First Look at Kingpin in Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 Reveals Dramatic Makeover

As Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 builds to what will surely be an explosive conclusion (there are just two episodes remaining), Marvel Studios is already hard at work on what comes next. Ahead of its planned release next year, Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 is currently in production, which means set photos have been making their way online, giving fans a taste of what they can expect down the line. Perhaps the most notable reveal from these image so far is the confirmation that we’re getting a Defenders reunion, but there’s plenty more in store. The latest batch of photos revolve around Wilson Fisk.

Originally posted by Getty Images, the X account Daredevil Shots shared a collection of images showing Fisk walking down the streets in New York. The character’s appearance is quite different than what viewers have been accustomed to. Kingpin is sporting a full beard as he sports a coat and red beanie. He’s seen walking past promotional materials for Sheila Rivera’s mayoral campaign. Check out the images in the space below:

What The New Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 Set Photos Tell Us About the MCU

If it wasn’t clear already (the Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer featured a major hint that we are moving past the Mayor Fisk era in the Marvel Cinematic Universe), the end appears nigh for Kingpin’s political career. As Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 has progressed, Fisk’s empire has been heading towards a collapse, with a rising resistance movement pushing back against his task force and the tragic death of Vanessa. While there are still two episodes remaining in the second season, it seems all but a given things will end with Fisk defeated, allowing New York to return to something resembling normalcy (however normal things can be in the MCU, anyway).

It’s interesting to see Sheila Rivera positioned as New York’s next mayor in the MCU. She can be seen in the Brand New Day trailer presenting Spider-Man with the Key to the City. That implies that she is serving as mayor during the events of Brand New Day, which raises questions of how Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 will connect to the Spider-Man movie. One possibility is that Rivera became interim mayor after Fisk’s regime was defeated, and she’s now running as a candidate in the next election. It’s also plausible she is up for re-election when Born Again Season 3 picks up.

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It goes without saying that Sheila Rivera’s New York will look a little different when compared to Fisk’s. Her campaign slogan of “Stronger Together” indicates she’s running on a platform promoting unity between all New Yorkers, a stark contrast from Fisk’s methods of fear mongering and targeting anyone who dared to oppose him. Odds are, one of Rivera’s first orders of business was to eliminate the Anti-Vigilante Task Force; in the Brand New Day trailer, Spider-Man and Punisher are operating in broad daylight, apparently without any fear of being arrested. Giving Spider-Man the Key to the City could be a step in Rivera’s plan to rebuild New York, communicating that superheroes can be trusted and that their actions are appreciated.

The photos are also a hint that even after he’s removed from office, Wilson Fisk isn’t going to go away quietly. It will be fascinating to see what becomes of him at the end of Season 2, but he doesn’t have any plans to leave New York. He could attempt to work with his criminal connections as a means of retaliating against Daredevil and the rest of the Defenders. A case can be made that perhaps it’s time for the MCU to move on from Kingpin and put other villains in the spotlight, but there could still be some compelling ground to explore. A vengeful Kingpin looking to strike back against the Defenders is a great hook for a season of TV, plus D’Onofrio’s portrayal remains a fan favorite. TV is the only way his iteration can be used, so it’s best to take an opportunity available to explore his character.

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