The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a vast interconnected narrative encompassing many characters, settings, and storylines. To keep this sprawling narrative organized and coherent, the MCU divides its overall story between different levels for movies and shows, ranging from simple street-level stories to cosmic-level stories with Multiverse changing implications. As the MCU continues to delve into the Multiverse Saga, one might be tempted to skip ahead on projects that focus on the Multiverse. However, Phase 5 will have a remarkable opportunity to go “back to basics.” In the coming years, Marvel will be delving more into street-level stories, with projects like Echo, Daredevil: Born Again, Captain America: New World Order, Thunderbolts, Armor Wars, and Spider-Man 4. These projects will focus on grounded and relatable stories to audiences and invoke specific topics that might seem muted compared to stories that are often grander in scale. And in today’s “What I Heard” post centered around Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, I’ll discuss how one of these stories may be one of the best street-level stories the MCU will present if executed correctly.
[Warning: possible spoilers ahead for future Marvel projects involving Kingpin’s story in the MCU.]
Backstory
Wilson Fisk, more commonly known as the Kingpin, is a prominent villain in the Marvel Comics universe and will become one of the more critical players in the MCU in the coming phase. Played by Vincent D’Onofrio, Fisk is portrayed as a powerful and ruthless crime lord who operates in New York City and has connections to various criminal organizations. He’s a complex and layered character with a tragic backstory that helps to explain his motivations and actions. You can read more about Kingpin’s comic history in our Kingpin Reading Guide.
Fisk’s cunning and brutality are on full display as he manipulates and schemes his way to the top, often resorting to violence and intimidation to get what he wants. Despite his criminal activities, Fisk sees himself as a protector of the city and its citizens, which makes him all the more dangerous.
His importance in the MCU lies in his role as a recurring villain who threatens individual heroes and the entire city of New York. Fisk’s presence also allows for the exploration of more mature and complex themes, such as the nature of power and corruption and the blurred lines between heroism and villainy, something the MCU intends to explore in several projects.
As of now, it is confirmed that Vincent D’Onofrio will portray Kingpin in several projects in the MCU, primarily in the upcoming Echo and Daredevil: Born Again series. Several reports (via Direct) have heavily rumored that Wilson Fisk’s story will focus on him attempting to obtain power in the political field by running for Mayor of New York City.
What I Heard: Kingpin’s “Dark Reign” in the MCU
According to our sources, the rumors regarding Fisk seeking a political seat are true. However, this plot point will not occur only in one project and immediately be resolved in the same project. The storyline of Fisk seeking the Mayoral seat of NYC will be explored in many projects directly while potentially affecting other projects indirectly.
One source has even specified that this storyline will mirror elements from the Dark Reign storyline from the comics. When asked for clarification, it is implied that the street-level stories of the MCU will be tackling more mature themes, similar to how Netflix approached the Daredevil and Jessica Jones series, respectively.
The story of Fisk’s path to mayoral election is expected to start in the upcoming Disney+ series, Echo. Given how one source has described the Dark Reign arc as one of the inspirations for this storyline, it is likely that at some point in Daredevil: Born Again, Wilson Fisk will succeed and be elected as Mayor of NYC.
The aftermath of Daredevil: Born Again
As for how this story will be explored in projects directly, one project we’ve heard Fisk’s mayoral run will be an essential element to the story is in the upcoming Spider-Man 4 film. As we have mentioned previously, the story will be affected by the aftermath of Daredevil: Born Again. At the time, we could not discuss exactly what that aftermath was.
However, several of our sources have informed us that Kingpin’s true motive for his mayoral campaign is to crack down on the work of street-level vigilantes that could threaten his rule. While there are a number of characters on Fisk’s list (some old, some new), we’re being told by our sources that characters like Hawkeye, Kate Bishop, Matt Murdock, and Spider-Man are at the top of Fisk’s list of “vigilantes.”
This is where the indirect connections to other street-level projects weigh in. Fisk’s election could be felt in projects such as Armor Wars, Captain America: New World Order, Thunderbolts, and even Ms. Marvel. Although he carries a connection to the current Director of the CIA, Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, it’s unlikely she will be available to assist in his current situation.
We’re told that this will leave Fisk no choice but to likely “outsource his matters to a number of contractors” to handle the “vigilante crisis” in New York City. We’ve also been told that this is potentially a plot point for the upcoming Spider-Man 4 film.
Daredevil: Born Again is expected to release in 2024. Do you like the idea of Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk taking over as Mayor in the MCU? Let us know on Twitter, The Cosmic Circus Discord, or other social media.
Wilson Fisk / Kingpin Reading Guide
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