen as members of the Daredevil: Born Again cast. And yet, it appears that Kingpin being in the middle of Sony and Marvel’s battle for characters has prevented D’Onofrio from participating in another Marvel Studios project.

Among the things we know about Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, another one of the upcoming Marvel TV shows, is that it explores an alternate take on the MCU Peter Parker’s origin story where he’s mentored by Norman Osborn instead of Tony Stark. Charlie Cox will reprise Daredevil in the animated series, and villains like Doctor Octopus, Scorpion, Chameleon and Rhino are also confirmed to appear. However, when D’Onofrio was asked at Fan Expo Boston (via Comicbook) about if he’ll voice Kingpin in the show, he answered:

Kingpin is indeed one of the more complicated Marvel characters to keep track of when it comes to rights these days. There’s certainly no denying that he’s one of the more prominent members of Spider-Man’s rogues gallery, having been introduced in 1967’s The Amazing Spider-Man #50. However, ever since Frank Miller’s run on the Daredevil comic book series, Kingpin’s been an equally important adversary to the Man Without Fear, if not more so. So while both Marvel and Sony can use the character, the respective studios can only incorporate him into certain kinds of projects.

It’s still unclear exactly how that’s split up, but when it comes to live-action fare, along with Vincent D’Onofrio’s appearances as Wilson Fisk, Michael Clarke Duncan also played him in the 2003 movie Daredevil, which was released by 20th Century Fox. Animation-wise, Kingpin hasn’t appeared in any TV shows since Spider-Man: The New Animated Series, which also aired in 2003, but Liev Schreiber did voice him in the 2018 movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. So as Vincent D’Onofrio said below, it’s hard to keep track of where the villain will appear next:

While Marvel Studios clearly doesn’t have any problems throwing Kingpin into its live-action TV shows, I am curious to learn if it’s possible for him to be included in Tom Holland’s next Spider-Man movie or if that’s off the table. Going back to Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, not only will Vincent D’Onofrio not be involved, it remains to be seen if Kingpin can be used at all. If he can, it still seems doubtful that he’ll show up in Season 1, but Season 2 has been announced too, so maybe there’s hope for that batch of episodes.

Though a specific release date hasn’t been announced yet, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is expected to premiere sometime on the 2024 TV schedule. Meanwhile, Daredevil: Born Again is will drop sometime in March 2025.

Marvel Studios’ Echo saw Alaqua Cox’s Maya Lopez take major steps in her journey as a hero and featured her reconnecting with her family. At the same time, it also deepened her relationship with her surrogate father, Wilson Fisk a.k.a. Kingpin, who’s portrayed by Vincent D’Onofrio. The two characters have a complex bond to say the least and, if you were like me, you may have been wondering whether Fisk truly has and does love Maya. CinemaBlend posed that question to Cox herself, and she provided some honest thoughts.

Wilson long watched out for Maya whose father, William, was the leader of Fisk’s Tracksuit Mafia. Kingpin eventually orchestrated a situation that allowed Clint Barton (during his “Ronin” era) to track down and slaughter members of the group, including William. Maya, who became a top enforcer herself, learned this information on Hawkeye, leading her to shoot Fisk in the eye. The two eventually reunited on the spinoff, with Wilson offering Maya the chance to join forces with him again. Though she ultimately rejected his offer and, following their confrontation during the finale, the New York bigshot seemed freaked out by his surrogate daughter’s new abilities. 

While Fisk did come to blows with Maya, he notably did express (what appeared to be) true affection for her on multiple occasions. However, while watching Echo (which is streamable with a Disney+ subscription), I couldn’t help but wonder if he truly loved her or felt something that he believed was love. With that in mind, I had to get Alaqua Cox’s take on the matter when I spoke to her in promotion of the series. And her answer to my question isn’t so cut and dry:

So, in the actress’ opinion, the iconic baddie does love his Maya – but not in the traditional way. She also makes a fair point that’s been brought up by others, which is that Wilson doesn’t seem to love Lopez enough to learn ASL so he can communicate with the heroine, who’s deaf. Alaqua Cox’s comments definitely have me rethinking my position, though I do think it was reasonable for me to question Fisk’s sincerity. After all, as history has shown, he’s only truly cared about a handful of people in his life. Some of the characters on that select list include his mother, his wife, Vanessa, and late assistant James Wesley. 

As for Fisk’s relationship with Maya, it’ll likely never be the same, especially now that he knows she’s a metahuman. When or how the two former “family” members might meet up again is a mystery right now. Alaqua Cox told me she’s looking to get details on her future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and admitted that “waiting is driving [her] nuts.” She also mentioned that she hopes Maya will eventually pop up on the upcoming series Daredevil: Born Again. That show will notably see her co-stars, Vincent D’Onofrio and Charlie Cox, reprise their roles as Fisk and Matt Murdock, respectively. 

Fans can only hope that Alaqua Cox’s character is added to an upcoming Marvel movie or TV show. She’d be perfect for Daredevil: Born Again, considering the Kingpin connection. Also, I don’t know about all of you, but I’d love to see the Lopez/Fisk relationship explored even more.

You can stream Echo now on Disney+, and keep checking the list of upcoming Marvel shows for information on what’s coming down the line.

Fans have waited years to see Charlie Cox back in the red suit for the MCU’s Daredevil: Born Again, and we’re hoping all the behind-the-scenes changes and delays result in a truly magnificent series. Things have indeed been looking up, particularly when it comes to Daredevil: Born Again’s cast, and it now looks like even more good news has come out of the Disney+ series’ production, as a previous report about Ayelet Zurer’s recasting appears to have been debunked.

During Daredevil’s three-season Netflix run, Zurer portrayed Wilson Fisk’s significant other Vanessa Marianna as a Season 1 regular, and returned for Season 3’s final two episodes, in which Vanessa and Vincent D’Onofrio’s villain were married. Fans were definitely hoping for the actress to return for the upcoming spinoff, after not having played into Kingpin’s story during his returns for Hawkeye and Echo, but it seemed like those hopes were for naught when it was reported in March 2023 that Sandrine Holt was taking over the role of Vanessa.

Now, however, photographer Steve Sands has shared a snap on his Instagram Stories that appears to poke holes in that early report. The pic features Ayelet Zurer and Vincent D’Onofrio standing opposite one another while in character as cameras are pointed their way. Fisk is wearing a suit, and she’s wearing a long brown overcoat, and they appear to be standing behind a firehouse. But no other information is needed, really, since confirmation of Zurer’s return is huge!

Interestingly enough, the credit caption for the image may or may not have its own major story implications. Here’s how it’s labeled:

First, the Daredevil: Born Again wrap party already took place on April 5, as indicated on Instagram, stating that filming already concluded. So the date noted on the image would presumably just be when it was uploaded and posted, as opposed to the specific day it was taken.

Beyond that, though, I’m curious to know how deeply fans are meant to read into the (albeit misspelled) character’s name specifically sticking to her maiden moniker, without Fisk on the end of it. Is that meant to imply they went their separate ways anew after their marriage, or will that be one of the details that Daredevil: Born Again retcons for storytelling ease?

Of course, for all the excitement set up by this set photo, there’s also the question of what Ayelet Zurer’s return as Vanessa means for House of Cards vet Sandrine Holt. If she didn’t truly take over as Kingpin’s lover, then who is she playing? Another romantic foil, or someone with a more villainous bent? Or was that recasting report completely erroneous, with Holt set to portray someone with ties to Matt or Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle? It’s a mystery I can’t wait to see resolved at some point.

