Daredevil: Born Again has officially dropped, with an explosive and dramatic opening that certainly didn’t hold back on the brutality.
Amid all the bone-breaking and knife-throwing was a line that may have just set up for something huge in the MCU – a story superhero fans have been awaiting for years.
But is this just an Easter Egg or a sign of something bigger? Let’s take a deep dive to find out.
Spoilers for Daredevil: Born Again episodes 1 and 2 below
The Kingpin calls out Spider-Man in Daredevil: Born Again
Wilson Fisk has clawed his way back to the top (though we still have many questions as to how), having landed the coveted job of Mayor of New York City.
Marvel Television
One key policy of his campaign was that he would outlaw vigilantes – those who take the law into their own hands – in the city. Obviously, this is a problem for Matt Murdock as Daredevil, but it may also be an issue for another key Marvel character.
In his New Year’s Eve speech, which was broadcast on the screens of Times Square in episode 2, Fisk drew attention to the unsafe streets of New York, and gave the following quote – pay attention to the part in bold:
“Thank you, New York. Vanessa and I, we offer our deepest regards. It’s humbling to be sitting here, speaking to you as mayor this evening. Beginning of the new year, and most importantly, a new era for the greatest city in the world. This city is in shambles. Crime, poverty, a feeling of uneasiness, as if any moment, things could explode.
“But New Yorkers are tough. We know how to take care of ourselves. We don’t need a gun-toting vigilante who wears a skull on his chest, or a man who dresses in a spider outfit, or a guy who wears devil horns to save us. No. We’ll be our best once again.”
In that last part he calls out both Punisher (Frank Castle) and Daredevil (Matt Murdock), but he also refers to Spider-Man – AKA, Peter Parker.
Sony
The third Spider-Man film, No Way Home, concludes with Doctor Strange erasing Peter’s identity from the minds of everyone who met him – that includes Matt Murdock, who gave him some law advice earlier in the film.
However, a news report from J. Jonah Jameson confirmed that Spider-Man is still active in the city – people know that the mysterious masked hero fights crime, and clearly, Wilson Fisk has taken notice.
So, why is this such a big deal?
Fisk is originally a Spider-Man villain
While Netflix fans will know Fisk as a foe to Daredevil, he made his Marvel Comics debut in The Amazing Spiderman #50 back in 1967.
He’s also starred as a villain in other Spidey properties such as the nineties Spider-Man animated series, and Into the Spider-Verse.
Fans of the MCU have longed to see Tom Holland and Vincent D’Onofrio go head-to-head on screen, but that’s not yet happened. The fact that Matt has technically met Peter before (even if he doesn’t remember it) provides hope that a Spider-Man and Kingpin face-off could be where the MCU is officially heading.
The two superheroes recently teamed up in the animated Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man on Disney+, with actor Charlie Cox stepping into the voice-acting booth, further fuelling fans’ desires to see a crossover between the two Marvel properties.
Creatives behind the scenes aren’t giving too much away right now though.
Marvel Studios is downplaying a Spider-Man Vs Kingpin story
The chance of Tom Holland making a cameo in Daredevil: Born Again is unlikely, and that’s due to a rights issue between Disney and Sony. Marvel Studios Head of TV, Streaming, and Animation Brad Winderbaum explains more on the Phase Hero podcast:
“I’m not sure exactly what the rules are, but I think they have long-form television rights at Sony… he can do like 30-minute animation, I think.”
So, unless Marvel is trying to hoodwink us all (it wouldn’t be the first time) it’s unlikely that we’ll see the web-slinger in season 1 of Born Again at least – though that’s not to say that another deal couldn’t be hashed out for season 2, which is filming this year and due for release in 2026… the same year as Spider-Man 4.
But what about the Daredevil leads appearing in a Marvel movie with Peter Parker? Well again, the latest reports aren’t looking too promising. Fisk actor Vincent D’Onofrio gave the following quote to Meltdown Press in February when asked about their involvement with Spider-Man 4:
“Well, for you, we’re not. You can ask that because we’re not in Spider-Man 4, or at least nobody has told me that we are.”
Again, it could be an elaborate double bluff, but that’s the only word we have thus far. Separately, Charlie Cox shared his enthusiasm with GQ in 2025 in regard to being involved in a future Avengers film (such as Doomsday or Secret Wars), which could also star Tom Holland:
“I would love to be in one of the Avengers films, or another Spider-Man, or something like that. For a couple of reasons. One, because over the years I have become a geeky fan of the character, and I weirdly, for the character’s sake, feel like it’d be really cool for him to get that kind of upgrade”.
Marvel 2024 / Giovanni Rufino
So even if Peter Parker doesn’t meet Daredevil and Kingpin in Born Again season 2 or Spider-Man 4, either of the Avengers films could still be an option.
If not, then that line from Kingpin may just be a little teaser for fans to enjoy… but don’t forget Marvel’s track record of misleading fans with fake trailer footage and Andrew Garfield lying through his teeth in every interview when questioned about returning as Peter Parker. The hope is still alive until we hear otherwise.
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