Vincent D'Onofrio on Wilson Fisk's Movie Absence: 'It's All About Rights'

Vincent D’Onofrio, known for his captivating portrayal of Wilson Fisk in the Marvel series "Daredevil," has shed light on a disappointing limitation concerning his character's future in the Marvel universe. During a recent appearance on the podcast "Happy Sad Confused" with Josh Horowitz, D’Onofrio revealed that due to complex rights issues, Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpin, is restricted to television appearances only. This means fans won't see D’Onofrio's Fisk in any standalone Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie, including anticipated films like "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" and "Avengers: Doomsday."

D’Onofrio expressed his frustration over the situation, saying, "The only thing I know is not positive. 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 news not only affects the potential for a Wilson Fisk movie but also raises questions about D’Onofrio's involvement in any future Daredevil film where Fisk's presence would be expected.

D’Onofrio's journey as Fisk began with the Netflix series "Daredevil" in 2015, which ran for three seasons until its conclusion in 2018, amassing nearly 40 episodes. His performance as New York City’s formidable crimelord and future mayor has been lauded by both fans and critics. In a recent interview with IGN, D’Onofrio discussed the influences behind his portrayal, citing the everyman performances of actors like Harrison Ford and the humility in action scenes seen in performances like Gary Cooper's in "Sergeant York." He explained, "Anytime they were in a fight, or they were holding a gun, they looked nervous. 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 in "Daredevil: Born Again," which is airing weekly on Disney+. The season finale is set to premiere on April 15, 2025.