Vincent D'Onofrio: Wilson Fisk's Movie Rights Complicate Daredevil: Born Again

Vincent D’Onofrio, renowned for his portrayal of the notorious villain Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpin, in the Netflix series *Daredevil*, recently shared some disappointing news for fans hoping to see Fisk on the big screen. During an interview on the *Happy Sad Confused* podcast with Josh Horowitz, D’Onofrio revealed that due to complex ownership issues, Marvel can only utilize his character in television projects, not in feature films.

"The only thing I know is not positive," D’Onofrio stated. "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. 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 effectively dashes hopes of seeing D’Onofrio's Kingpin in upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies such as *Spider-Man: Brand New Day* and *Avengers: Doomsday*. It also raises questions about the future of a potential *Daredevil* film featuring Charlie Cox, where Fisk's presence would be expected as a key antagonist.

D’Onofrio first brought Fisk to life in the 2015 Netflix series *Daredevil*, which ran for three seasons and concluded with nearly 40 episodes in 2018. His performance has garnered widespread acclaim from both fans and critics, prompting D’Onofrio to deeply consider the nuances of his character's portrayal. He draws inspiration from the likes of Harrison Ford and other iconic actors known for their everyman qualities, even in action-packed scenes.

"Anytime they were in a fight, or they were holding a gun, they looked nervous," D’Onofrio explained to IGN. "They carried their own humility into the action scenes with them. And I always thought that that was the way to go. That made it look real to me. Gary Cooper in *Sergeant York*, when he takes aim, when he becomes the sniper, it's the humility in his eyes that you see. It's amazing. I think that helps action stuff a lot. We're all very conscious of that."

Currently, fans can catch D’Onofrio reprising his role as Fisk in *Daredevil: Born Again*, which is airing weekly on Disney+ and is set to conclude its first season on April 15, 2025.