As Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) prepares to hit theaters, Daredevil: Born Again (2025) season 2 is already underway on the small screen. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is putting the spotlight on its street-level heroes as Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) operate as vigilantes in New York City. On the surface, the two characters don’t have much in common. Parker is a young superhero striving to be the “friendly neighborhood Spider-Man,” while Murdock is in hiding as he determines how to take down Mayor Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) as the vigilante Daredevil.
Their stories are so different in direction and tone that you might forget they are playing out in the same setting: New York City. They’re both experiencing the changes in the city under Fisk and the rising tension over corruption and vigilantism. Although we can’t confirm how or to what extent Daredevil: Born Again connects to Spider-Man: Brand New Day, we can explore five ways the show’s events will inevitably impact the latest Spider-Man movie.
New York City’s Mayor
The biggest way Daredevil: Born Again affects Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the matter of the Mayor of New York City. In Daredevil: Born Again season 1, Fisk (a.k.a. Kingpin) launched his campaign for the Mayor of New York City, and succeeded. By season 2, Mayor Fisk is exerting his power in a hostile takeover of the city, launching corrupt task forces, imposing martial law, and attempting to rid the city of vigilantes. Ultimately, Daredevil: Born Again will determine who is the mayor by the time of Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Fisk very well could still be the mayor in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which would create quite a lot of problems for Spider-Man. If Daredevil succeeds in overthrowing Fisk, though, it could mean a brand new mayor for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Whoever is the mayor by the end of Daredevil: Born Again season 2 will determine the direction of the movie, either hinting at Fisk as the overarching villain or resolving the Fisk issue altogether, allowing the film to focus on its own unique storyline.
Wilson Fisk’s Anti-Vigilante Task Force
Daredevil: Born Again seasons 1 and 2 see Mayor Fisk take drastic measures to curb vigilante activity in New York City. He recognizes that masked street-level heroes are the biggest threat to his power and authority. Hence, he launches the Anti-Vigilante Task Force (AVTF) to enforce his anti-vigilante policies. However, the group quickly becomes a sort of militia for Fisk, known for using excessive force and any means necessary to enforce the mayor’s orders.
Since Spider-Man is technically a vigilante, the AVTF could have an impact on Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Even if the task force is disbanded by the time of the Spider-Man movie, it seems significant enough an event to warrant a mention or flashback for Peter. Based on the film’s trailer, Peter is already in a vulnerable place after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), and we can’t help but wonder how the AVTF situation would contribute to his headspace.
New York City’s Martial Law
In Daredevil: Born Again season 2, Fisk has imposed martial law on the city. Residents are subjected to a strict curfew, while the AVTF enforces Fisk’s Safer Streets Initiative, taking down vigilantes and anyone who aids them. It’s bound to come with serious civil rights violations and to escalate tensions on the street, and Spider-Man may be the one to pay the price for it.
If you’ve been keeping up with Spider-Man: Brand New Day updates, you may have been shocked by the number of villains in the film. Spider-Man will have his hands full with Scorpion (Michael Mando), Tombstone (Krondon), Boomerang, Tarantula, The Hand, and a mystery villain or two. We have to wonder if New York is still feeling the effects of martial law, which has prompted so many villains to come out of the woodwork and may even have escalated tensions to the point of street wars in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
The Punisher’s Arc
The Punisher (Jon Bernthal) returns in Daredevil: Born Again season 1 as a reluctant accomplice of Matt. While he doesn’t appreciate the AVTF using his name and logo, he is largely involved in the conflict only at the request of Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll). Now that Karen and Matt are officially together, it makes sense that The Punisher hasn’t been spotted in Daredevil: Born Again season 2 and is likely off doing his own thing.
However, The Punisher will turn up in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Right now, he’s the biggest thread connecting Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Daredevil: Born Again. Meanwhile, his arc in Daredevil: Born Again will at least partially determine his role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. After getting a taste of the AVTF and Daredevil action, we’ll have to wait and see if it inspires him to become a friend or foe of Spider-Man, or something in between.
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s Interest in New York City
Daredevil: Born Again season 2 dropped a bombshell by unveiling a Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) connection. Apparently, the CIA director who has acted as the MCU’s shadowy antagonist for years has an interest in Fisk, seemingly backing his takeover of New York City by sending in an operative of her own, Mr. Charles (Matthew Lillard), and intimidating New York’s Attorney General into accepting Fisk’s initiatives.
The connection is significant because it brings a federal interest into the street-level world of Daredevil: Born Again and potentially Spider-Man: Brand New Day. All we know is that Val has her sights set on NYC and vigilantism, and that can’t be good for either Daredevil or Spider-Man. Whether she physically appears in Spider-Man: Brand New Day or not, Daredevil: Born Again has brought her into Spider-Man’s orbit, and leaves the door open for her or the government’s influence on the film’s events.
