It seems that fans of the iconic Hell's Kitchen villain, Wilson Fisk, portrayed by Vincent D’Onofrio, will have to temper their expectations for seeing him on the big screen. In a recent interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, D’Onofrio shared some disappointing news about the future of his character in the Marvel universe.
"The only thing I know is not positive," D’Onofrio revealed. "It's a very hard thing to do, for Marvel to use my character. It's a very hard thing to do, because of ownership and stuff." He elaborated that his portrayal of Fisk is limited to television shows, ruling out any standalone Wilson Fisk movie due to complex rights issues. "I’m only usable for television shows. Not even a one-off Wilson Fisk movie. It’s all caught up in rights and stuff. I don’t know when that would work out — or if it ever would work out at all."
This revelation likely means that D’Onofrio's version of Fisk won't be appearing in upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe films such as Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday. This could also impact potential plans for a Charlie Cox-led Daredevil movie, where Fisk's presence as a villain would be expected.
D’Onofrio first brought Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpin, to life in the 2015 Netflix series Marvel’s Daredevil. Over three seasons and nearly 40 episodes until its conclusion in 2018, his performance garnered widespread acclaim from both fans and critics. D’Onofrio's dedication to the character is evident in his thoughtful approach to Fisk's portrayal, drawing inspiration from classic performances.
In a recent interview with IGN, D’Onofrio discussed the influence of actors like Harrison Ford on his performance. "Anytime they were in a fight, or they were holding a gun, they looked nervous," he explained, highlighting the humility and realism he aims to bring to Fisk's action scenes. He cited Gary Cooper's role in Sergeant York as an example of how humility can enhance the authenticity of action sequences.
Currently, fans can catch D’Onofrio reprising his role in Daredevil: Born Again, which is airing weekly on Disney+ and is set to conclude its first season on April 15, 2025.