While Kevin Feige and his Marvel Studios team have yet to go all-in on giving Netflix’s Defenders stars their own projects within the MCU proper, the next step has been taken toward making that all a glorious reality. It looks like Charlie Cox will be reprising the roles of Matt Murdock and Daredevil, while Vincent D’Onofrio will once again don Kingpin’s classic suits and cufflinks, and it’ll actually be for the same project this time. The actors are reportedly set as the newest co-stars to join Disney+’s upcoming series Echo.
According to the early reports, via THR, one of Echo's plotlines involves Daredevil attempting to find a former ally of his. While the identity of said ally hasn't been confirmed, it's rumored that it'll be Jessica Jones, the badass P.I. that Krysten Ritter portrayed in her own standalone series. A potential clue hinting at JJ's own return is the fact that Disney+ has changed the name of the former Netflix show to A.K.A. Jessica Jones, which some fans think is a sign that the studio wants to do more with her.
Otherwise, it's not known how or where Kingpin would fit into things, nor whether or not he and Daredevil would have a relationship already within the MCU. It's not entirely clear how much of the original Daredevil TV show's events will be similar to the character's story under Marvel Studios, so I can't wait to hear more updates about what their history will be going forward. Perhaps the biggest victim from all this will be Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle, whose introduction came in Daredevil Season 2. (This is me tempting the rumor gods to now reveal there will be a new Punisher series.)
Considering Echo is a spinoff of Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld’s Hawkeye series, which introduced Alaqua Cox as the titular hero and alter ego Maya Lopez, it’s not the biggest surprise in the world to hear that Vincent D’Onofrio will be reprising the role of Wilson Fisk anew for the standalone series. But does that make the news any less exciting? Not one iota. I can’t imagine fans would balk at more Kingpin in any capacity.
The same goes for Charlie Cox’s Daredevil, especially after the actor did his own reprising as Matt Murdock for 2021’s rumor-mongering Spider-Man: No Way Home. What’s more, reports have surfaced across early 2022 that Disney+ is actively developing its own Daredevil series, which we already have lots of questions about. So if those all pan out as real, then Echo will presumably be setting things up for where the Man Without Fear’s potential series would kick off.
Will Daredevil and Kingpin actually get to face off once more in Echo? We can only hope. Considering Vincent D'Onofrio showed off a gym photo not so long before this Echo report was unveiled, it's certainly not out of the question. The show is currently filming in Atlanta, without a clear window set for when it might be available for Disney+ subscribers, beyond it happening in 2023. But we will be waiting, whenever that time arrives.
During the wait, be sure to check out everything else hitting the small screen soon with our 2022 TV premiere schedule.
