Not Even Marvel's Best Street-Level Story Can Escape The MCU's Multiverse Saga

1 week ago 8

Published Apr 5, 2026, 8:35 PM EDT

Since 2019, Kevin Erdmann has been one of Screen Rant's Senior Staff Writers, covering all kinds of Superhero and Star Wars media with Easter egg breakdowns, theory pieces, breaking news, and more. A huge Star Wars & MCU fan, Kevin also loves Batman (because he's Batman), but could talk for hours about why Nightwing is DC's greatest hero.

With 8 years of total experience covering entertainment and pop culture, Kevin has gotten the chance to interview top creatives and talent, and has also attended major media events like Disney's D23 convention.

Majoring in Cinema Studies with a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife, adorable dog, and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Daredevil: Born Again season 2, episodes 2-3

Daredevil: Born Again season 2 is no less grounded than the first season (and is arguably even more intense). Even so, there's one innocuous line in Daredevil: Born Again season 2, episode 2 from Vincent D'Onofrio's Mayor Wilson Fisk that very much caught my attention simply due to the greater context of the MCU. After all, we've already seen alternate timelines and the consequences of multiversal tampering in the MCU previously, and we know more multiversal crises are on their way with the next Avengers movies.

While Daredevil: Born Again isn’t suddenly going to become a multiversal epic, it’s inadvertently brushed up against some core multiversal ideas in subtle ways thanks to the growing ambitions of Mayor Wilson Fisk in the new MCU series.

"How Many Worlds Are There?" — Mayor Fisk's Daredevil: Born Again Goals Evoke The Multiverse Saga

Mayor Fisk and Vanessa in Daredevil Born Again Seaosn 2 Episode 2

In Daredevil: Born Again season 2, episode 2, Mayor Wilson Fisk shares some key insights with his wife about his goals and ambitions, revealing that they reach far beyond the city limits of New York.

During a conversation with Vanessa, Fisk's wife questions why he’s risking everything they've built by working with dangerous government figures like Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, allowing the illegal movement of high-grade weapons and military hardware to covertly move through his Red Hook free port. After all, they already rule an empire with Mayor Fisk having control over the entire city of New York.

However, Fisk apparently wants more, believing that he has an obligation to make a global impact and wishing to extend his influence and reach even further. Vanessa then asks how many worlds her husband needs to conquer, to which Fisk responds with a smile: “How many are there?”

Hell’s Kitchen · Street-Level Edition How Well Do You
Know Daredevil?

♻OriginsBlinded

☠VillainsKingpin

⚖AlliesJustice

⚔CombatNo killing

🎥TV SeriesNetflix

ENTER HELL’S KITCHEN →

Matt Murdock was blinded as a child by radioactive material that fell from a truck. While he lost his sight, the accident gave him something extraordinary in return. What did the radioactive exposure give Matt?

ASuper strength BTelepathy CSuperhuman radar-like senses DX-ray vision

✓ Correct! The radioactive chemicals that blinded young Matt Murdock simultaneously supercharged his remaining senses to extraordinary levels and gave him a radar-like spatial awareness. He can “see” the world around him through sound, smell, touch, and taste with superhuman precision — making him one of Marvel’s most unique heroes.

✗ Even Daredevil’s radar sense couldn’t find the right answer there! The answer is superhuman radar-like senses. The radioactive accident didn’t give Matt strength, telepathy, or X-ray vision — it heightened all his remaining senses to superhuman levels and granted him a radar sense that lets him perceive the world around him in 360 degrees.

Daredevil’s greatest enemy is a massive, calculating crime lord who controls most of the criminal underworld in New York City. This villain is known by his real name and his title. Who is he?

ABullseye BWilson Fisk / The Kingpin CThe Hand DThe Owl

✓ Correct! Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, is Daredevil’s most iconic adversary. Despite having no superpowers, Fisk’s immense physical strength, ruthless intelligence, and iron grip on New York’s criminal underworld make him one of Marvel’s most terrifying villains. Their battle is deeply personal — both men believe they’re saving Hell’s Kitchen.

