Daredevil: Born Again Season 3 Set Leaks Tease a Major New Threat to Kingpin
Wilson Fisk has been through too much over the years to be kept down for long, and Daredevil: Born Again certainly seems to still have some use for him. Kingpin had lost nearly everything that gave him power by the end of Season 2. His criminal empire had crumbled, Vanessa was out of the picture, and the man who once governed New York from behind the curtain was shamed in public and driven into hiding. That would be the end of the story for most villains.
However, freshly revealed photos from the sets of Season 3 suggest that Fisk’s next chapter is already in the works and this time, he might have a powerful new rival even before he even makes his move to reclaim anything.
Production on the new season began earlier this year in New York City, and savvy viewers didn’t take long to start identifying the story’s next stop. Between costume reveals, familiar faces returning from the shadows, and one particularly telling wardrobe choice, Season 3 feels like it’s already laying the groundwork for a war for the crown that Fisk left behind.
Elektra And Daredevil Steal The Spotlight, But Someone Else Is Hiding In Plain Sight
Much of the discussion about the new set photos has been around recognizable faces. Elodie Yung was once again seen filming as Elektra, while Charlie Cox has made his comeback in a new Daredevil suit for multiple night scenes in New York. The return of Elektra is a particularly big deal since the character was thought to have been killed off in The Defenders. It is very exciting indeed for Marvel fans to see her back in action after all these years.
But tucked into the background of it all is a name fans almost missed: Jack Mulhern, best known for his role in Mare of Easttown, quietly showing up on set in a suit that looks a little too sharp for an average New Yorker. It’s custom-made, high-priced and really could be pieces taken from the Wilson Fisk closet, just scaled down for a younger man. In a series where fashion decisions are almost never unintentional, that detail alone was enough to get fans thinking.
Could Jack Mulhern Be Playing Fisk’s Son?
With most of Fisk’s old loyalists scattered or gone after his exile, it seems unlikely Mulhern is playing another lackey stepping into the empire. The far more interesting possibility is that he’s playing family.
In the comics, Fisk and Vanessa had a son named Richard, a kid who grew up wrapped in privilege before eventually turning his back on the easy life to become a villain called The Rose. There’s also Byron Fisk, a more recent addition to Marvel lore, Kingpin’s son from an affair, who spent his own storyline trying to prove he could wear his father’s crown just as ruthlessly, even if that particular arc got tangled up in some fairly confusing magic and doppelganger subplots.
Reports have since leaned toward Mulhern’s character being identified on set sheets simply as “Phillip,” described as a scrappy, lovable New Yorker hiding a temper underneath. Fans watching the recent footage closely believe this could be Butch Pharris, another version of Fisk’s illegitimate son from the comics, someone who wants the throne badly enough to take it by force if his father won’t hand it over willingly.
Adding to the intrigue, Fisk himself has reportedly been spotted on set around these same sequences, which raises the very real chance of a confrontation between Daredevil, Elektra, Fisk, and this new mystery character all in one storyline. If that’s really how this plays out, Season 3 might be setting up one of the show’s most personal conflicts yet, a father and son on opposite sides of the same war.
Why New York’s Throne Won’t Stay Empty For Long
Whether Mulhern ends up being Richard, Butch, or something else the writers cooked up entirely, the goal for the character seems obvious. New York’s crime scene doesn’t stay empty for long, and with Fisk gone from the throne, someone new wants in.
That makes the theory more believable with the timing as well. Showrunner Dario Scardapane has teased that Season 3 will introduce new villains, and even returning characters could surprise fans. That suggests a story that’s more interested in expanding the series’ stable of leading adversaries than simply throwing another familiar face into the mix, with any new arrival apparently playing a significant role in opposing Daredevil in the near future.
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Fisk’s Family Isn’t The Only Threat Waiting In The Wings
It doesn’t help Fisk’s odds that he’s not the only one eyeing a comeback. Tombstone has also been circling in Brand New Day, and in the comics he’s usually painted as one of Kingpin’s most loyal men. The live-action version, though, doesn’t look like someone waiting around for permission from anyone.
If Fisk really does have a son trying to claim his name, that son would be smart to make peace with Tombstone fast, because right now Fisk has far more enemies lining up than allies willing to stick around. Add in the returning presence of Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones, and New York’s underworld is starting to look like a room nobody wants to walk into unarmed.
What This Means For Daredevil Season 3
Vincent D’Onofrio is back for Season 3 which makes it clear that Fisk is right there not backing down after losing everything he held dear. But for the first time he may be returning to a town where the throne he carved out for himself is already being fought over by someone new, one who shares his blood, his ambition, and perhaps none of his patience.
If the show indeed sets up a confrontation between Fisk and his son, it gives Daredevil: Born Again something it hasn’t fully explored yet, a villain conflict that is personal on both sides of the battle, not just a hero versus a crime lord. Matt Murdock could end up in the middle of a family feud to determine who actually rules New York.
For now, all of this remains theory built on set photos, wardrobe choices, and a few carefully worded character descriptions. But if there’s one thing Daredevil: Born Again has proven so far, it’s that even the smallest detail hiding in the background usually means something big is coming.
Conclusion
There’s not any official confirmation yet about who Jack Mulhern will be portraying, and Marvel has been their usual tight-lipped selves on the biggest Season 3 surprises. Despite that, images from the set, cast details, and what comic book stories might be adapted are already sending fans into a frenzy of speculation.
If the unknown character turns out to be Richard Fisk, Butch Pharris, or someone new, it seems that Daredevil: Born Again alludes to taking the battle for New York to a new level beyond the traditional Matt Murdock vs Wilson Fisk rivalry.
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