Daredevil and Kingpin: How ‘Born Again’ Completely Reshapes Marvel’s Most Famous Feud

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Every superhero needs an arch villain, and Daredevil and Kingpin are some of the most brutal rivals to ever be shown in comic books. The two have been trying to defeat one another for decades, but their reunion in Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again seems pretty friendly, which begs the question of whether Daredevil and Kingpin have ever been friends.

Netflix’s Daredevil was one of the most critically-acclaimed superhero TV shows ever made. It is beloved by tons of people, which means the official Disney+ follow-up of Daredevil: Born Again has been highly anticipated. With the newest trailer released, fans are speculating about the new show more than ever.

One of the biggest things that has stood out about the trailer is that Kingpin and Matt Murdock almost seem friendly to one another. While the two won’t ever be friends, they do have a history of working together when their goals are aligned, despite how incredibly rare that situation is.

Kingpin Was One of the First Villains to Defeat Daredevil

Kingpin Exposed Daredevil’s Identity

Kingpin is the biggest mobster in New York City. During the height of his power, there wasn’t any crime that happened in New York City without Wilson Fisk knowing about it, ultimately making him a major enemy of Daredevil. While it took Daredevil quite a while to figure out who Kingpin was, once he had his sights set on the mobster, he was relentless in trying to bring him down. Likewise, Kingpin has tried to kill Daredevil several times, including sending the deranged hitman Bullseye after him. While Daredevil survived, Kingpin has continued to attack Daredevil.

One of the most famous Daredevil stories ever told is Daredevil: Born Again by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli. In this story, Karen Page sells Daredevil’s secret identity, which eventually makes its way to Kingpin. Not willing to just act on this random information, Kingpin decides to put it to the test. He slowly begins dismantling Matt Murdock’s life to see if it affects Daredevil. When he is proven correct, he moves forward and completely ruins Matt’s life by getting him disbarred, turning his friends against him, and blowing up his home.

The Two Aren’t Always Enemies

Naturally, this series of events didn’t improve Kingpin’s relationship with Daredevil. Matt Murdock later gets his revenge on Fisk, turning the tables and bringing down Fisk’s empire using federal indictments, eventually putting Kingpin in nearly the exact situation Daredevil was in after Kingpin found out his secret identity. Kingpin had lost his riches, had no allies to turn to, and was nearly feral while living in the sewers. After they had both brought each other to the lowest points in their lives, it seemed the two developed a mutual respect.

While Kingpin and Daredevil would never become friends, they did realize that having one another around had benefits. If Kingpin used Daredevil’s secret identity to destroy him, then another superhero would simply show up eventually – one that Kingpin would know nothing about. While Daredevil was certainly a difficult opponent, it’s not like he was the Punisher. Kingpin found Daredevil easy to deal with and even easy to manipulate at times – which might not be true for the superhero who would take Daredevil’s place if Kingpin killed him.

Likewise, Daredevil knew who Kingpin was as a criminal. While there’s no denying that Kingpin is evil and has caused the deaths and misery of tons of people, he wasn’t actively destroying New York City. Kingpin was actually keeping crime under control in a lot of ways. He wasn’t seeking world domination or even total domination over the city, meaning that Daredevil was more comfortable fighting against Kingpin because he knew the lines that Kingpin would and wouldn’t cross. Daredevil foiled Kingpin’s plans but never truly tried to get rid of him.

Daredevil and Kingpin, Like True Rivals, Know When to Support One Another

Better the Devil You Know…

The two eventually settled into a spot of mutual respect and even helped one another a few times. During the events of the Inferno storyline, a pair of ultra-wealthy twins attempt to wipe out Hell’s Kitchen, unleashing a group of super-villains on the city. Daredevil tries to hold them off but ends up getting help from an unlikely ally. As stated before, Wilson Fisk is certainly evil, and he’s definitely a criminal, but he doesn’t want to destroy New York City – which is why he immediately comes to Daredevil’s aid to defend the city.

During the Return of the King arc by Ed Brubaker, David Aja, and Michael Lark, Daredevil and Kingpin teamed up to defeat the Hand, who had invaded New York City. At the end of the story, Kingpin attempts to betray Daredevil and take over the Hand himself, only to be defeated when Daredevil takes control instead. The next time the two would team up was when they were both sentenced to the same prison. During a massive prison riot that was directed at them, Daredevil and Kingpin were forced to fight together to survive the criminals who were trying to murder them.

Kingpin and Daredevil have teamed up several times over the years, but their team-ups are always short-lived, with one of them (usually Kingpin) betraying the other. It’s hard to say exactly what their relationship will be in the upcoming Born Again series, but it’s easy to see that Matt and Wilson have developed some level of mutual respect for one another. After all, the two fought each other both in season one and season three of the original Netflix show, so they’re fully aware of what the other is capable of doing at this point.

Daredevil and Kingpin’s Relationship Has Evolved Over the Years

From Sworn Enemies to Unlikely Allies

A classic superhero trope is having the hero and villain team up. While it’s unlikely that viewers will see that in Disney+’s Daredevil: Born Again, it’s not impossible. The trailer also heavily features Bullseye, a character who has tried to kill both Daredevil and Kingpin in this universe. If there was ever a character to introduce that would require these two to team up, Bullseye would be it. While the two seemed friendly in the trailer, fans will just have to tune in to see if Daredevil and Kingpin’s complex rivalry has evolved to the point where they can work together.

Daredevil: Born Again premieres on Disney+ on March 4th, 2025!

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