Daredevil: Born Again is now heading into the depths of post-production, so everyone with Disney+ subscriptions can hopefully expect to see the first 9-episode cycle hit somewhere late in the 2024 TV schedule, though possibly not until 2025.

Following a series of cameos that officially brought Charlie Cox’s Daredevil into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the man without fear is set to finally get his own show with the upcoming Marvel TV series, Daredevil: Born Again. The show (which will be able to stream with a Disney+ subscription) will also see the return of original Daredevil co-stars Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson as Karen Page and Foggy Nelson, following a significant retooling of the series. Cox says the initial plan to make the show without them was “heartbreaking” and he’s thrilled they’re now back.

Speaking with fans during Washington DC’s Awesomecon, (via @ddcastarchive on Twitter), Charlie Cox was asked about working with his old friends again, and he made it clear that he very much missed his co-stars when they weren’t there. Thus he was very happy when they returned. Cox said…

When Daredevil: Born Again first went into production, it appeared to be as disconnected from the original Daredevil series on Netflix as possible. Cox was back as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, and Vincent D’Onofrio was Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, but beyond that, there was no indication the new series would actually function as a continuation of the original series. It seemed to rather be a complete reboot that happened to use a couple of the same actors.

However, last fall when production on Daredevil: Born Again was halted due to the writers' and actors' strikes, the Disney+ show was completely retooled with a new creative team. Since then it’s been reported that not only will Henson and Woll be back, but we’ll also see the return of Jon Bernthal as The Punisher and Wilson Bethel who played Daredevil villain Bullseye in the original series. The Daredevil: Born Again cast, now looks essentially as we would expect it to look if the original Netflix series was just getting another season.

While Daredevil: Born Again may still make changes to the canon established in the previous series, fans of that series will be excited to see so many of their old favorites returning. The release of Echo shows the MCU isn’t afraid to get dark and violent on Disney+, so the new Daredevil series will likely try to emulate the look and feel of the original, and we certainly hope it succeeds. An exact release date for Daredevil: Born Again hasn't been announced, but it's expected to arrive sometime early in 2025.

Whether it's doing stunts or just freak accidents, even the biggest Hollywood stars aren't immune to getting injured on set. While we mostly think of stars chilling in their posh trailers while their stunt people take the biggest risks, sometimes it's the celebrities themselves who get the worst of things. Here is our list of big stars who have been injured while filming, and what happened after. 

Daniel Craig 

You can't just pick one of the James Bond movies that Daniel Craig was injured during the filming of, because the truth is, he's been injured a lot. In No Time To Die, it was his ankle, which required surgery and he was off-set for a couple of weeks recovering. In Casino Royale, he knocked out two teeth filming a fight scene. In Quantum of Solace, he injured his shoulder, and in Spectre, it was his knee. It's easy to see why Craig has retired from the role, filming James Bond movies can be dangerous. 

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise famously does many of his most intense and dangerous stunts himself. It's become his brand, but it doesn't mean he doesn't get hurt. In fact, while filming Mission: Impossible – Fallout, it was one of his more innocent stunts, jumping from building to building, that caused an injury when Cruise broke his leg landing the jump. Filming halted for a few months while Cruise recovered, but the footage was included in the movie. 

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford has a long history of getting injured on movie sets. Maybe the most high-profile time was when a door fell on his leg while shooting Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He broke his leg and director JJ Abrams injured his back helping pull the door off the Han Solo actor. 

Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone is one of the premiere action stars of the last 50 years, and as such, he's been injured a few times on set doing stunts. The worst, according to Stallone, came while filming the boxing match with Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) in Rocky IV. Lundgren hit him so hard in the chest at one point that it caused his heart to swell and he ended up in intensive care for eight days. 

Isla Fisher 

One of the best scenes in Now You See Me is when Isla Fisher's character performs the underwater escape trick. It wasn't so great for the actress though, as she nearly drowned during the filming. Luckily a stuntman was there to flip the safety switch and save her. 

Leonardo DiCaprio

One of the most intense scenes in Django Unchained is Leonardo DiCaprio's speech after dinner. He bangs his hand on the table and slices his hand on a glass. DiCaprio, ever the pro, kept going without missing a beat. It's so good, director Quentin Tarantino left that take in the final cut. 

Kristin Chenoweth

TV stars aren't safe either. Kristin Chenoweth was almost killed on the set of The Good Wife when part of the lighting rig fell on her. According to the actress, she had a "skull fracture and a rib issue and a hip issue" as a result. 

Bruce Willis

Like a lot of action stars, Bruce Willis has had his fair share of injuries in stunts gone wrong. In Live Free or Die Hard, the Hollywood legend suffered a serious cut above his eye that required stitches, after Maggie Q's stunt doubled kick him with high heels on. 

Mariska Hargitay

Sometimes, the extent of the injury isn't immediately understood, as was the case with Mariska Hargitay after a fall on the set of Law & Order: SVU. Hargitay performed a stunt that required her to land on some pads, but, in her words, something went wrong. She shook off the injury at first, but a few months later, she felt a sharp stabbing pain and ended up in the hospital with a collapsed lung. She recovered after surgery, though a second surgery was needed later. 

Charlize Theron

Æon Flux is not one of Charlize Theron's best movies, and it did almost leave her paralyzed. The actor fell on her neck performing a stunt and had she not been lucky and fallen just a centimeter differently, according to her, it could have been very bad. 

Malcolm McDowell

One of the more terrifying scenes in A Clockwork Orange is when Malcolm McDowell's character is "rehabilitated" by being forced to watch violent videos while his eyes are held open. For McDowell, it was even worse, as the setup caused his corneas to be scratched and he was blinded temporarily as a result. 

Brad Pitt

In the weirdest of coincidences, there is Brad Pitt in Troy. In the film, Pitt plays the Greek hero Achilles. Achilles is famous for one thing, his armor not covering that one tendon in a person's heel... Well, it just so happens that while filming Troy, Pitt tore his Achilles Tendon. 

Uma Thurman

During the filming of the Kill Bill movies, Uma Thurman crashed a car she was driving into a palm tree in Mexico and suffered injuries to her knees and a concussion. Years later she exposed what she claimed was a cover-up by the film's producers in an Instagram post. 

Orson Welles

The great Orson Welles really gave everything he had to make Citizen Kane. That includes chipping a bone in his ankle that forced him to use a wheelchair on set for two weeks while he directed. The injury occurred when he fell down some stairs while filming, and the scene made it into the final cut. 

Linda Blair

During the iconic scene in The Exorcist when Linda Blair's character, Regan, thrashes around as the bed levitates, the scream queen injured her back due to a mechanical default. The injury caused scoliosis, which still causes her problems today, though she's found ways to make it less painful. 

Jim Caviezel

The list of injuries that Jim Caviezel suffered while filming The Passion of the Christ has become the stuff of internet legend. Some injuries are hard to verify, but others aren't, the most notable of which is that as Caviezel prepared for the Sermon on the Mount scene, he was actually struck by lightning. That's got to be some sign, right?

George Clooney

The head injuries George Clooney sustained while filming the torture scene in Syriana were so debilitating that the actor says he even contemplated suicide. Eventually, doctors were able to alleviate the headaches after surgery, but in the meantime, Clooney called it "the most unbearable pain I've ever been through."

Orlando Bloom

There were a few injuries on the set of the Lord of the Rings movies, and one notable one was Orlando Bloom. Bloom broke some ribs when he fell from a horse while filming LOTR: The Two Towers. His fellow cast members gave Bloom a little...uh... ribbing in a behind-the-scenes video as well. 

