Daredevil Ushered Kingpin Into Office, But His Successors Were Even More Surprising

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In the MCU, Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin is about to become Mayor of New York City, just as he did in Marvel’s original Daredevil comics. A major status quo shift on the page, it looks as though the same will be coming for New York City on screen. However, it would be even crazier if Mayor Fisk’s mayoral successors were the same in the MCU as well.

In the new trailer for Daredevil: Born Again, Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wison Fisk will become Mayor of New York, as was teased at the end of 2024’s Echo. For all of his crimes as a major crime lord, it seems Kingpin will still manage to win the vote. It’s a major shift in the status quo shift Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and more New York-based vigilantes will have to contend with going forward in the MCU. While Daredevil: Born Again is mirroring “Mayor Kingpin” in the comics, it will be fascinating to see if the MCU positions the same characters to take over from Fisk as well.

How Kingpin Became New York’s Mayor In The Comics

A Major Status Quo Shift For Marvel’s Street-Level Heroes

To the shock and horror of many heroes (especially Daredevil), Wilson Fisk’s Kingpin was elected mayor of New York in 2017’s Daredevil #28 by Charle Soule and Ron Garney. This was in the wake of 2017’s Secret Empire event involving a major Hydra takeover led by the dark Captain America known as “Hydra Supreme”. Part of said takeover involved the entirety of Manhattan being trapped in the Darkforce dimension, a major crisis Fisk took advantage of by sharing his resources and aiding the public like never before. Kingpin would then leverage that goodwill to win the vote in the next New York mayoral election.

Hiding nothing, Fisk was honest and open about his past and what he’d done, though he framed it all as being part of being a scrappy New Yorker who’d worked the system to get things done. This strategy is likely how the MCU’s Fisk will also win votes, combined with the comics’ Fisk anti-vigilante platform with the promise to crack down on costumed heroes in New York operating outside the normal conventions of the law. While it would eventually be revealed that Fisk had the election fixed in his favor, it’s confirmed that he would have won even if he hadn’t.

Daredevil Took Kingpin’s Place As New York’s Mayor (Temporarily)

Taking Over As Deputy Mayor

During this time, the children of the Purple Man had helped Daredevil restore his secret identity, making the entire world forget that Matt Murdock was Daredevil (which had largely been public knowledge for a time). As such, all Fisk knew was that Murdock and Daredevil were friends when he made Murdock his deputy mayor, a figurehead position intended to keep Murdock bogged down in policy rather than working to bring Fisk down outside City Hall. However, this was the perfect means for Murdock to use his heightened senses to listen in on Mayor Fisk’s plans, hoping to find cause to remove him from office.

The unintended result was Murdock becoming New York’s interim mayor after Fisk was attacked by The Hand during their large-scale assault on New York. With Fisk in a coma, Matt Murdock became mayor thanks to a policy change made by the previous mayor, rather than a public advocate being appointed (as is typical). While brief, Daredevil was able to use his new mayoral position to save New York.

Once Kingpin recovered, Murdock negotiated with Fisk to end his anti-vigilante campaign in exchange for giving up the mayor’s seat. After all, the alternative was Matt refusing to give it up and subsequently contesting Fisk’s competency to continue as New York’s mayor, which would have run the risk of Kingpin permanently losing his position to Murdock. Once Fisk agreed to his terms and returned to the chair, Murdock quit as deputy mayor, believing he could now do more to keep fighting Kingpin from the outside.

How Fisk’s Term As Mayor Ended In Marvel Comics

The Powers Act and Devil’s Reign

Following a string of superhero-related crises such as “The War of the Realms” and the “King in Black” event where Knull invaded the planet with hordes of symbiotes, Fisk had had enough. Bolstered by recent federal legislation outlawing superhero activity for heroes 21 and under known as the Underage Superhuman Welfare Act, The “Devil’s Reign” storyline began with Mayor Fisk creating the Powers Act, banning all superhero activity in New York. This was enforced by anti-superhuman “Thunderbolt” units, some of which were deputized supervillains like Rhino, Kraven, Agony, Electro, Whiplash, Doctor Octopus, The Abomination, and more.

Fisk also cut off one of the Purple Man’s fingers and, with Doc Ock’s help, used it in a bid to sway the people of New York to reelect him as mayor. This was due to some impressive competition in the mayoral race, though it proved to not be enough. The heroes of New York rallied to fight Fisk’s supervillain allies, and Kingpin’s rage saw him mistakenly murdering Matt Murdock’s twin brother, thinking it was Matt himself as Fisk had used the Purple Man’s power to restore his memory and the knowledge that Murdock is Daredevil.

Defeated by Matt and Elektra’s Daredevils (who currently share the mantle), Fisk is arrested for murder which effectively ends his term as New York’s mayor. However, Fisk was freed en route by his son Butch. While the sinister billionaire twins known as the Stromwyns wanted Fisk to run for US President and serve as their puppet, Fisk refused. Instead, he left the title of Kingpin to Butch before leaving New York with his new wife, Mary Walker.

Seeing as how Fisk already knows Murdock is Daredevil in the MCU, his term as New York’s mayor will have its differences on screen, and probably won’t feature nearly as many big-name supervillains (if any). That said, Mayor Kingpin’s anti-vigilante platform and future policies for New York will likely play a key factor on screen. While Fisk could still make Murdock deputy mayor as he does in the comics, the intention and reason will likely be different as well.

New York’s Current Mayor Is Luke Cage

Having Taken A Stand Against Kingpin’s Corruption

During 2021’s “Devil’s Reign”, it was Luke Cage who stepped up and chose to run against Fisk, having gained public support by taking a stand in the face of Kingpin’s corruption. As one of the few heroes who’d never worn a mask or kept his identity hidden, Cage was the ideal choice to run for mayor, a true New Yorker who’d spent his life genuinely helping the city. Once Purple Man’s powers were negated and Kingpin was arrested for murder, Cage ran unopposed and was officially elected.

Mayor Cage is still in office in the modern Marvel Universe, having recently fought to bring an end to the resulting “Gang War” crossover event in 2023, which also saw Fisk’s “Powers Act” finally being abolished. While it would be exciting to see Cage becoming mayor after Kingpin in the MCU as well, it feels like a long way off if it happens at all. After all, the MCU’s Luke Cage hasn’t been featured since the cancelation of his Netflix series in 2018. That said, the trailer for Daredevil: Born Again did feature an Easter egg for Harlem’s Paradise, Luke Cage’s new club (anything’s possible).

Daredevil: Born Again begins streaming March 4th on Disney+

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