Daredevil: Born Again EP and Showrunner Confirm If Kingpin Knows About Spider-Man in MCU Series

The connection between Wilson Fisk and Peter Parker in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a burning question since Daredevil: Born Again arrived on Disney+. Now the show’s creative team has finally addressed whether Kingpin is aware of Spider-Man and what that means for the story going forward.

When the first episodes of Daredevil: Born Again premiered in March 2025, fans quickly noticed something significant. In Episode 2, Wilson Fisk—now the mayor of New York City—delivered a speech where he called out masked vigilantes. He mentioned Frank Castle’s Punisher, Matt Murdock’s Daredevil, and then added a third name: “a man who dresses in a spider outfit.”

That single line sent shockwaves through the Marvel fanbase. For the first time in any live-action project, Kingpin had directly acknowledged Spider-Man’s existence. But what does this actually mean for the story? Is the web-slinger on Fisk’s radar as a target? And could Tom Holland’s Peter Parker show up in the series?

The show’s executive producer and showrunner have now given straight answers about Spider-Man’s place in Kingpin’s world.

The Kingpin Knows About Spider-Man, But There’s a Catch

Dario Scardapane, the showrunner for Daredevil: Born Again, and executive producer Sana Amanat recently addressed the question directly. When asked if Kingpin is hunting Spider-Man in the upcoming second season, Amanat kept things real.

“I don’t know. I don’t think so. It would be great. Sure. I’d assume so, but that’s not the story that we’re telling,” Amanat explained.

She also admitted that the television team isn’t in the loop about what’s happening with Spider-Man’s movie universe. “I have no idea what they’re doing in Spider-Man, honestly. I haven’t read anything yet,” she added.

Scardapane echoed this sentiment, noting that “they don’t keep me in the loop” when it comes to Spider-Man’s bigger plans.

So yes, Kingpin knows Spider-Man exists. He mentioned him in a mayoral speech that grouped all costumed heroes together as problems for the city. But whether Fisk has specific plans for Peter Parker remains unclear. The showrunner’s comments suggest that while the character exists in this world, the current storyline isn’t built around a Spider-Man confrontation.

Why Spider-Man Can’t Actually Appear in Daredevil: Born Again

Here’s where things get complicated. Even if the writers wanted Tom Holland to swing by Hell’s Kitchen, there are major legal roadblocks standing in the way.

Brad Winderbaum, Marvel Studios’ Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation, addressed this issue back when the show first launched. Winderbaum explained the rights situation clearly.

“I’m not sure exactly what the rules are, but I think [Sony] have long-form television rights, I don’t know if that means he can show up. You can do like 30-minute animation, I think,” Winderbaum stated.

Translation: Sony Pictures holds the television rights for live-action Spider-Man. This means Marvel Studios cannot simply place Holland’s Peter Parker into a Disney+ series without navigating a complex legal agreement. Animation offers more flexibility, which is why Spider-Man can appear in shows like Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, but live-action is a different ballgame.

This rights issue explains why the show can reference Spider-Man—mentioning him in dialogue falls within Marvel’s creative freedom—but cannot actually feature the character walking through a scene.

What Kingpin’s Spider-Man Reference Really Means

Even without a physical appearance, that single line from Episode 2 carries weight. It confirms that Spider-Man exists in the same New York as Daredevil and Kingpin. More importantly, it establishes that Fisk views Peter Parker as a threat to his vision of order.

In the comics, Kingpin actually started as a Spider-Man villain. He first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #50 back in July 1967, years before becoming Daredevil’s archenemy. The character has always been connected to both heroes, so seeing Fisk mention the wall-crawler feels like a nod to that long history.

The reference also sets up potential future stories. With Kingpin now serving as mayor and establishing the Anti-Vigilante Task Force (AVTF) in Season 2, any hero operating in New York could find themselves in his crosshairs. Peter Parker, living anonymously in the city after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, fits that description perfectly.