Martin Sheen

There may be no more infamous Hollywood production than Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now. No one had it worse than the film's star, Martin Sheen. As told in the documentary about the filming, Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse, Sheen not only suffered a near-fatal heart attack during production, but he also suffered a nasty cut on his hand. In the famous opening scene, Sheen punched a mirror and sliced his hand open and it bled badly. If you've seen the movie, you know what it looked like, because Sheen continued the scene and all the blood is very real.  

Michelle Yeoh

As an actor known for doing her own stunts, it's no surprise that Michelle Yeoh has been injured a few times on set. The most notable came when Yeoh tore her ACL during the production of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. She was flown from China to Baltimore where surgery was performed to fix the injury at Johns Hopkins. 

Tom Hanks

Sometimes the most innocent-sounding injuries can be the worst. Such is the case for Tom Hanks, who cut his leg filming Cast Away. While a cut doesn't seem all that serious, it caused sepsis and landed Hanks in the hospital, who almost died as a result of the blood poisoning. 

Buddy Ebsen

The Beverly Hillbillies star Buddy Ebsen could claim one of the weirder injuries on this list. Ebsen was the original actor cast to play the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz and as part of the role, he was painted silver. The aluminum powder in the paint caused a reaction that landed Ebsen in the hospital due to breathing problems and he was recast by actor Jack Haley in the role. 

Winona Ryder

Accidents happen, even on movie sets of comedies, not action movies. Such was the case for Winona Ryder while filming Mr. Deeds with Adam Sandler. While filming the scene on the bike in Central Park, Ryder took a tumble off it and broke her arm in three different places. Ouch. 

Matt LeBlanc

Injuries even happen on sitcoms. Even the biggest ones. While filming a scene for Friends, Matt LeBlanc fell into a chair and dislocated his shoulder. Production was delayed briefly, but the evidence is still on the screen, as LeBlanc was seen wearing a sling for a couple of episodes as his shoulder healed. 

Michael J. Fox

One of the scariest injuries didn't happen during a proper stunt. In Back To The Future III, Michael J. Fox almost died in the scene where his character, Marty McFly, is hanged. A mishap meant that he was actually getting choked and at first no one noticed. He passed out before he was lowered to the ground. 

Ed Harris

Ed Harris was almost killed while filming The Abyss. In one of the many underwater scenes in the movie, Harris ran out of oxygen and no one else on set realized he'd signaled that he did. He passed out from a lack of oxygen, but luckily someone finally noticed and they got him some air. 

Vincent D'Onofrio

Marine boot camp is intense, even for actors just playing Marines. Vincent D'Onofrio, who played Private Pyle in Full Metal Jacket, injured his knee so badly during filming one of the training scenes that he ended up needing surgery to fix it. 

Melanie Griffith

One of the most notoriously dangerous movies ever shot is Roar by director Noel Marshall. In the 1970s, Marshall was married to Tippi Hedren, which also made him Melanie Griffith's stepfather. The movie filmed Hedren and Griffith (who was a kid at the time) living with lions. Real lions. According to legend, at least 70 people were injured by the big cats, including Griffith, who was "mauled near the eye" and needed plastic surgery to fix it. 

Jackie Chan

One actor you won't be surprised to see on this list is Jackie Chan. The martial artist and stuntman has pulled off some of the most insane stunts in film history, so it's no surprised he's been injured along the way. One notable time was while shooting Police Story. In one scene, Chan slides down a metal pole, which he did so quickly he suffered third degree burns on his hands. The shot was used in the movie. 

Al Pacino

Injuries can occur when actors don't quite make the best decisions. Take, for example the great Al Pacino. While filming a scene in Scarface, Pacino grabbed the business end of a gun that had just been fired and severely burned his hands. According to Brian De Palma, the actor was off for the next two weeks. 

Matthew Fox

Every now and then, one actor will injure another one, as is the case with Terry O'Quinn and Matthew Fox on the set of Lost. In a fight scene, O'Quinn stabbed Fox with a knife, which O'Quinn thought, incorrectly, was a prop knife, but it was very real. Thankfully, Fox was wearing a protective Kevlar vest that saved him from actually being stabbed. 

Dylan O'Brien

Dylan O'Brien was almost killed while shooting The Maze Runner: The Death Cure. While shooting a scene, the star of the movie was struck by a car. According to Vulture, O'Brien had a "concussion, facial fracture, and brain trauma among his injuries." Production on the movie was halted as he recovered, which, according to O'Brien, was one of the worst periods in his life. 

Dominic Purcell

Even without stunts and other action, injuries happen. Prison Break star Dominic Purcell broke his nose and had other facial injuries while filming for the show in Morocco. It was a freak accident as a lighting truss fell from the set and hit him. It could've been very scary, as those kinds of accidents have killed people, but luckily for Purcell, his injuries healed quickly and production on the show wasn't impacted.

Most of the time, when actors are injured on set, the injuries are minor, thankfully. Of course, that isn't always the case, and though deaths on movie sets are rare, they happen, so anytime someone is injured seriously, production is usually halted. Just looking through this list, you can see just how close some of these big names came to serious injury, and in a way, they're lucky (and we're lucky) that they are still around.   

For a few years, the future of Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk a.k.a. Kingpin was up in the air... but now, it feels limitless. Three years after the cancellation of the Netflix series Daredevil in 2018, the actor returned to the role in with a surprise appearance in 2021's Hawkeye, and he most recently reprised the part in the Disney+ limited series Echo. We'll next get to see him square off with Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock in the series Daredevil: Born Again, but what will MCU fans get to see after that? If D'Onofrio has his druthers, one project would be an episode of What If...? where he gets to go to super dark places with the character.

During a recent interview with ComicBook.com, Vincent D'Onofrio shared his vision for a "What If...?" story – which is to say a standalone narrative about a non-canon version of Wilson Fisk from an alternate universe. Instead of the tale featuring him sparring with a character outside of those typically associated with Kingpin (Daredevil, Elektra, Spider-Man, etc.), he would love to see a more realistic take where there are no superheroes to get in Fisk's way. He explains,

If you've seen Daredevil, then you'll register that "10 times darker than anything we've done with him before" is quite a statement. When Wilson Fisk really gets going in that show, he turns into a violent, raging (non-literal) monster, and he is depicted committing some horrific acts (him using a car door to turn a guy's head into mush comes to mind). Even the origin is worthy of a few gasps, as the streaming series has a young Fisk murdering his abusive father with a hammer. How do you get much darker than that?

While it would be a challenge for a What If...? story to feature a more violent version of Kingpin, it definitely would be scary to see him operating in a world where there are no forces capable of stopping him. Both in the comics and in the established MCU canon, the character gets elbow deep into terrible crimes, and even with Daredevil and other vigilantes halting some of his most heinous acts, he is never out of commission for very long. Witnessing what he could achieve unfettered would certainly be disturbing.

What If? Season 2 unfurled for Disney+ subscribers with daily releases in the final week of 2023, but more adventures are indeed on the way, as Season 3 has been given the green light and is currently in development. As for Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin, Daredevil: Born Again has restarted production, and the premiere of the show is expected as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's 2025 slate. For more about what's on the way from the franchises, check out our Upcoming Marvel Movies and Upcoming Marvel TV guides.

Everything old is new again, as cast members of many of the Netflix Marvel series have been making their way to the MCU. We’ve seen Charlie Cox appear as Daredevil in Spider-Man: No Way Home and She-Hulk and Vincent D’Onofrio back as Kingpin, but when the upcoming Marvel series Daredevil: Born Again arrives for Disney+ subscribers, we’ll also see the return of Jon Bernthal as The Punisher. And the actor is clearly looking forward to it, as he says the character means a great deal to him.

