Despite the ongoing success ofDaredevil: Born Again, this past week’s news from the MCU gave plenty of superhero Samaritans more than enough reason to harbor ill-intent towards the ongoing mega franchise. Appearing onJosh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confusedpodcastto discuss a wide range of projects,Vincent D’Onofrioeffectively drove the final nail in the coffin forKingpin’s chances of appearing in an upcoming MCU movie, disclosing that various rights issues currently prevent Wilson Fisk from punching his way outside the realm of television. It’s a somber development for those who are falling in love with D’Onofrio’s performance all over again in Marvel’s latest Disney+ series, but as disappointing as it is to learn thatour favorite crime boss won’t be battling the Avengers anytime soon, this news may very well be for the best nonetheless.
While seeing Kingpin go toe-to-toe withTom Holland’s Spider-Man or other Avengers-level heroes has certainly been onthe top of superhero fans' wishlists for years now, the truth is that a film appearance for the storied crime boss may not quite measure up to the comics. There are restrictions that movies face that television series do not, after all, and this switch-up in mediums would likely result in a disservice to the level of nuance and depth applied toD’Onofrio’s iteration of the characterportrayed thus far. This disservice is in no way guaranteed, and D’Onofrio’s dedication to his beloved supervillain can always be counted on to deliver a brilliant performance, but if the last decade of Kingpin has proven anything, it’s that the current MCU villain terrifies audiences the most on television.
The MCU’s Kingpin Owes His Enduring Popularity to the Original ‘Daredevil’s Extensive Storytelling
In order to consider the best direction for a character to go in the future, it is useful to remember where their popularity began in the first place. In Kingpin’s case, Netflix’s originalDaredevilseries brought a chilling menace to our screens through careful world-building and a gradual attention to the man’s multiple, contradicting layers. Kingpin didn’t become popular just becausehe delivered memorable quotesor equally memorable face-offs withCharlie Cox’s equally iconic Daredevil. Thepair’s rivalry is important inDaredevilas the main opportunity to show off the grit, aggression, and frustrations both characters face on their paths to mutual growth, butDaredevil’s long-form, serialized format was essential in painting a portrait of Wilson Fiskas detailed as the one we’re still unraveling now.
By setting Kingpin up first as New York City’s phantom boogeyman and then transitioning into his relationship withAyelet Zurer’s Vanessa,Daredeviltook advantage of its longer runtimeto show audiencesmultiple sides of the future wife guywithout compromising the narrative momentum of the series. This extensive television format also gave the showrunners time to dip into Fisk’s past and deliver an origin story that muddied the moral waters of Kingpin’s evolution in the series, portraying him asa twisted man possessed equally by violence and a desire to be loved by the women in his life. As a result, it became impossible not to have just a shred of sympathy for the man who suffered at the hands of his own father, even as he murdered beloved characters like the uncle ofDaredevil: Born Again’s BB Urich(Genneya Walton) and made Matt’s life a living hell.
Kingpin Isn’t Quite as Intimidating in Short-Form Disney Marvel Projects
This nuanced approach to introducingone of Marvel’s most formidable villainsguaranteed that Kingpin left a lasting impression on audiences, and the originalDaredevil’s three-season story plan only gave Kingpin even more chances to plot, scheme, anddeliver even more memorable scenes. The same cannot always be said of the character’s stints in more recent Marvel projects. While later seasons ofDaredevilgave audiences the opportunity to appreciate some of Wilson Fisk’s more understated traits, such as his ability to psychologically manipulateWilson Bethel’s Bullseye and literally corrupt an entire team of FBI agents, Kingpin’s appearances in bothEchoandHawkeyefell somewhat flat in comparison.
Kingpin’s appearances inEchodeserve credit for highlighting the villain’s role as a genuine mentor, which added yet another layer to the supervillain in what is easily one of the MCU’s most underrated and important miniseries. That said,Echo’s five-episode release slate and well-deserved focus onAlaqua Cox’s Maya Lopez clearly to do more than throw his weight around, appeal to Maya as a father figure, then set up his political aspirations that have begunto rear their head inDaredevil: Born Again.
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Explores Matt and Kingpin’s Parallels, but the Netflix Show Already Did It Better With This Character
They could never improve on the original dynamic.
Likewise, inHawkeyeFisk is somewhat out of traditional form. This is back when the MCU was clearly still figuring out what to do with the character, and though the crime boss’s scenes with Eleanor Bishop (Vera Farmiga) bring out the same criminal intrigue carried over fromDaredevil, getting taken out byHailee Steinfeld’s apprentice archer with some trick arrowswasn’t exactly the most intimidating look for the character.
The MCU Would Struggle To Capture Kingpin’s Intricacies in a Straightforward Superhero Movie
Even with a better grasp on the character now, what these short-lived MCU appearances prove is thatit’s difficult to represent the full complexities of Kingpin’s character without the benefit of long-form storytelling. In many ways, we Kingpin fans have been spoiled by hours of watching Fisk rage against his adversaries and lead shadowy business meetings with all the subtlety that television has the time to provide. Moreover,the character’s new enemies inDaredevil: Born Again,along with his new allies and narrative trajectory, only further demonstrate how compelling Kingpin is when he isn’t separated from the intricate plotlines and politics of New York City. As a result, the recent history of the character’s time on televisionfurther proves how difficult it would be to do Kingpin justice in a future MCU movie.
Plenty of theories have been thrown around about where Kingpin would end up if he appeared in an MCU film, but odds are thathe would have to play second fiddle to whichever superhero ended up featured in the film’s title. GivenJon Bernthal’s upcoming Punisher project, it is possible that Kingpin’s film rights could change, and we could see the supervillain done right in his own feature film, but as with everything hopeful in Hollywood, nothing is really certain. What is clear for now is that D’Onofrio is killing it once again as Wilson Fisk inDaredevil: Born Again, and rather than mourn movie appearances that were never really needed, it’s far more exciting to look forward to everything that Kingpin has planned forthe show’s upcoming Season 1 finale and second season.
The finale ofDaredevil: Born AgainSeason 1 premieres next Tuesday on Disney+ in the U.S.
Daredevil: Born Again
