Why Kingpin Won’t Face Off Against Spider-Man According to Daredevil Star?

Nivedita Dubey
August 21, 2024

NerdVeda > TV Series > Why Kingpin Won’t Face Off Against Spider-Man According to Daredevil Star?

Key Points:

Kingpin’s clash with Spider-Man is unlikely due to complicated rights between Marvel and Sony.
Kingpin’s appearances are dependent on agreements between Marvel and Sony, delaying potential crossovers.
Daredevil: Born Again will focus on the rivalry between Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk, premiering in March 2025.

Fans eager to see a showdown between Kingpin and Spider-Man may have to wait longer than expected. According to Vincent D’Onofrio, who plays Kingpin in Marvel’s Daredevil, the chances of his character facing off against Spider-Man are slim due to complicated business arrangements between Marvel and Sony. These legal and rights issues make it challenging to bring Kingpin into the Spider-Man universe, despite his deep comic book connections to both Spider-Man and Daredevil.

Why Won’t Kingpin Face Off Against Spider-Man?

Vincent D’Onofrio, the actor behind Kingpin in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has explained that the reason his character won’t be facing off against Spider-Man anytime soon is due to rights issues between Marvel and Sony. Kingpin, also known as Wilson Fisk, is a character deeply tied to both Spider-Man and Daredevil in the comics. However, the film and TV rights for Kingpin are currently shared between Marvel and Sony, making it tricky to have him appear in projects involving Spider-Man.

D’Onofrio mentioned at Fan Expo Boston 2024 that the rights situation is “part of the deal” when it comes to portraying Kingpin. While characters like Daredevil, played by Charlie Cox, can move more freely between different Marvel projects, Kingpin’s appearances are more restricted. The complexities of these shared rights mean that any potential appearance of Kingpin in a Spider-Man film would require approval from both Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures, which could take a long time to negotiate.

This tangled web of legalities stems from the character’s history. Initially, Sony held the rights to Kingpin because of his connection to Spider-Man. Later, when Fox acquired the rights to the Daredevil TV series, which aired on Netflix from 2015 to 2018, Kingpin’s rights became even more convoluted. After Disney purchased 20th Century Fox in 2019, Marvel Studios regained the rights to Daredevil and Kingpin. Now, both Marvel and Sony share the rights to Kingpin, complicating any future plans for the character, particularly in Spider-Man-related projects.

What’s Next for Kingpin and Daredevil?

While a Spider-Man and Kingpin face-off seems unlikely in the near future, fans won’t have to wait long to see Kingpin back in action. D’Onofrio and Charlie Cox are set to return in the highly anticipated Disney+ series Daredevil: Born Again, premiering in March 2025. The series will pick up on the intense rivalry between Matt Murdock (Daredevil) and Wilson Fisk (Kingpin), promising a storyline that delves into their past and the dark alter-egos they both wrestle with.

The show, which underwent a significant creative overhaul following the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, will be action-packed, featuring intense fight scenes reminiscent of the original Netflix series. Charlie Cox has teased that the new series will include a “oner” fight sequence—an extended action scene filmed in one continuous shot without any cuts, a signature style from the original series that fans have eagerly awaited.

Daredevil: Born Again is set to premiere on Disney+ in March 2025, bringing back the intense rivalry between Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk.

Source: CBR