Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 Shows Surprising Rule to Kingpin & Matt Murdock Rivalry

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The latest episodes of Daredevil: Born Again have intensified the conflict between Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk (Kingpin). They also highlighted a crucial element of their rivalry, mirroring the comic books, and clarified a common question for those new to the story.

In the second episode of Daredevil: Born Again, titled “Shoot the Moon,” Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpin, holds a press conference. The Mayor publicly voices his worry about Matt Murdock, who has been missing for months, and asks the public for help locating the hero who saved him from an assassination attempt by Bullseye.

This clever tactic severely restricts Matt’s movements in Manhattan, forcing him to evade capture both as himself and as Daredevil. Kingpin also implies Matt might be another target of the vigilantes Fisk claims to be battling, all to create a more sympathetic public image for himself.

Just before the press conference, Kingpin’s assistant, Buck Cashman, proposes simply revealing that Matt Murdock is Daredevil. Kingpin thinks about it for a moment but quickly dismisses the idea. This echoes a moment from the original Netflix series where Kingpin vowed to keep Matt’s identity secret. However, his reasons now are more complex than just keeping a promise. All of this draws on the long-standing rivalry between Wilson Fisk and Matt Murdock as depicted in the comics.

Why Kingpin doesn’t out Matt as Daredevil

Kingpin has three reasons for keeping Daredevil’s identity secret. First, revealing Daredevil would ruin his plan to portray all vigilantes as mentally unstable. Confirming that Matt Murdock – a popular figure who helps those in need – is a superhero would be damaging. Plus, it would look bad to try and convince people that a blind man is dangerous.

Finally, there’s a personal reason. Kingpin himself acknowledges that Daredevil once saved his life. Despite his many wrongdoings, Wilson Fisk operates with a certain code of honor – he doesn’t forget those who help him and always keeps his promises. This explains why, in the comics, Kingpin continues to engage in their recurring conflict with Daredevil.

In the original Daredevil: Born Again storyline, Wilson Fisk, also known as the Kingpin, attempted to eliminate anyone involved in revealing his secret identity as Matt Murdock’s enemy. He believed that information was a source of power, and anyone possessing it threatened his control.

Kingpin’s pride played a big role in his conflict with Daredevil. He didn’t want to win by simply revealing Daredevil’s secret identity; he considered that a weak and unsatisfying victory. He craved a direct, physical fight. Despite trying to appear sophisticated, Fisk is fundamentally a brute.

As a huge Marvel fan, I always knew Matt Murdock’s double life would come into play. It really hit home in Daredevil: Born Again, specifically episode three, “The Scales & The Sword,” when Kingpin brilliantly framed Daredevil for a terrorist attack. It made perfect sense – Kingpin needed Daredevil’s secret identity to take the fall, and without Matt Murdock being out there, the whole scheme wouldn’t have worked. It was a clever, if villainous, use of his alter ego.

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2026-04-01 18:38