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

It seems that fans of the notorious Hell's Kitchen villain, Wilson Fisk, portrayed by Vincent D’Onofrio, might have to temper their expectations for seeing him on the big screen. In a recent discussion on the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, D’Onofrio revealed some disappointing news about his character's future in the Marvel universe. "The only thing I know is not positive," he stated, explaining the complexities of using his character in films due to ownership issues. "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."

D’Onofrio elaborated that his portrayal of Fisk is limited to television projects, dashing hopes of a standalone Wilson Fisk movie. "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 seemingly eliminates the possibility of D’Onofrio reprising his role in upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe films such as Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday. It may also impact plans for a potential Charlie Cox Daredevil movie, where fans would naturally anticipate seeing D’Onofrio's Kingpin as the formidable adversary.

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, which concluded in 2018, his performance garnered widespread acclaim from both fans and critics. D’Onofrio's thoughtful approach to the character, particularly his influences, underscores his dedication to portraying Fisk authentically.

Speaking to IGN last month, D’Onofrio discussed how he drew inspiration from the performances of actors like Harrison Ford, focusing on their ability to convey humility in action scenes. "Anytime they were in a fight, or they were holding a gun, they looked nervous," he noted. "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 as Fisk in Daredevil: Born Again, which is airing week-to-week on Disney+ and will conclude its first season on April 15, 2025.