Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Daredevil: Born Again episodes 1 & 2Daredevil: Born Again’s major status quo change to the MCU has me even more excited for Thunderbolts* (and beyond). Set to release in May, Thunderbolts* will see an unlikely new team being formed to stop a major threat in New York City. As such, this should result in some exciting opportunities for some exciting MCU interconnectivity considering the city’s new status.

In the trailers for Thunderbolts*, Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, U.S. Agent, Ghost, and Taskmaster will all be coming together to stop Robert “Bob” Reynolds aka The Sentry, an incredibly powerful being from the comics and his darker manifestation known as The Void. However, it’s notable that the bulk of the destruction and chaos looks to be taking place in New York City. As such, the events of Thunderbolts* should prove to be very interesting considering the premiere episodes of Daredevil: Born Again and the recent election of Wilson Fisk as New York’s new mayor.

After A Single Episode, Kingpin Is Already Mayor of New York

There’s Now Plenty Of Time To Enact New Laws and Policies

Surprisingly, Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin is elected mayor of New York by the end of Daredevil: Born Again’s very first episode. Having secured the necessary votes with a dedicated base of support, Fisk successfully became the new mayor, proving that New Yorkers in the MCU are eager for a change and someone to shake up the system. Likewise, a large part of Kingpin’s platform is anti-vigilante, promising that he will get rid of the city’s unchecked heroes like Punisher, Spider-Man, Daredevil, and more.

This very much mirrors Mayor Fisk’s anti-vigilante policies in the comics, having outlawed vigilantism outright near the end of his term as seen in 2021’s Devil’s Reign crossover. Furthermore, it’s notable that the MCU’s Fisk has already been elected by Daredevil: Born Again’s premiere, as it means that he now has plenty of time throughout the rest of the season to create new policy, making it harder for masked heroes and vigilantes to keep people safe in New York’s streets. As such, it does make me wonder how New York’s brand-new mayor might affect Thunderbolts*, and vice versa.

Mayor Fisk Has Me Even More Excited For Thunderbolts* In May

The Sentry Is Going To Attack New York

Based on what we’ve seen so far from Thunderbolts* from trailers, it seems The Sentry was likely created on the orders of the CIA’s Valentina Allegra de Fontaine to replace the Avengers, only for The Void’s emergence to result in a major threat to the MCU, starting with New York. In the trailers, Sentry is only shown as a silhouette with a voice that makes him sound darkly possessed. The Void’s also shown raising his hands and essentially deleting civilians into nothing but shadows, as New York is slowly overtaken by what looks to be a permanent darkness.

Keeping that in mind, I’m really hoping that Mayor Fisk will either be referenced or might even appear in a cameo role in the upcoming MCU movie. After all, it’s his city that will soon be attacked, and it will be up to Bucky, Yelena, and their fellow allies to try and bring the Sentry down, proving to themselves and the world that they have what it takes to be heroes like the Avengers, however unlikely that may seem. That said, perhaps they’re the ones best positioned to stop Sentry because Fisk will have already outlawed vigilantism in New York.

Why There Really Should Be Some Connectivity Between Daredevil and Thunderbolts*

The Show Should Connect To Thunderbolts* & The Movie Should Affect Daredevil: Born Again Season 2

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 is set to conclude in April, just a few weeks before Thunderbolts* releases in theaters. To that end, I do think that Thunderbolts* should have some sort of connection to the new MCU show and whatever fallout it may generate for New York in its aftermath. After all, New York is one of the most prominent MCU locations of all time, and as such it’s arguably one of the best means of showing off the MCU’s connected continuity.

That said, one could argue that the opposite is perhaps more likely, and that the fallout of Thunderbolts* will have an effect on Daredevil season 2 (which has already been confirmed). After all, a major attack on New York involving heroes and superpowers would likely shake New Yorkers’ confidence in their newly elected mayor. Either way, my fingers are crossed for what should be an easy no-brainer for Marvel Studios when it comes to MCU interconnectivity.

New episodes of Daredevil: Born Again release Tuesday nights on Disney+. Thunderbolts* releases May 2nd from Marvel Studios.