While Marvel’s handling of the Daredevil property has sparked its fair share of complaints since the company reclaimed it from Netflix, there’s one thing everyone can agree on: Vincent D’Onofrio’s portrayal of Kingpin (aka Wilson Fisk) is one of the best live-action Marvel villains. The cold, calculated, yet strangely likable New York-based villain has earned a place in fans’ hearts. Even Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock can see that. But if you were hoping for Kingpin to make a cameo alongside Spider-Man or some of the MCU’s bigger names in films, don’t hold your breath.
In an interview with Josh Horowitz for the Happy Sad Confused podcast, D’Onofrio addressed the issue head-on when asked if Kingpin might appear in future MCU films. While many fans speculated his name could pop up among the stars for Avengers: Doomsday, D’Onofrio shut that idea down, revealing, “Nobody ever talks to me about the movies.”
So, what’s the deal? It turns out it’s all a mess of legal red tape. According to D’Onofrio, the reason Marvel can’t include Kingpin in the MCU films has to do with ownership issues. “It’s a very hard thing,” he explained. “The only thing I know is not positive. It’s a very hard thing for Marvel to use my character, it’s a very hard thing to do. Because of ownership.”
Apparently, Kingpin is only available for television series, and don’t expect to see him leading his own solo movie either. “Right now, I’m only usable for television series,” D’Onofrio said. “I don’t know when that’d work out or if it ever will.”
So, why the roadblocks? The rights to Kingpin are tied up in the same messy situation that affects Spider-Man and other Marvel characters: Sony and Marvel share ownership. Fisk, originally a Spider-Man villain, remains under Sony’s control, which complicates any potential big-screen appearances. For now, fans will have to settle for seeing Kingpin on the small screen.
Despite these obstacles, D’Onofrio hasn’t ruled out the idea of Kingpin appearing in a film somewhere down the line—if the stars align. “My job is to service the story,” he said. “Give me a series, give me a film, and I’ll do my best with whatever it is.”
In the meantime, D’Onofrio’s schedule is packed with Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, which is currently filming in New York City. As for Kingpin’s big-screen future, well, it’s all up in the air—at least until Sony and Marvel can figure things out. Fingers crossed.
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