Frank Castle was introduced as an antagonist for Daredevil and became so popular that he got two seasons of a show of his own during the Netflix/Marvel era. Bernthal’s version of the character was popular with fans. Speaking with Collider, Bernthal said that he believes the character was so popular because Frank Castle is somebody that everybody understands at least a little bit. He explained…

Exactly how The Punisher will fit into Daredevil: Born Again is unclear, but we can be fairly certain that the two crimefighters won’t get along. One has a religious objection to killing the bad guys, and the other has no such compunction. And we can be pretty sure that the Punisher we get is going to be very much the same character we saw before, as Bernthal says he’s committed to doing it “right.” He continued…

At this point, it’s far from clear when we’ll see Daredevil: Born Again. The show shut down production during the writer and actors’ strikes and while Vincent D’Onofrio says it will be gearing up again soon, it sounds like Born Again has gone through a significant overhaul in the interim. Still, however long it takes it seems clear that fans will be happy to see both Daredevil and The Punisher again. 

Warning: SPOILERS for Echo are ahead!

The entirety of Echo is now available to stream with both a Disney+ subscription and a Hulu subscription, and while the show’s chief purpose was to obviously point the spotlight on Alaqua Cox’s Maya Lopez, it also laid some key groundwork for one of the especially-anticipated upcoming Marvel TV shows. In addition to Charlie Cox’s Daredevil briefly appearing in the first episode, Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin, plays a key supporting role throughout the miniseries. Despite his surrogate niece attempting to kill him at the end of Hawkeye, he tried to reconcile with her in this new series, albeit on his own twisted terms, and it’s a goal he fails to accomplish.

In true Kingpin fashion, Fisk doesn’t take it well when Maya refuses to come back to New York with him, leading to him trying to kill her grandmother and cousin. He doesn’t succeed with this either, but he nonetheless escaped, and the stage is now set for him to return as one of the leading characters in Daredevil: Born Again’s cast. In fact, the Echo mid-credits scene confirming a major Kingpin rumor gives me a good idea on how this next chapter of the MCU’s Daredevil saga will incorporate Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle, a.k.a. The Punisher, who was confirmed to appear in early 2023.

Where We Leave Off With Kingpin In Echo

After avoiding the local authorities in Tamaha, Oklahoma, Wilson Fisk gets aboard his private jet in Echo’s final minutes and immediately starts playing damage control with one of his subordinates as they fly back to New York. However, he’s soon distracted by a news report about how there’s no clear frontrunner in the New York City mayoral race. The reporters in the broadcast talk about how “most voters want someone who is a fighter” and understand their pain and frustrations. Basically, a “bare-knuckle brawler”/“outsider” would do well, and while such a candidate would be joining the race quite late, there’s still a “window of opportunity.” You can practically see the gears turning in Fisk’s head as he’s watching TV.

Wilson Fisk was mayor of the Big Apple in the main Marvel Comics universe a few years back, and he used his political power to ban superhero vigilantes, which culminated in the events of the Devil’s Reign crossover. More importantly, back in May 2023, when Daredevil: Born Again had just started filming, Vincent D’Onofrio was photographed posing with some fans on set, and an American flag pin was observed on his suit. Since this is something political candidates often wear while running for office, this seemingly strengthened the rumors that had been running around for months that Born Again will see him running for Mayor of New York City. 

Now we know for a fact that political aspirations lie on the horizon for him, although exactly how this will be handled in Daredevil: Born Again remains to be seen. Maybe we will simply see Wilson Fisk run for mayor as has already been speculated, or perhaps as part of Born Again’s major creative overhaul, he’ll already have been elected to the office. Either way, I’m believe this is going to put him back in The Punisher’s scopes.

How Punisher May Fit Into Daredevil: Born Again’s Story

Between Cox, D’Onofrio and Bernthal all reprising their Marvel roles that originated on Netflix, Daredevil footage being used in promotional material for Echo, and Wilson Fisk revealing in this miniseries that he killed his father with a hammer when he was a boy, just like what was shown in Daredevil, it’s reasonable to assume at this point that the events of The Man Without Fear’s earlier show (and by extension the other Netflix era shows) are canon within the main MCU reality. 

As such, The Punisher we’ll be seeing in Daredevil: Born Again is the same one who crossed paths with Wilson Fisk at Ryker’s Island during Daredevil Season 2. The last time they saw each other, Fisk, who was controlling the prison by this point, arranged for Frank to escape, as he felt the gun-toting vigilante would be put to good use eliminating his competition on the outside. However, Frank promised that the next time he saw Fisk, he’d kill him.

Presuming that the events of Daredevil Season 3 coincided with Frank Castle being kept busy with other matters at some point during The Punisher’s two-season run, it’s understandable why Frank didn’t pop his head in during those batch of episodes and try to gun him down as the crime lord rose back to power. But now these two are once again appearing in the same show, and if Frank wasn’t already mulling taking Kingpin out, I have to think learning the man’s either running for mayor or already been elected to the job will make him a new priority on his to-kill list. 

It stands to reason that Matt Murdock won’t trust that Wilson Fisk has the city’s best interests at heart, and he’ll be keeping a close eye on what his arch-nemesis will do as mayor. But Matt’s also a vigilante who won’t kill his enemies, whereas Frank Castle has no such qualms; it’s his whole MO! I’m fairly certain that during Daredevil: Born Again, we’ll see Frank attempt to murder Fisk if not once, then on multiple occasions, and Matt will be placed in the difficult position of having to intervene. Even though he’s opposed to almost everything Fisk stands for, Matt also doesn’t condone Frank’s lethal crimefighting methods, so he’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that the assassination doesn’t happen.

But here’s where things could get really problematic. I wouldn’t be surprised if Frank Castle targeting Wilson Fisk results in the latter championing having costumed heroes banned in New York City, just like his comic book counterpart did. In other words, we’d be getting an MCU-style twist on Devil’s Reign. Granted, since there’s been no mention of characters like Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist or even Spider-Man appearing in Born Again, this would be a much smaller-scale adaptation, with Daredevil and The Punisher being the only vigilantes immediately affected. 

Although Vincent D’Onofrio confirmed earlier this month that Daredevil: Born Again will resume filming soon, we’re still in the dark on when the show will premiere on Disney+. So it will likely be a while until my musings on The Punisher’s specific role in this new series are confirmed or debunked, though either way, count on him leaving a large body count in his wake, just like what Jon Bernthal’s version of the character did in the Netflix days. 

Following the cancellation of Netflix’s Daredevil, what a pleasant surprise it's been for both Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Marvel characters to get a second life in the MCU. With D’Onofrio reprising the legendary comic book villain Wilson Fisk as a part of the Echo cast and Daredevil: Born Again, which is among upcoming Marvel TV shows, CinemaBlend spoke to the actor about whether he differentiates his two eras as Kingpin. 

During my conversation with Vincent D’Onofrio, where he also shared his thoughts on his Echo arc being a “good start” for his upcoming Daredevil return, I spoke with him about how he treats his performance as a whole between his original Daredevil run and its continuation in the MCU. In his words: 

While Wilson Fisk’s storylines may not perfectly intertwine between his role in the Netflix Marvel world and his place in the MCU, D’Onofrio takes his entire experience playing the character with him and counts it all as one performance. I had asked the actor if he viewed the MCU Kingpin as a “different shade” of the same character, and he shared that his main concern is serving the scripts in front of him each time he plays the villain, but in his mind, he definitely thinks it “all counts.” 

It’s definitely interesting to hear Vincent D’Onofrio’s perspective on the whole thing after having the unique experience of playing the same role across multiple productions with different filmmakers, casts and crews around him. At this point, the actor has played the role for about a decade now (give or take the break he had between Daredevil’s 2018 cancellation and his surprise entrance into the MCU with 2021’s Hawkeye), and he'll continue to with both the 2024 TV schedule's Echo and the upcoming Daredevil series. 

