Marvel Just Revealed Phase 5's Best Thanos Replacement & The Avengers Are Nowhere In Sight

By Ross Tanenbaum

Published Mar 9, 2025

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newly elected mayor of New York City.

Kingpin had immense power as one of New York's top crime lords, but his status has risen as mayor. Not only does he control several important departments in one of America's largest cities, but he can also do many of his previous misdeeds by the books. The police will have a harder time taking him down, and the same could be said for any of the city's vigilantes. Kingpin is easier to defeat than Thanos, but his new position gives him a level of legitimacy that could be hard for the Avengers to deal with.

Kingpin's Daredevil: Born Again Return Makes Him The New Thanos

Despite their differences in strength and physical power, Kingpin and Thanos have many similarities. Both villains are so convinced they're right and are willing to do anything to achieve their goals. Thanos was so committed to snapping away half the universe's population that he sacrificed his daughter and almost destroyed his arm. It's hard to imagine Kingpin going that far, but he's already demonstrating that he's not afraid of manipulating and harming others if it means he gets what he wants.

Kingpin sat down in Hawkeye with the Avengers in Age of Ultron

Kingpin's MCU Return Could Rewrite The Avengers' Greatest Failures

Kingpin will return in Daredevil: Born Again, and Marvel Studios has set up a huge storyline that could see him save the MCU... from the Avengers.

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In episode 2, Fisk blackmailed police commissioner Gallo to keep him and the rest of the police aligned. It's a light form of coercion compared to what Kingpin has done in the past, but it's an early glimpse of Fisk reverting to his old ways. Like Thanos, Fisk is incredibly stubborn, and he will commit to his goal of keeping vigilantes off the street, even if that means resorting to violent and corrupt methods.

How Kingpin Can Be An Avengers-Level Threat Even Without Earth's Mightiest Heroes

Kingpin hates masked vigilantes after several encounters with Daredevil that left him incarcerated. He also had a nasty fight with Kate Bishop in Hawkeye, who injured him after exploding several arrows under his feet. Kingpin also mentions Spider-Man and The Punisher as other vigilantes that have caught his attention. Since he's mayor, he could anti-vigilante laws for New York City, causing the police, and possibly the public, to turn on these characters.

Kingpin will likely show his true face as Daredevil: Born Again continues.

Kingpin's sentiment could grow throughout the country, and it could be tough for any of the Avengers to stop it. Kingpin now has legitimate power, rather than criminal power, making it difficult for Daredevil or other heroes to put him away. The only way to defeat him without killing him would be to expose him for the fraud he is, and Kingpin will likely show his true face as Daredevil: Born Again continues.