Fans React to the Spider-Man Connection

When that Episode 2 scene first aired, Marvel fans took to social media with excitement. Many appreciated that the show finally acknowledged other heroes exist in the same city.

One fan shared online, “Wow, is this the first MCU show/movie that takes place in NY and actually acknowledges Spider-Man exists? Wonder if the next movie will be a Daredevil/Spider-Man team up against mayor Fisk.”

Another viewer expressed relief at the mention, saying, “That simple line made me so happy. I don’t need to see other characters all the time, but can we at least acknowledge they exist.”

Some fans pointed out that Doctor Strange mentioned Spider-Man by name in Multiverse of Madness, but the Daredevil reference felt different because it placed Spider-Man in the same street-level context as heroes like Daredevil and the Punisher.

Other MCU References in Daredevil: Born Again

Spider-Man isn’t the only MCU connection hiding in the series. Episode 4 dropped another surprise when a character mentioned the Skrulls.

During a jail scene, Matt Murdock visited a client named Leroy Bradford who had been convicted of petty larceny. When Murdock pointed out that police had CCTV footage of the crime, Bradford asked if it could have been a Skrull impersonating him. Murdock simply responded, “No.”

This brief exchange confirms that the alien species from Captain Marvel and Secret Invasion exists in this world too. It also shows how everyday people in the MCU now use superhero concepts as excuses, similar to how someone might joke about identity theft in our world.

These small references add up. They remind viewers that Daredevil: Born Again takes place in the same universe where aliens invaded New York, where Thanos snapped half of life away, and where a teenager named Peter Parker swings between buildings.

What About Miles Morales?

Another detail caught fans’ attention during the first season. In a courtroom scene, Matt Murdock listed several officers by name, and one of them was “Officer Morales.”

In Marvel Comics, Jefferson Morales is the father of Miles Morales, the teenager who becomes Spider-Man in an alternate timeline. While the show hasn’t confirmed any connection, fans immediately wondered if this might be a subtle way of planting seeds for Miles to eventually appear in the MCU.

For now, it remains just a fun Easter egg. No official announcements have been made about bringing Miles Morales into live-action, but the name drop gives comic book readers something to talk about.

Looking at the Bigger Picture

Marvel Studios continues to coordinate its projects even when characters can’t directly cross over. Brad Winderbaum confirmed that there is ongoing communication between the Daredevil team and the people working on Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

“We are working closely with the Spider-Man team to ensure coherency,” Winderbaum explained. “These stories share the same universe and it’s crucial to maintain that connection.”

He added, “While Daredevil and Punisher comics portray a darker vision of New York compared to Spider-Man, they’re all part of the same narrative universe. Everything aligns, yet we can explore varied stories.”

This approach allows each project to maintain its own tone and focus while still feeling connected. Daredevil: Born Again can tell its gritty street-level story, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day can explore Peter Parker’s new life, and both exist in the same city without stepping on each other’s toes.

When to Watch Daredevil: Born Again Season 2

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 is scheduled to premiere on Tuesday, March 24, at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT, streaming exclusively on Disney+ with weekly episodes.

The timing works out perfectly for fans who want to see how Kingpin’s story develops before Spider-Man returns to theaters. Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrives in cinemas on July 31, 2026.

With Kingpin’s Anti-Vigilante Task Force playing a major role in the new season, viewers can expect more references to the wider Marvel universe even if full crossovers remain off the table. The show has proven it can acknowledge characters like Spider-Man without needing them to appear, building a richer world through dialogue and small details.

For now, fans will have to wait and see whether Peter Parker ever crosses paths with Wilson Fisk in live-action. The pieces are on the board. Kingpin knows Spider-Man exists. Spider-Man is living anonymously in New York. And Marvel Studios keeps saying they want these worlds to feel connected. Whether that leads to an actual confrontation depends on legal agreements, scheduling, and the right story coming together at the right time.

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