While speaking about his role as Kingpin moving forward, he also shared that he feels that his role in Echo is especially helpful emotionally when it comes to what is coming next for the character in Charlie Cox’s big MCU return in Daredevil: Born Again. It’s quite incredible that Kingpin has had such a long life on our televisions from the Netflix iteration of the character to his part in the MCU in recent years, and Vincent D’Onofrio is very much embracing each version as Wilson Fisk’s plot thickens. 

You can watch Kingpin as his fatherly relationship with Alaqua Cox’s Maya Lopez plays out in Echo. The season in full is now streaming for those with a Disney+ subscription or a Hulu subscription. 

This story is going to get into massive spoilers for the latest Marvel series Echo, so bow out now if you haven’t seen it, and still want to be surprised. 

The new Marvel Spotlight series Echo, available with your Disney+ subscription, served a handful of purposes. Primarily, it filled in the backstory of Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox), a character we met in the Hawkeye series who had deep, mysterious ties to Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio), the Kingpin of Crime. The Hawkeye ending left things unresolved between Maya and Wilson, and this new series picked up the threads of their conflict, while also exploring the character’s hearing impairment, and her rich Native American heritage. But as it turns out, when you wait until the very end of the last episode of Echo, you realize exactly where Marvel wants to go with these characters, and it has been rumored for some time. 

Echo has a mid-credits scene. In it, we find Wilson Fisk (D’Onofrio) licking his wounds following his confrontation with Maya, in which she used the supernatural powers of her direct ancestors to… heal the Kingpin? I don’t fully get what Maya did to him in their scene. When Maya encountered the spirit of her dead mother, the matriarch used similar powers to wipe away Maya’s anger, her vengeful heart. But I doubt that’s going to happen with The Kingpin. Instead, the scene directly sets up what looks to be the next chapter for The Kingpin of Crime, and it’s going to affect several upcoming MCU projects, without a doubt. 

What Happens In The Scene? 

As The Kingpin travels on a private jet from Oklahoma back to New York City, his attention turns to the television. He’s talking to his assistant about demanding a meeting with all the “remaining heads,” seemingly the leaders of the organized crime groups in NYC. He’s talking about stabilizing a situation before it spirals out of control. But then, on the television, Fisk sees what he considers a path forward, and a way to gain ultimate power in Manhattan. 

He’ll run for Mayor of New York City. 

The political pundits on the screen talk about voters being frustrated by the lack of a viable candidate in the race. They claim that career politicians don’t have the fight in them that’s necessary to clean up the streets, and that a bare-knuckle brawler is what’s required. But they lament that an outsider candidate has yet to present themselves. Well, it looks like Wilson Fish is about to throw his massive hat into the ring. 

Is There A Comic Precedent For This?

You bet there is. Fisk has been a power broker since his earliest days in Marvel Comics, keeping his massive fingers in virtually every crime ring running through Manhattan. His actions have put him in the path of almost every major Marvel superhero, though he primarily locks horns with Daredevil, Spider-Man, and The Punisher. Around 2015, in the pages of Daredevil comics, Wilson Fisk ran for Mayor of New York City, and won. As you can imagine, this caused all sorts of problems for Marvel’s New York-based heroes.

There have been rumors online that Marvel will be dedicating its street-level storytelling to an adaptation of either the Dark Reign or the Devil’s Reign storylines from the comics. Dark Reign, which ran from 2008-2009, immediately followed Secret Invasion, but focused on Norman Osborn as he used the distrust and uncertainty following the Skrull invasion to take control of S.H.I.E.L.D. Some have suggested that Osborn (who has yet to be introduced in the MCU outside of Willem Dafoe transporting over in Spider-Man: No Way Home) could be replaced by D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk.

But to me, Devil’s Reign makes more sense as an adaptation based on where Echo leaves The Kingpin. In that storyline, Fisk uses his political power as Mayor – with help from The Purple Man – to declare superheroes vigilantes, and uses the Thunderbolts to hunt them down. There has been chatter online about Kingpin becoming the Thanos-level threat of the street-level MCU storytelling. Making Kingpin the Mayor and pitting him against the street-based Marvel superheroes makes the most sense. 

Which Projects Would Be Affected By This Storyline?

Right off the bat, it seems like the reworked Daredevil: Born Again series would be directly altered by the decision in Echo to put Fisk on the campaign trail. Charlie Cox appeared in Echo and fought Alaqua Cox’s main character. And we reported that the storyline of the upcoming Daredevil series is being drastically altered. My best guess is that it will now respond to the Mayor Kingpin hint at the end of Echo, as Matt Murdock won’t stand for Fisk assuming such an important role in NYC politics. 

Beyond Daredevil: Born Again, there’s a very good chance that Tom Holland’s inevitable Spider-Man 4 gets rolled into this sprawling, street-level story. Spider-Man: Homecoming was a charming, focused Spidey tale, which fans embraced because Spidey’s meant to be a friendly, neighborhood hero. After that, the demands of the MCU meant that Peter Parker went to space, blipped away, fought aliens alongside Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and then opened portals to the multiverse so he could interact with Spider-Men from years gone by. The stories were awesome, but a reset on Spider-Man should bring him back down to Earth. 

I’m certainly not going to complain at all if Spider-Man 4 finds the newly humbled webslinger teaming up with Daredevil to fight the Kingpin. Maybe even mix in some of the Netflix heroes such as Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter), and Iron Fist (Finn Jones), especially now that the Netflix Marvel shows are part of the timeline on Disney+.

Anything Else? 

Sure. Let’s keep thinking big. While the bulk of the MCU is figuring out what to do about Kang the Conqueror, the Multiverse, the introduction of the Fantastic Four, and mutants, this Mayor Fisk storyline could easily expand out to bring extension to projects that have been either announced or hinted at, and keep the threat level centralized. There has been a lot of talk about the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World involving a global race by foreign superpowers to retrieve materials left exposed by the Eternals. Fisk could (and should) be one of the power brokers trying to increase his strength by reaching the material resting with a Celestial first. 

We also don’t know what the main motivation driving the Thunderbolts storyline forward, but given the amount of attention that Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) gave to vibranium in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, she’s definitely going to be a player in this ongoing conflict. Plus, if things get out of control, Marvel slowly has been building its roster for a Young Avengers team – featuring Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton), and more. If played right, Wilson Fisk would make things very difficult for all of the above. 

That’s the kind of impact one scene in a Marvel Disney+ show can have. We’re excited to see where all of this takes the MCU moving forward. 

Daredevil: Born Again remains one of the most highly anticipated entries on the list of upcoming Marvel TV shows. Since the series was announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2022, fans have been champing at the bit to see the further adventures of the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. Unfortunately, the show has seen its share of starts and stops over the past year or so, with reports surfacing in October 2023 that major behind-the-scenes changes were being made. Now, many are likely wondering when the Disney+ show will start filming again. Well, Wilson Fisk/Kingpin actor Vincent D’Onofrio provided an update regarding when he and co-star Charlie Cox will jump back into production.

Vincent D’Onofrio is currently promoting his latest venture in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Echo, which is set to arrive this month. Unsurprisingly, the actor has been fielding questions about the status of his work on Born Again. While there has seemingly been a level of uncertainty on the general public’s end, Disney+ subscribers will likely be happy to hear the positive update that D’Onofrio shared: 

In 2023, a few episodes of the show were shot, before production was put on pause due to the WGA writers strike and later the SAG-AFTRA work stoppage. During the fall, it was revealed that Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige wasn’t pleased with what had been filmed thus far.

