Imagine a world where Spider-Man’s most formidable foe, the ruthless Kingpin, steps onto the big screen alongside everyone’s favorite web-slinger. Sounds like a dream come true for Marvel fans, right? But here’s where it gets controversial: despite Kingpin’s deep-rooted history with Spider-Man in the comics, the actor behind the iconic villain, Vincent D’Onofrio, has poured cold water on the idea—at least for now.
D’Onofrio, who masterfully portrays Wilson Fisk (aka Kingpin) in Marvel Television’s Daredevil: Born Again, has become synonymous with the character. His portrayal dates back to the original Daredevil Netflix series, and he’s since appeared in Hawkeye (2021) and Echo (2024). With such a rich history, it’s no wonder fans are clamoring to see him face off against Spider-Man in the MCU. After all, Kingpin was originally introduced as one of Spider-Man’s arch-nemeses in the comics, making this crossover feel almost inevitable.
And this is the part most people miss: during an appearance on The Playlist’s Bingeworthy TV podcast, D’Onofrio shut down rumors of Kingpin appearing in Spider-Man: Brand New Day (aka Spider-Man 4), set to swing into theaters this summer. His reasoning? It all boils down to rights issues. “I think I’ll just wait until they have the rights to my character and they put me in one of those movies, and then I’ll figure it all out,” he explained. Simple, right? Not quite.
In a previous interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, D’Onofrio dove deeper into the complexities of the situation. “It’s a very hard thing to do, to use my character—for Marvel to use my character,” he admitted. “Right now, I’m only usable for television series. It’s all caught up in rights and stuff.” This raises a bigger question: Is the MCU’s fragmented ownership structure holding back iconic crossovers like this?
For now, fans will have to settle for seeing D’Onofrio’s Kingpin in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, premiering on Disney+ on March 24, 2026. As for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it’s set to hit theaters on July 31, 2026—sans Kingpin, unfortunately. But hey, stranger things have happened in the MCU. Could we see a resolution to these rights issues down the line? Or is this crossover doomed to remain a fan’s pipe dream?
What do you think? Are rights issues killing the potential for epic MCU crossovers? Or is there still hope for Kingpin and Spider-Man to share the screen someday? Let us know in the comments—we’re all ears!
