Summary
One of theDaredevil: Born Againstars spoke about their character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). According to them, their appearance may be limited to TV shows, so they are unlikely to appear in MCU movies.
Daredevil: Born Againis one of the newest TV shows on Disney Plus, and it’s a hit. The series is the continuation of Netflix’sDaredevil, with most stars from the original show returning to reprise their roles, including Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil, Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk/Kingpin, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, and Elden Henson as Franklin “Foggy” Nelson. Daredevil is one of the most iconic allies ofSpider-Man, and the two share many enemies, like The Punisher, Kingpin, Bullseye, Mr. Fear, The Hand, and more. Many are hoping that some of these villains could join Tom Holland’sSpider-Man: Brand New Day. However, one of the actors crushed fans' hopes of their potential appearance in an MCU film by saying it’s unlikely to happen.
D’Onofrio recently appeared on Josh Horowitz’sHappy Sad Confusedpodcast. During the chat, they discussed how Marvel Studiosrevealed the casting ofAvengers: Doomsday. Horowitz admitted to checking the announcement every 10 minutes to see whether he would see D’Onofrio’s name. He didn’t see the latter’s name, but considering his character Kingpin’s ties to Spider-Man, the host wondered if there was a chance he would appear inSpider-Man: Brand New Day.However, D’Onofrio’s response was not promising. He said:
The only thing I know is not positive. Like, it’s a very hard thing to do to use my character in [an MCU film], and for Marvel to [use] my character, it’s a very hard thing to do because of ownership and stuff. I think, right now, I’m only usable for television series.
Don’t Look For Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin On The Big Screen Anytime Soon
D’Onofrio added that he could probably appear in “different kinds of series” but not “even a one-off movie.” He doubled down that it was “all caught up in rights and stuff right now.” As for when this issue will likely be resolved, he could not tell. However, whether given a series or movie, D’Onofrio said he would do his best because that’s his job as an actor. Sony controlsSpider-Manmovies and everything related to them. This is the reason Marvel Entertainment can’t use any of the characters, including the villains from the Spider-Verse, in MCU movies without Sony’s approval. Sony and Marvel Studios have a special agreement forSpider-Man; that’s why the latter is involved in Holland’s Spidey movies, and the character appears in MCU films. This isn’t the first time a potential crossover involving Spider-Man and another character from the Spider-Verse hasn’t happened due to rights issues. Tom Hardy recently shared that his character,Venom, nearly appeared in the same project as Holland’s Spider-Man. However, due to “studio politics,” the project was shelved.
D’Onofrio’s statement was understandable, and it was clear as day that Kingpin would not appear inSpider-Man: Brand New Day, unless there would be changes along the way. Marvel sold the movie rights toSpider-Manand associated characters to Sony Pictures in 1999 due to a financial crisis. Sony is building its own cinematic universe, which featuresSpider-Manvillainsand allies like Venom, Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter. So, even if fans want to see Kingpin in an MCU film, this is not easy to do because the decision involves two companies. However, this also doesn’t mean it’s impossible, as things can materialize so long as Sony and Marvel Studios agree. Sony’s superhero movies are not as successful as the MCU’s, so they can lend characters like Venom,The Punisher, and Kingpin to Marvel Studios, so they will appear in the nextSpider-Manmovie or any MCU films. Doing so would surely please fans and benefit both studios.
