Kingpin’s MCU Return Could Rewrite The Avengers’ Greatest Failures

Summary

• Vincent D’Onofrio will return as Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin in
  Daredevil: Born Again
  , after making appearances in Netflix’s
  Daredevil
  ,
  Hawkeye
  , and
  Echo
  .
• Kingpin has been teased to become the Mayor of New York City in
  Daredevil: Born Again
  , marking the MCU’s adaptation of Marvel Comics’
  Devil’s
  Reign
  storyline.
• While
  Devil’s Reign
  will pose a huge problem for the MCU’s street-level heroes, Kingpin’s smack-down on vigilantism could actually quell violent crime, doing something the Avengers never could.

Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin is set to return in Daredevil: Born Again, and his upcoming storyline could see him save the MCU by rewriting some of the Avengers’ biggest failures. It was great to see Vincent D’Onofrio return as Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin, following his debut in Netflix’s Daredevil series, particularly since his reappearance in Hawkeye began the exploration of the MCU’s most expansive street-level storyline ever. Kingpin’s larger role in 2024’s Echo series introduced huge developments in this narrative, which could be the perfect response to the Avengers’ MCU history.

Daredevil teased Wilson Fisk’s desire to gain legitimate influence in New York City’s political environment, and since the series has been confirmed to be canon to the MCU, these ambitions will presumably continue in Kingpin’s future. Echo’s post-credits scene provided an overt tease to the MCU adapting Marvel Comics’ Devil’s Reign event, which saw Wilson Fisk elected as the Mayor of New York. Kingpin used his new position to outlaw vigilantism in the city, posing a huge problem for many notable street-level heroes, but, in the MCU, this could shockingly spell good news.

Kingpin’s Daredevil Story Could Save New York

Contrary to what many will imagine, Kingpin’s run as Mayor of New York was actually hugely beneficial, meaning that D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk becoming Mayor in the MCU could be the thing that saves the city. After the end of Marvel Comics’ Devil’s Reign, Kingpin was defeated by Daredevil and removed from his position, but almost immediately after his removal, crime levels in New York once again began to spike. Even with Avengers member Luke Cage replacing Fisk as Mayor, New York City was actually considerably less safe without Kingpin in charge.

The emergence of superheroes in the MCU has previously been noted to be directly correlated to a rise in villains, most notably mentioned by Vision during the Avengers’ Sokovia Accords debate in Captain America: Civil War. After becoming Mayor in Marvel Comics, Kingpin’s control of vigilantes led to a rapid drop in violent crime, making New York a more pleasant place, despite seriously disrupting the lives of many important heroes. This effect could be repeated in Daredevil: Born Again, with Kingpin being elected in response to growing tensions concerning the Avengers and the world’s heroes.

The Avengers’ “Failures” Could Make Kingpin Stronger

The Avengers have tried time and again to solve the problems facing Earth and its citizens, and even fought in the streets of New York.

Even though the MCU’s superheroes have saved the Earth numerous times, the existence of the Avengers and their superpowered friends is still very divisive. More vigilante-like heroes have emerged in recent years, and this will surely cause unrest among the general population, but Kingpin’s evolution into the Mayor of New York City provides the opportunity for these heroes, and their respective villains, to be controlled. If Kingpin bases his campaign on smacking-down on New York’s unsupervised heroes, he could become an incredibly popular candidate.

The Avengers have tried time and again to solve the problems facing Earth and its citizens, and even fought in the streets of New York itself back in 2012’s The Avengers, but violent crime has only continued to rise exponentially. In this way, the Avengers have failed massively, as they may have actually made the world a more dangerous place, but Kingpin restricting the MCU’s street-level heroes may assuage these problems. Of course, Kingpin’s reign will come with extreme downsides, but Daredevil: Born Again is in the perfect position to explore these complex and philosophical themes.