Head writers Chris Ord and Matt Corman were reportedly relieved of their duties, since their take allegedly differed greatly from the version of the character that appeared on Netflix. Dario Scardapane, a former writer for The Punisher, was brought in as showrunner, while Moon Knight and Loki directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead were brought in as well. Vincent D’Onofrio shared further thoughts with Collider regarding the show’s new direction:

Considering these changes, there is reason to be optimistic about what lies ahead for Daredevil: Born Again, which we know a bit about. It still can’t be said with certainty that the new creative team will also hit it out of the park, if we’re to be fair. Plus, the standard set by the Netflix series is still a high bar to hit. One can only hope that this new series manages to build on its predecessor’s fundamentals while adding some fresh elements of its own to the proceedings.

It’ll be exciting to see Vincent D’Onofrio reprise his role as Wilson Fisk once again, following his stints on Hawkeye and the soon-to-be-released Echo. D’Onofrio actually told CinemaBlend that he views the latter show as a “good start” for his villainous character as he returns to the forefront. It’ll be exciting to see just what the Alaqua Cox-led series manages to do with D’Onofrio’s Fisk and set him on his future path. And here’s wishing the cast and crew of Born Again well as they get closer to restarting production. 

While you wait for more news on Daredevil: Born Again, you can see Vincent D’Onofrio as the MCU’s New York crime boss on Echo. All five episodes will be available for Disney+ and Hulu subscription holders to stream on January 9 as part of the 2024 TV schedule.

After Vincent D’Onofrio gave Wilson Fisk/Kingpin a solid run in Netflix’s Daredevil, the actor made a surprise debut to the wider MCU in 2021’s Hawkeye. Next week he’ll appear in one of two upcoming Marvel TV shows. Wilson Fisk is set to come back with the release of Echo. Ahead of the bingeable mini series coming to Disney+ and Hulu, D’Onofrio told CinemaBlend why his stint on the January streaming release is a solid setup for his next project, Daredevil: Born Again. 

When I spoke to the actor about his latest performance as Wilson Fisk in Echo, he first talked about his initial thoughts on returning to a role he’s previously called “a crazy motherfucker” for Echo in particular. In his words:   

Before we see Wilson Fisk return to the setting of a Daredevil series with Born Again, Echo provided Vincent D’Onofrio a chance to tell an “emotional” story between Kingpin and Alaqua Cox’s Maya Lopez, following their extended history that included the villain taking her in when she was younger. As D’Onofrio continued: 

As the actor shared, Fisk has a huge pull on Echo’s protagonist that apparently leads into the story that will be told in Daredevil: Born Again. We’ll have to find out what that “good pushing off point” is once Echo premieres on January 9, but it’s definitely intriguing to know that his upcoming arc as part of the Echo cast is helping him lead into his next Daredevil arc. Vincent D’Onofrio also said this: 

Fans of the initial Netflix Daredevil show will be happy to hear that Echo is bringing Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk back to the tone he started in. This time around, the actor worked closely with Echo’s director/executive producer Sydney Freeland on her vision, which he found to be very much in her hands creatively. It’s great to hear D’Onofrio’s seal of approval about Echo after the actor worked many years with the creators of the Netflix Daredevil series. 

When CinemaBlend spoke to the Echo filmmakers as well, they shared that D’Onofrio and Charlie Cox had quite a bit of input when it came to the making of the new Marvel series. For example, Sydney Freeland recalled to me that Charlie Cox asked a question early on that “sparked so many conversations” when it comes to the communication between Daredevil and Echo in the series. Producer Richie Palmer also called D’Onofrio an “expert” in his character who even helped crack the story of Echo further. 

Welcome back, Wilson Fisk. 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been going strong for a decade and change, and is showing no slowing down. Plenty of twists have happened both on camera and behind the scenes, including the return of characters from Netflix’s canceled Marvel shows. Matt Murdock actor Charlie Cox has no idea what was going on with Marvel contracts, and thought co-star Vincent D’Onofio was “delusional” when he kept saying Daredevil could come back. 

Daredevil was canceled back in 2018, with future Marvel shows being available for those with a Disney+ subscription. But Matt Murdock and Kingpin returned in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Hawkeye respectively, before they star in the upcoming series Daredevil: Born Again. Charlie Cox is back as the man without fear, and spoke at Wales Comic Con (via Geektown) about not believing that he’d ever return. As he put it,

I mean, can you blame him? Even at the height of their popularity, Netflix’s MCU-set shows were set largely apart from the movie franchise. Add in the swift cancellation of the entire set of shows, and Charlie Cox thought that his time as Daredevil had reached its end. But luckily that wasn’t the case, and he’s already appeared in two different projects. Because after Charlie Cox’s cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home, he also appeared as Daredevil in She-Hulk. I guess D'Onofrio understands the long process of Marvel contracts. 

Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order hoped to see the Defenders get a crossover moment, and it’s unclear if we’ll ever see the likes of Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, or Iron Fist. But Daredevil and Wilson Fisk are back with a vengeance. Later in that same panel appearance, Cox revealed how Vincent D’Onofrio had faith in their return, saying:

Well, we all know who had the last laugh with this debate. Not only will they be back for a new show, but Daredevil: Born Again is going to be a whopping 18 episodes, longer than any other Disney+ Marvel series. Although there have been rumors about Born Again having behind the scenes drama.

It’s unclear when Daredevil: Born Again will be released, but both Vincent D’Onofrio and Charlie Cox will appear in Echo which premiers January 10th on Disney+. In the meantime, check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch. 

Vincent D’Onofrio has been in the film and television game a very long time. The Daredevil star made his film debut in 1983 in The First Turn-On!, with his first TV role coming three years later in two episodes of The Equalizer. Since then, he has been all across the big and small screens. Amongst all of the roles he’s had, the actor is opening up about how his Law & Order: Criminal Intent role mentally affected him. Additionally, he balanced that out by listing a silver lining to those on-set struggles.

D'Onofrio portrayed Junior Detective Robert Goren for all ten seasons of Criminal Intent, the third series of the Law & Order franchise. By that time, the Dick Wolf franchise had made quite a name for itself, and Criminal Intent only further cemented the success. D'Onofrio is among the actors who have been in the most Law & Order franchise episodes. While appearing on Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast, D’Onofrio recalled his time on the drama and just how hard he worked. He noted that he and co-star Kathryn Erbe worked long hours, which at the time was normal:

For the first seven seasons, Law & Order: Criminal Intent cranked out an average 22 episodes per season. The meant working almost 20-hour days for months. While it may not be exactly the same for a lot of shows in more recent years, stars will work a lot. All of that work put a strain on Vincent D’Onofrio’s mental health and attitude, as he tells Rosenbaum:

Even though working on Criminal Intent was hard at some times, D’Onofrio does have  praise for the series. He admits that he learned a lot while he was on the drama for ten years, most notably the art of transitioning since it’s very different for TV shows than it is for film:

It’s been twelve years since Criminal Intent ended, and Vincent D’Onofrio has since gone on to do many other projects, most notably his turn as Kingpin on Netflix’s Daredevil, Disney+’s Hawkeye. In 2024, he'll appear in Echo, and eventually in the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again. Even so, there’s always the possibility Robert Goren could return to the Law & Order franchise. D’Onofrio previously shared it was all up to Dick Wolf. Law & Order franchise vets often return, so you never know what could happen.

It's clear that Law & Order: Criminal Intent had an impact on Vincent D’Onofrio, both good and bad. It’s sad to hear how he basically exhausted himself on the show, but it still didn’t take away the good that came from it. If fans ever want to see the end result of the hard work or rewatch it, all ten seasons are streaming with a Peacock subscription.

