Credit: Marvel StudiosFans are buzzing over an unexpected Marvel “recast”.
Related: Feige Talks ‘Spider-Man’, Tom Holland and Charlie Cox to Lead Marvel’s “Street-Level” Heroes
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) gears up for Phase Five, which marks the second chapter of the Multiverse Saga, Marvel Studios is expanding its scope to include diverse superhero teams beyond the core Avengers. Kevin Feige revealed at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 that the MCU will introduce teams assigned to address a broader spectrum of villainous threats, ranging from “cosmic-level” to “supernatural” and “street-level” challenges.
Guiding this broadening of superhero storylines on Earth are none other than Tom Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock/Daredevil, chosen as the “team leaders” by Marvel. Naturally, Marvel Studios must reintroduce the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen to the current MCU audience, considering the character’s absence since the Netflix Marvel Daredevil (2015) series was left in limbo in 2018.
That is, until Kevin Feige promised to bring Daredevil back in a special 18-episode Disney+ (Disney Plus) series, Daredevil: Born Again, slated to feature Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, and Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/the Punisher.
A New Take On Daredevil and Its Characters
Despite the assurance of revisiting the enduring rivalry between Daredevil and Wilson Fisk, accompanied by Jon Bernthal’s return as the antihero Frank Castle, known as Punisher, significant shifts in the show’s dynamics have become evident. Notable alterations in casting, such as Sandrine Holt assuming the role of Vanessa Fisk instead of the original actress Ayelet Zurer, have raised concerns within the Marvel fan community. These changes have sparked discussions about seemingly unnecessary alterations by Kevin Feige and his team.
Now, a Daredevil favorite — the terrifying Wilson Fisk played by Vincent D’Onofrio — is seeing a key part of the character’s history “recast”. However, fans are now uncovering what could be a particularly sneaky ploy by Marvel.
Related: Disney+ Breaks Controversial Marvel Series Format, ‘Daredevil’ Reboot Changes All
A Deliberately Baffling Daredevil “Recast”?
Fans have begun speculating over a surprising “recast” that savvy Marvel fans are uncovering.
Recently, fans on X (formerly Twitter) have discovered a weird recast in Disney+’s Marvel TV series Echo (2024), starring Alaqua Cox as the titular Echo/Maya Lopez, of which D’Onofrio plays the Big Bad. This time, Wilson Fisk’s origin story from 2015’s Daredevil and 2021’s Hawkeye seems to have been altered somewhat, with keen-eyed fans noticing that the hammer Fisk claims he used to kill his father (introduced back in Daredevil) is markedly different.
Thus, users like @the_Bradster007 posted about how Marvel had “recast the hammer” — with the weapon from the original Daredevil hammer of a totally different make — with others like @rampagelephant highlighting just how easy it would be for Disney to simply “go to Ace Hardware”:
I hope there’s an in-universe reason as to why they used a different hammer. How hard is it to go to Ace Hardware and buy the same looking hammer from Daredevil?
I hope there’s an in-universe reason as to why they used a different hammer. How hard is it to go to Ace Hardware and buy the same looking hammer from Daredevil?
— Rampaging Elephant (@rampagelephant) January 15, 2024
Initially, fans were up in arms about this “recast”, with users like Tyler Duran slamming Echo as a “disaster” that did not even attempt to respect the original Daredevil show that birthed the villain Fisk:
yeah on second thought this show is a disaster i can’t believe they did this. you can’t just replace the hammer with any old hammer, wheres the respect ? wheres the loyalty
yeah on second thought this show is a disaster i can’t believe they did this. you can’t just replace the hammer with any old hammer, wheres the respect ? wheres the loyalty
— ً (@tylerduran21) January 15, 2024
This has sparked a discussion about whether this is a deliberate move orchestrated by Marvel Studios to impress upon fans (especially new ones) that Kingpin is ultimately unreliable.
Other fans, like user Garrett B., brought up how this actually enforces Kingpin’s careless and self-serving attitude:
Fisk didn’t even bother learning sign-language to communicate with maya, why would he go through the trouble of finding/giving her the actual hammer he killed his father with? 🤷♂️
Fisk didn’t even bother learning sign-language to communicate with maya, why would he go through the trouble of finding/giving her the actual hammer he killed his father with? 🤷♂️
— Garett B. (@9arett) January 15, 2024
Marvel is likely banking on building Kingpin up as the Big Bad of the street-level heroes, with a grittier Spider-Man 4 starring Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man likely bringing Daredevil/Matt Murdock, Echo/Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox), and potentially the new Captain America/Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) dealing with Mayor Fisk (hinted at the end of Echo) rising to political power following Captain America: Brave New World.
With another significant street-level antagonist in Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus Ross/Thunderbolt Ross likely becoming President of the United States (and turning into the Red Hulk) in Brave New World, it’s possible that the new Cap will put Ford’s Ross out of commission — enough for Kingpin to run for President, like in the Marvel Comics.
Do you think Marvel Studios is intentionally planting these ideas about Wilson Fisk? Are you looking forward to the “street-level” chapter of the MCU? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
More about Echo
Originally scheduled for a Summer 2023 premiere, Echo released on Disney+ (Disney Plus) on January 9, 2024. The Echo series is a new kind of offering titled “Marvel Spotlight”, showcasing Alaqua Cox in the lead role as Echo/Maya Lopez.
Echo retraces Maya Lopez’s steps as she undertakes a journey from New York City to Oklahoma following her adventures in Hawkeye alongside Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld). The narrative delves into her quest to reconnect with her Native American heritage.
Additionally, Daredevil/Matt Murdock, also known as the Man Without Fear and portrayed by Charlie Cox, is set to make an appearance in this eagerly awaited series. Zahn McClarnon is William Lopez, alongside Chaske Spencer as Henry Lopez/Black Crow, Tantoo Cardinal as Chula, Devery Jacobs as Bonnie, Cody Lightning as Biscuits, and Graham Greene as Skully.