✗ Even Daredevil’s radar sense couldn’t find the right answer there! The answer is Wilson Fisk / The Kingpin. Bullseye is a deadly assassin, The Hand is a ninja organization, and The Owl is a lesser crime lord. But the Kingpin is the definitive Daredevil villain — the immovable force that controls New York’s underworld from the shadows.

By day, Matt Murdock fights for justice in a courtroom as a lawyer. He co-founded a law firm with his best friend in Hell’s Kitchen. Who is Matt’s law partner and best friend?

ABen Urich BDanny Rand CFranklin ‘Foggy’ Nelson DLuke Cage

✓ Correct! Franklin “Foggy” Nelson has been Matt Murdock’s best friend and law partner since they met at Columbia Law School. Together they founded Nelson & Murdock, a small firm dedicated to defending the people of Hell’s Kitchen. Foggy is the heart and conscience of the partnership — often the one pulling Matt back from the edge.

✗ Even Daredevil’s radar sense couldn’t find the right answer there! The answer is Franklin “Foggy” Nelson. Ben Urich is a journalist at the Daily Bugle, Danny Rand is Iron Fist, and Luke Cage is a Harlem-based hero. Foggy Nelson is Matt’s irreplaceable best friend, law partner, and moral anchor.

The Netflix Daredevil series (2015–2018) was praised for its dark tone and incredible fight choreography. Which actor portrayed Matt Murdock/Daredevil in the Netflix series and later in the MCU’s Daredevil: Born Again?

ABen Affleck BCharlie Cox COscar Isaac DJon Bernthal

✓ Correct! Charlie Cox brought Matt Murdock to life with a nuanced, critically acclaimed performance across three seasons of Netflix’s Daredevil. His portrayal was so beloved that Marvel Studios brought him back for the MCU, appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home and starring in Daredevil: Born Again.

✗ Even Daredevil’s radar sense couldn’t find the right answer there! The answer is Charlie Cox. Ben Affleck played Daredevil in the 2003 film, Oscar Isaac is Moon Knight, and Jon Bernthal plays the Punisher (who appeared in Daredevil Season 2). Charlie Cox is the definitive live-action Man Without Fear.

Bullseye is one of Daredevil’s deadliest foes, a psychopathic assassin with an extraordinary ability. What is Bullseye’s signature power?

ASuper speed BInvisibility CPerfect accuracy — he never misses a target DMind control

✓ Correct! Bullseye possesses an innate ability to turn virtually any object into a lethal projectile with perfect accuracy. From playing cards to paper clips, anything in his hands becomes a deadly weapon. He’s responsible for some of the darkest moments in Daredevil’s history, including the murder of Elektra.

✗ Even Daredevil’s radar sense couldn’t find the right answer there! The answer is perfect accuracy — he never misses a target. Bullseye doesn’t have super speed, invisibility, or mind control. His terrifying gift is unerring aim — he can kill with a toothpick, a playing card, or anything he can throw.

Elektra Natchios is a complex character in Daredevil’s life — sometimes lover, sometimes enemy. She is a deadly assassin trained by a mysterious ninja organization. What is the name of this organization?

AThe League of Shadows BThe Hand CHYDRA DThe Foot Clan

✓ Correct! The Hand is a secretive ninja organization that plays a major role in Daredevil’s mythology. Founded centuries ago, they deal in assassination, mysticism, and resurrection. Elektra was trained by The Hand and has been both their weapon and their enemy — her complicated ties to the organization mirror her complicated relationship with Matt.

✗ Even Daredevil’s radar sense couldn’t find the right answer there! The answer is The Hand. The League of Shadows is from DC’s Batman universe, HYDRA is the broader Marvel villain organization, and The Foot Clan is from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (actually inspired by The Hand). The Hand is the ancient ninja order central to Daredevil’s world.