While MCU fans are currently able to get obsessively bogged down into the time-focused machinations while streaming Loki Season 2, there’s no denying the growing fervor for Daredevil: Born Again, which will mark the more straightforward MCU arrival of Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock following the character’s amusing She-Hulk appearances. However, it sounds like we could be waiting longer than expected to see Daredevil taking on Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk anew, with rumors pointing to Marvel boss Kevin Feige calling for a massive creative overhaul after he and other execs were unimpressed with what had been filmed so far.  

Marvel Released Daredevil: Born Again's Head Writers And Directors

The new report technically counts as a “grain-of-salt” update that shouldn’t necessarily be fully taken at face value, but according to THR, Kevin Feige and other Marvel bosses passed their eyes over the various episodes whose productions had been completed ahead of the WGA writers strike-related hiatus. And what they witnessed apparently didn’t please anyone, as Daredevil: Born Again’s head writers Chris Ord and Matt Corman were allegedly removed from their duties in late September. 

The duo will still maintain executive producer credits, it's stated, as there are select scenes and sequences and episodes they filmed that will be preserved and ported over into whatever the finished product will be down the line, with other elements inserted. But for now, Marvel is still on the prowl looking for another writer or writing team, as well as new directors.

Daredevil: Born Again Apparently Ignored What Fans Love The Most

Specific details about the problematic issues were few and far between, and obviously are unconfirmed, but it sounds like Daredevil: Born Again wasn’t going to be very quick about delivering what audiences love the most about Matt Murdock’s vigilante. It’s claimed that the new series fell in line more with legal procedural dramas than the superhero action saga that was Netflix’s standalone series. While I can possibly see a future where a straightforward courtroom drama could be an interesting way to tell a unique Matt Murdock story, that needs to come well after he’s already been established as one of the MCU’s most deft brawlers, with or without any A+ hallway fights involved. 

In particular, it’s claimed that everybody’s favorite blind lawyer went the first three episodes of Daredevil: Born Again without donning his signature costume, which wasn’t brought into the show until the fourth episode. That, among other questionable decisions, apparently played a big part in Feige’s decision to take a big step back, refocus on what makes the Hell’s Kitchen hero so beloved, and attempt to move forward again from there. 

Brad Winderbaum, the head of Marvel’s streaming, television and animation sector, shared this as the general thought process behind what the studio is looking for, and while his take makes sense and all, it's perhaps strange that it's taken this long for Marvel bigwigs to grasp that TV productions are handled certain ways for good reason. In Winderbaum's words:

According to the new report, Kevin Feige & Co. are making a dedicated effort to bring in actual showrunners for its episodic content, so that there can be more connective throughlines during the creative process, and so that the teams can attempt to replicate what has worked well for series outside the MCU's multiverse. By and large, past seasons split focus between head writers of minor authority and directors with big-picture ideas, with Marvel bosses having the final creative say over just about any element imaginable. That kind of system has obviously produced some winning seasons already, with WandaVision and Loki as the easy standouts, but the myriad production headaches and subsequent viewer backlash that plagued Secret Invasion was reportedly the final straw in that respect.

Considering both Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio have spoken well of Daredevil: Born Again in the past, one has to wonder whether they were just blindly happy to be filming again without passing judgment on the material, or if the actors were perhaps overplaying their enthusiasm in the moment. Whatever the situation, I'm just hoping new writers and directors are found with the quickness, and that the eventual episodes that come out are the best they can possibly be.

Check out all the other upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows, and head to our 2023 TV premiere schedule while waiting to see when the Man Without Fear will arrive for those with Disney+ subscriptions.

Back in 2015, 12 years after Michael Clarke Duncan played Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin, in the Daredevil movie, Vincent D’Onofrio succeeded him in the villainous role for Netflix’s Daredevil series. Although that show ended up being cancelled after three seasons, like leading man Charlie Cox, D’Onofrio was looped into the main Marvel Cinematic Universe continuity, first reprising Kingpin in Hawkeye, and both men are confirmed to return for Echo and Daredevil: Born Again. D’Onofrio recently opened up a bit about what we can expect from Kingpin in those two upcoming Marvel TV shows, which included calling his character a “crazy motherfucker.”

Naturally the actor wasn’t able to delve into specifics about what’s ahead for Kingpin in Echo and Daredevil: Born Again while appearing on Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum, but he did drop an f-bomb while explaining what it’s been like for him playing this character in “normal situations,” much like he did in the Daredevil days:

While Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin is nowhere near the towering monstrosity the character’s depicted as in the comics, he’s certainly not someone to be trifled with either physically or mentally. There’s a reason this man is one of New York’s most notorious crime lord, if not at the top of the proverbial food chain, and while he usually delegates to his underlings when it comes to handling the messier aspects of his “business,” he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty when the situation calls for it. 

And as we saw in Daredevil, D’Onofrio’s version of Wilson Fisk has trouble dealing with these “normal situations,” or everyday life, if you will. Sure, he managed to find happiness by falling in love with art gallery owner Vanessa, but even then things ended up going off the rails for him that put stress on his relationship. Again, we don’t know what specifically awaits Fisk in Echo and Daredevil: Born Again, but there’s no denying that “crazy motherfucker” is a pretty apt description for him.

When Disney+ subscribers left off with Wilson Fisk at the end of Hawkeye, Maya Lopez, his surrogate daughter, shot him after learning that Fisk manipulated Clint Barton, who was going by Ronin at the time, into killing her father, William Lopez, so he could take control of the Tracksuit Mafia. Since the camera panned upwards before Maya pulled the trigger, it was initially unclear if the shot was fatal. It’s since been revealed that she shot him the eye, as D’Onofrio’s Fisk will wear an eyepatch during Echo. It’s unclear if he’ll still have that eye covered up in Daredevil: Born Again or if it will somehow be healed.

Daredevil: Born Again doesn’t have a set release date yet, but along with Vincent D’Onofrio and Charlie Cox returning, the Born Again cast includes Jon Bernthal reprising The Punisher and Sandrine Holt taking over the role of Vanessa. As for Echo, that cast includes Alaqua Cox and Zahn McClarnon returning to their respective roles, along with newcomers like Chaske Spencer and Tantoo Cardinal. The miniseries is now expected to premiere sometime in January 2024, and unlike Disney+’s other MCU shows, all its episodes will be released at once rather than a weekly basis.

Despite the notion that Disney+’s Secret Invasion didn’t exactly expand fandom expectations for all of Marvel’s upcoming TV slate, the future does indeed look bright thanks to exciting projects such as the newly renamed Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, Loki’s sophomore season, and the Man Without Fear’s official standalone MCU entry, Daredevil: Born Again. The latter will bring back former Netflix co-stars Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio as Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk, respectively, and there’s much hope for other Defenders-verse vets to join them. Jessica Jones star Krysten Ritter was already at the top of that list, and after she reunited with the Daredevil pair, it’s as clear as ever that the superpowered private eye needs her own Disney+ series.

As cool as it would have been to see Ritter hanging out with Cox and D’Onofrio on the set of Daredevil: Born Again, that show is currently on production hiatus due to the ongoing WGA writers strike and the SAG-AFTRA actors strike. Instead, the trio were together for some weekend fun in Austin, TX, for this year’s GalaxyCon, where they took part in a panel together while also taking pics with fans from all over. Not that they didn’t get at least one shot of just themselves, as seen below in what would be the ultimate class picture, assuming one went to high school with grown-ass adult Marvel actors. Take a peek at this shot that Ritter shared via Stories on her Instagram page:

Wouldn't it have been a treat if the bottom of Charlie Cox's shoe had a message written on it that revealed Krysten Ritter was joining Daredevil: Born Again ahead of getting her own solo show? I mean, it would probably be easier to read on a bigger sign in the background rather than on a shoe, but it'll all about the showmanship, amirite? Unless maybe there IS a message there, but it's just too small for me to read. (I would also accept a surprise reveal that Jessica Jones will join the cast of Echo, whose premiere launch was pushed back to January 2024.)

