Daredevil Season 3 Sets New Showrunner; Kingpin Confirmed to Return

Vincent D’Onofrio will be back as Kingpin in Daredevil season 3, but the show will once again see a change behind the camera. D’Onofrio’s Kingpin is one of the many reasons Daredevil season 1 is still regarded by many to be the best of Marvel’s Netflix series’. His performance and the portrayal of the crime lord somehow managed to bring sympathy to the character – and left audiences wanting to see more of Wilson Fisk on the small screen.


Kingpin returned briefly in Daredevil season 2, appearing in the back half of the season. It was here that he encountered Frank Castle aka. The Punisher (Jon Bernthal) and became suspicious of Matt Murdock’s double life. Charlie Cox previous told us how much he wanted Kingpin to return (and Bullseye to debut), and we now have confirmation that the villain will, in fact, be returning for the show’s third outing.


Marvel has announced that D’Onofrio will indeed return as Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin in Daredevil season 3, with the season now confirmed to premiere on Netflix sometime in 2018. In addition to announcing D’Onofrio’s return to the show, Marvel TV head Jeph Loeb also revealed the new showrunner for Daredevil season 3:

Vincent is an exceptional actor who returns with the incredible gravitas he brings to Fisk. We’re very excited how Marvel’s Daredevil develops through the creative lens and guidance of our new showrunner, Erik Oleson.


As noted by Loeb at the end of the quote, Kingpin’s return is not the only piece of news here. Erik Oleson will be taking over showrunning duties on Daredevil season 3. Daredevil was overseen by Steven S. DeKnight in season 1, before Douglas Petrie and Marco Ramirez took over in season 2. Oleson most recently served as an executive producer on Amazon’s The Man in the High Castle, but has also delved into the superhero world before during his time with Arrow.


Oleson will bring a new voice to Daredevil as it looks to pick up the pieces of Matt’s life following the events of The Defenders. Season 3 is expected to draw inspiration from the famous “Born Again” Daredevil comic book storyline, in particular. Should this prove to be the case, then Kingpin will be a very important part of the equation – as that story focuses on Matt’s life falling apart, thanks to Kingpin learning that Matt Murdock is indeed the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.


“Born Again” has not yet been confirmed as the basis for season 3, but the addition of Fisk makes it that much more likely. Marvel also confirmed that Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson will return (as Karen Page and Foggy Nelson, respectively), and both characters have big arcs in the “Born Again” story. We will have to wait to see how Oleson will help revamp the series, but fans should be thrilled to know Kingpin is coming back.


The Punisher premieres Friday, November 17 on Netflix, followed by Daredevil season 3 sometime in 2018. Premiere dates for the new seasons of Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist have yet to be announced.