Frank Castle, the Punisher, has a complicated relationship with Daredevil. They share a mission to fight crime but disagree fundamentally on methods. What is the core philosophical difference between Daredevil and the Punisher?

ADaredevil uses weapons, Punisher doesn’t BDaredevil refuses to kill, Punisher kills criminals CPunisher works with police, Daredevil doesn’t DDaredevil only fights at night

✓ Correct! This is the defining tension between Daredevil and the Punisher. Matt Murdock, a devout Catholic and lawyer, believes in the justice system and refuses to cross the line into killing. Frank Castle believes the system is broken and that lethal force is the only way to permanently stop criminals. Their rooftop debate in Season 2 of the Netflix series is one of the greatest scenes in superhero television.

✗ Even Daredevil’s radar sense couldn’t find the right answer there! The answer is that Daredevil refuses to kill while the Punisher kills criminals. It’s actually the Punisher who uses weapons (guns, explosives), and neither works with police. Daredevil fights at all hours. The real divide is moral: Matt believes in redemption and the law, while Frank believes in permanent, lethal justice.

In the Daredevil Netflix series, Vincent D’Onofrio’s portrayal of Wilson Fisk was widely acclaimed. In Season 3, Fisk manipulated a specific FBI agent to become the new Bullseye. What is this character’s name?

ARay Nadeem BBenjamin Poindexter (Dex) CBrett Mahoney DMitchell Ellison

✓ Correct! Benjamin “Dex” Poindexter, played brilliantly by Wilson Bethel, was an FBI agent with a troubled past and an innate ability for perfect marksmanship. Fisk recognized his psychological vulnerabilities and manipulated him into donning a Daredevil suit to frame Matt Murdock, setting up Dex’s transformation into the classic villain Bullseye.

✗ Even Daredevil’s radar sense couldn’t find the right answer there! The answer is Benjamin Poindexter (Dex). Ray Nadeem was another FBI agent manipulated by Fisk but in a different way, Brett Mahoney is an NYPD sergeant allied with Daredevil, and Mitchell Ellison is the editor of the New York Bulletin. Dex is the one Fisk groomed to become Bullseye.

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Overall, it’s a pretty great Kingpin line, perfectly highlighting his ambitions and desire to go even further with his power than he already has in New York. However, the line does take on some deeper meaning in the context of the greater Multiverse Saga. After all, the literal answer to Fisk's question in the MCU is infinite. Thanks to the multiverse, there are countless worlds, realities, and timelines for Fisk to theoretically conquer if he had the means.

Of course, this isn't to suggest that Mayor Fisk is going to start hopping realities. It's just a prime example that the core concepts of the Multiverse Saga still loom and can be evoked even in the most grounded street-level MCU projects, especially for fans who've been keeping up with the franchise since Endgame.

Kingpin's Vigilante War Won't Go Multiversal In The MCU (But It Has In Marvel Rivals)

Mayor Fisk Kingpin Marvel Rivals Martial Law

Keeping all that in mind, the hero shooter Marvel Rivals has just kicked off a new season and storyline where Mayor Fisk has similarly placed New York under martial law and declared war on vigilantes, just like we're seeing in Daredevil: Born Again season 2. Ironically, the kicker is that the multiverse is heavily featured in this version.

In Marvel Rivals, Mayor Fisk's war on vigilantes extends beyond a single reality with ongoing incursions and clashing timelines, giving Marvel fans two very different flavors to enjoy. Combined with the new Born Again-inspired skin for Daredevil that just released, it's a pretty great time to be a Marvel fan for street-level stories, multiversal epics, and everything in between.

New episodes of Daredevil: Born Again season 2 release Tuesday nights on Disney+.

Marvel Rivals

Systems

8/10

Released December 6, 2024

ESRB T For Teen // Violence

Engine Unreal Engine 5

Multiplayer Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op

Cross-Platform Play Limited - console crossplay, no PC crossplay