Ritter also shared a more up close and personal selfie with Charlie Cox, in which his smile is almost too pleasant and bearded to properly view as a Matt Murdock visage. But they're just so damned cute together!

Ritter also shared some of the pictures and videos that fans took with her, Cox and D’Onofrio at the convention, which certainly didn’t do anything to convince me more from Jessica Jones is a bad idea. The actors presumably couldn’t speak very much about their presence within the MCU, both due to secrecy reasons and due to strike reasons, but that probably didn’t stop fans from wondering what’s on the way.

Speaking of such dedicated fans, Ritter also gave props to this bit of art depicting the group shot seen above:

And since I didn't fully imply this, it should be known that my hopes for a new chapter of Jessica Jones are entwined with hopes for Mike Colter to show up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as his ass-whooping hero Luke Cage. Or at least that show's banging soundtrack....

Jessica Jones and Daredevil can be streamed in full with a Disney+ subscription, which also allows access to Cox and D’Onofrio’s respective MCU debuts in She-Hulk and Hawkeye. Head to our 2023 TV premiere schedule to see what else will be arriving on the small screen ahead of Daredevil: Born Again.

Purposefully or not, Antoine Fuqua has done a nice job in recent years reteaming Denzel Washington with some of his best co-stars of the past. In 2016, the director reunited Washington and Ethan Hawke in The Magnificent Seven, the two actors having previously done phenomenal work together in Fuqua’s 2001 film Training Day, and now The Equalizer 3 is arriving in theaters with the two-time Oscar winner working opposite Man On Fire’s Dakota Fanning for the second time.

So who should be next? Fuqua has a couple ideas.

I interviewed the filmmaker earlier this month during the virtual press day for The Equalizer 3, and it was after discussing his take on the future of the franchise that I asked about more Denzel Washington collaborations he would like to orchestrate. After some thought, the director not only pitched one of Washington’s co-stars from The Magnificent Seven, but also another performer who he’d like to see work opposite the Tragedy Of Macbeth star for the first time. Said Fuqua,

With their trademark on-screen energies, Denzel Washington and Benicio del Toro could be incredible together in the right project – and it actually seems somewhat crazy that they’ve never collaborated together just because of their overlapping decades of work in the industry. As for Vincent D’Onofrio, he and Washington had the chance to share some scenes as part of the titular team in Antoine Fuqua’s remake of The Magnificent Seven, and it seems the filmmaker would like to see even more of the two actors in front of a camera together.

Putting my own two cents out there, my suggestion to Antoine Fuqua was reuniting Denzel Washington with Don Cheadle – the two actors having previously done some of the best work of their respective careers together in director Carl Franklin’s fantastic neo-noir mystery Devil In A Blue Dress. It was an idea met with enthusiasm by Fuqua, who responded,

While we wait to see who Denzel Washington may reteam with next – be it Vincent D’Onofrio, Don Cheadle, Julia Roberts, or Morgan Freeman – fans everywhere will be able to see the star back in action with Dakota Fanning tomorrow, as The Equalizer 3 arrives in theaters everywhere on Friday. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more from my interview with Antoine Fuqua, and get a look ahead at all the films arriving in theaters in what remains of the year with our 2023 Movie Release Calendar.

With a slew of upcoming Marvel movies on the way as part of Pases 5 and 6, the studio and its Disney bosses have struggled lately in trying to maintain the same storytelling energy that built up to Avengers: Endgame. Despite any lackluster efforts on the big and small screen, Daredevil: Born Again has the potential to truly be a gamechanger by giving Charlie Cox’s Man Without Fear his first proper MCU storyline alongside Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk, and by serving as the rare TV-MA release within Disney+ library (no doubt thanks to the return of Jon Bernthal’s Punisher). One symptom of the upcoming series’ already huge popularity is how many rumors have started floating around about it.

With San Diego Comic-Con serving as a hub for entertainment-based rumors and reports, quite a few unconfirmed claims started making the rounds, of both the positive and negative varieties. Let’s take a closer look at each below.

Daredevil: Born Again Is Probably Splitting Up Its Episode Releases

When Daredevil: Born Again was first revealed as a Disney+ original, its larger-than-average episode order made it seem like the service would be setting up a split mid-season, or that the episodes actually comprised two different seasons. (D’Onofrio later hyped up Season 2 as already happening, which may speak to the latter idea.) According to scooper DanielRPK (via @DDevilUpdates), the show will reportedly feature two parts of nine episodes each, while not specifically using the term “season.”

While that may have always been the plan for how the new series would be parsed out for audiences, one has to wonder if the ongoing WGA writers strike and the SAG-AFTRA actors strike will play into how Disney+ and Marvel decide to move forward. The production was already shut down ahead following the WGA strike, so it’s assumed nothing has been filmed in a while. But if the first nine episodes were already filmed in their entirety without the need for reshoots, and the post-production team would still be able to work on those episodes, it’s feasible that fans could be watching Daredevil: Born Again before the end of the year and/or before the end of the respective strikes. It’s a long shot, considering the series is being touted as a 2024 release, but desperate times…

Daredevil Will Reportedly Face A Comic Villain For The First Time In Live-Action

Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk’s fan-favorite feud will no doubt be at the heart of Daredevil: Born Again, but with reports stating that each nine-episode batch will feature its own story arc, that obviously leaves room for more villains (and maybe heroes) to join the fray. DanielRPK also dropped a very intriguing rumor in that realm by claiming that comic book villain Muse will make his live-action debut in the streaming series. Which would almost definitely launch this show into TV-MA territory, even without Frank Castle blowing people’s kneecaps off.

Muse debuted on the page in Daredevil #11 in 2016, as created by writer Charles Soule and artist Ron Garney, and delivered quite the gruesome and freaky arc. The sadistic villain is also an artist whose victims become intricate parts of his displays, and he looks like the Sloth victim from Se7en if he was left out in the sun for a few weeks. While the rumor obviously isn’t official, I would flipping love to see Daredevil: Born Again embracing such a wicked baddie at any point in its run. 

The Show Is Allegedly In Need Of Various Reshoots, Thanks To Marvel's Kevin Feige 

The third rumor we’ll be covering is perhaps the most egregious, in that it’s the most negative and hyperbolic. According to Cosmic Book News, Daredevil: Born Again probably won’t get those first nine episodes out sooner than expected, because the outlet claims the show is a “disaster,” and is in need of being completely retooled for tonal purposes. And it’s apparently the fault of head honcho Kevin Feige.

It’s rumored that Feige tasked the Daredevil creative team with giving Charlie Cox’s character the same goofy, comedic vibes that were on display when he appeared in She-Hulk, and that it did not work at all. The idea is now that Marvel will reconfigure things and retool the story so that it better reflects the dark and brooding nature of the Netflix series and the source material overall. Which technically could play into why the more mature content details were also being pushed in other rumors, although take the other stuff with as many grains of salt as one desires. 

We obviously still don’t know when Daredevil: Born Again will be available for everyone with Disney+ subscriptions, but there are tons of other MCU shows and movies to stream in the meantime, not to mention each of Netflix’s Marvel dramas.