‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Set Photos Suggest Marvel To Rewrite The Kingpin’s Origins

Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'onofrio) hunts down Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) in Hawkeye Season 1 Episode 6 "So This Is Christmas?" (2021), Marvel Entertainment
Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'onofrio) hunts down Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) in Hawkeye Season 1 Episode 6 "So This Is Christmas?" (2021), Marvel Entertainment

In the latest seeming confirmation that the upcoming Disney Plus series will indeed be turning a blind eye to the events of The Man Without Fear’s fan-favorite Netflix series, a recent leak of photos from the set of Daredevil: Born Again appear to suggest that the Kingpin will be receiving a new and more ‘understandable’ back story.

Vanessa Marianna (Ayelet Zurer) notices Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) take interest in a particular painting in Daredevil Season 1 Episode 3 "Rabbit in a Snowstorm" (2015), Marvel Entertainment

Vanessa Marianna (Ayelet Zurer) notices Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) take interest in a particular painting in Daredevil Season 1 Episode 3 “Rabbit in a Snowstorm” (2015), Marvel Entertainment

RELATED: Marvel Studios To Bring Back Jon Bernthal As The Punisher In ‘Daredevil: Born Again’, Seemingly Drops Both Elden Henson And Deborah Ann Woll From Franchise

These behind-the-scene photos hinting at the Vincent D’Onofrio-portrayed villain’s updated origin were first shared with the public on March 20th, courtesy of Twitter user @jadames177t.

As per a series of twelve photos taken by the user during the series’ recent on-location filming in New York City, Daredevil: Born Again will at one point feature a temporal detour to the 1970s, replete with women wearing bell bottoms, young men wearing their white t-shirts tucked into their jeans, and classic cars lining the street (including era-appropriate steel delivery truck).

At the center of this flashback is Fisk himself (as portrayed by an as-of-yet-unidentified actor), who can be seen sporting a more mop-top haircut than he did during his Netflix flashbacks and apparently being harassed by a group of local neighborhood bullies.

As noted above, these set photos appear to indicate that Marvel will be taking a new, potentially ‘softer’ approach to Marvel’s most cutthroat criminal entrepreneur compared to his Netflix incarnation.

According to the eighth episode of the original Daredevil series’ first season, ‘Shadows in the Glass’, Fisk’s violent and angry nature was not borne from his mistreatment at the hands of other children, but rather the horrendous physical and psychological abuse inflicted upon him by his own father.

Wilson Fisk (Cole Jensen) learns a life lesson from his father Bill (Domenick Lombardozzi) in Daredevil Season 1 Episode 8 "Shadows in the Glass" (2015), Marvel Entertainment

Wilson Fisk (Cole Jensen) learns a life lesson from his father Bill (Domenick Lombardozzi) in Daredevil Season 1 Episode 8 “Shadows in the Glass” (2015), Marvel Entertainment

In fact, Fisk was previously only seen having been antagonized by one particular ‘bully’ during his early years, that being his neighbor and regular critic of his father’s politics Bernie Walker.

And even then, Fisk’s lasting trauma from his conflict with Bernie came not from his direct interactions with the bully, but rather his father’s violent response to learning about the entire situation.

Bill Fisk (Domenick Lombardozzi) has words for Bernie Walker (Keenan Jolliff) on behalf of his son Wilson (Cole Jensen) in Daredevil Season 1 Episode 8 "Shadows in the Glass" (2015), Marvel Entertainment

Bill Fisk (Domenick Lombardozzi) has words for Bernie Walker (Keenan Jolliff) on behalf of his son Wilson (Cole Jensen) in Daredevil Season 1 Episode 8 “Shadows in the Glass” (2015), Marvel Entertainment

RELATED: Rumored Writers For Upcoming ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Series Raise Multiple Red Flags

Of course, while this exact change to the history of Hell’s Kitchen may come as a surprise to audiences, Marvel’s willingness to disregard the original series’ canon should not, as franchise star Charlie Cox has regularly informed audiences that a ‘soft reboot’ of Horn Head’s lore was always the studio’s plan.

Daredevil (Charlie Cox) demands answers from Madam Gao (Wai Ching Ho) in The Defenders Season 1 Episode 7 "Fish in the Jailhouse" (2017), Marvel Entertainment

Daredevil (Charlie Cox) demands answers from Madam Gao (Wai Ching Ho) in The Defenders Season 1 Episode 7 “Fish in the Jailhouse” (2017), Marvel Entertainment

Speaking with extraTV during the 2022 D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, Cox explained that Born Again “is a Season 1. It is not Season 4, so it is a whole new thing. Which I think is the way to go. If you are going to do it again, do it differently.”

“I don’t know anything, I haven’t seen a script,” he added. “[But] my feeling is, based on the title ‘Born Again,’ I think that the sense is it is a new beginning, it is going to be different, it is going to be totally different. It is going to be new stories, and new ideas.”

Daredevil (Charlie Cox) has questions for Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) after being literally dropped into the scene in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Season 1 Episode 9 “Whose Show Is This?” (2022), Marvel Entertainment via Disney Plus

Likewise, in a later interview with NME, the actor opined that Daredevil’s Disney Plus outing “has to be a reincarnation, it has to be different, otherwise why are we doing it?”

“My opinion is this character works best when he’s geared towards a slightly more mature audience,” he elaborated. “My instinct is that on Disney+ it will be dark but it probably won’t be as gory.”

Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) offers Peter Parker (Tom Holland) legal advice in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Marvel Entertainment

Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) offers Peter Parker (Tom Holland) legal advice in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Marvel Entertainment

Asked if he had any words of consolation for fans who would be disappointed by the series’ turn towards a lighter tone, Cox then asserted, “I would say to those people, we’ve done that. Let’s take the things that really worked, but can we broaden? Can we appeal to a slightly younger audience without losing what we’ve learned about what works?”

Daredevil: Born Again is currently on course to hit the streets sometime in Spring 2024.

Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) receives some good news in Daredevil Season 1 Episode 13 "Daredevil" (2015), Marvel Entertainment

Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) receives some good news in Daredevil Season 1 Episode 13 “Daredevil” (2015), Marvel Entertainment

NEXT: ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Star Charlie Cox Says Series’ “Tone” Could Allow For The Man Without Fear To Cameo In ‘Deadpool 3’

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