Scream and Scooby-Doo star Matthew Lillard is having something of a renaissance, and after well-received turns in Five Nights at Freddy's and The Life of Chuck, he's gearing up to make his MCU debut in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2.
Marvel Television's Brad Winderbaum has confirmed that the actor is playing "Mr. Charles," an antagonist who is said to be as influential as Mayor Wilson Fisk. That sounds like a codename, and a deliberate attempt to keep his real role under wraps. There are also plenty of fan theories about which character from the Daredevil comics Lillard might be playing.
The actor recently spoke with MovieWeb, and appeared to confirm that not only is "Mr. Charles" new to Hell's Kitchen—presumably meaning he's an original character who doesn't hail from the comics—but he won't be donning a superhero (or supervillain) costume.
"He’s someone completely new to Hell's Kitchen," Lillard told the site. "I do not wear any lycra of any kind. Dario Scardapane, who's the new show runner, is a friend of mine, and he and I worked together on The Bridge, and he built something that he was really excited about sharing, and I couldn't be happier to be a part of it. I really love that world."
"It fits perfectly with the tone I bring as an actor. There are big energy moments. There are simple moments. Playing in that space was fantastic," he added. "I know the show is great. I've heard from multiple people that they're over the moon about what it is."
"I'm happy to be a part of it, and I hope the fans are looking forward to it. It should come out in March. It's going to be really exciting, and people are going to dig it," the actor, who will also appear in Scream 7 next year, concluded.
There's always a chance that Lillard is attempting to throw fans off the scent. However, Michael Gandolfini's Daniel Blake is another newly created character for the series who has had a big impact on Daredevil: Born Again without being someone who first appeared on the page.
We also recently spoke with Lillard, and he told us this about his excitement to share the screen with Kingpin actor Vincent D'Onofrio again (they previously appeared alongside each other in 2000's Spanish Judges).
"Obviously, working with Marvel, everything is under lock and key. I can tell you that being on that set, working with those men and women, the crew is fantastic. It's probably one of the best I've worked with in my life. D'Onofrio and I get to work together. We did a movie 100 years ago when we were both babies."
"Getting the chance to work with him again was just fantastic. He has such weight. Not literal weight, he's skinny right now, but when you look him in the eyes, he carries so much power with them. It leads to good work. Good writing leads to good work. I thought that last season was really electric, and I think next season is gonna top it. I'm thrilled for the fans, and I'm excited for people to see the work."
You can hear more from Lillard on Daredevil: Born Again, Scream 7, and Five Nights at Freddy's 2 in the player below.