Vincent D’Onofrio has hardly been shy about expressing his desire to have his character, the criminal mastermind Kingpin, battle Spider-Man on the big screen. Ever since his return to playing the character and being officially integrated into the MCU, D’Onofrio has had the famous, web-slinging hero on his personal hit list. However, it seems the long-awaited bout between his longtime comic book foe is still on hold.
Vincent D’Onofrio Speaks Out Against Sony and Marvel
Image of “The Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1, 197,” Courtesy of Marvel Fandom
In response to a fan on social media wishing for the same live-action duel between the two enemies, D’Onofrio had the following to say, “If Sony and Marvel ever get their sh*t together, maybe. It’s a complicated rights issue. Hope so.”
D’Onofrio’s frustration is understandable. Spider-Man and Kingpin have a rich history in the comics that the red tape behind their character rights is failing to bring to the big screen. He is more than just another random villain for the web crawler, but rather someone who stands in the upper echelon of his rogue gallery.
Kingpin’s grudge against Spider-Man is not a petty thing but a deep-seated hatred.
“Ever since our paths first crossed, I have awaited this moment. You must understand, Spider-Man, your death was inevitable! From the day, from the moment I first embarked on my criminal career, I have always succeeded in all my endeavors. Your death, therefore, is both my crowning achievement and my farewell.”
The Complicated Mess of the Kingpin Rights
Despite being a key focal point in MCU shows such as “Daredevil: Born Again,” “Hawkeye,” and “Echo,” D’Onofrio’s Kingpin appearance in MCU movies is a stickier situation.
Marvel and Sony share the rights to Kingpin, but Marvel holds the rights for TV and Daredevil-related content surrounding the character. On the other hand, Sony controls all film rights to the character because of his origins as a Spider-Man villain, since Sony owns the rights to all Spider-Man-related content.
As it stands now, the version of the Kingpin fans have grown accustomed to seeing is the property of the MCU, just like Daredevil. As such, he’s not allowed to appear in the latest Spider-Man movie, which is technically a Sony production, unless Sony wants to jump through some contractual hoops to make it happen. This is why characters like Matt Murdock and Frank Castle can appear in Spider-Man movies while Kingpin cannot.
D’Onofrio’s frustration stems from that complication. Yet, if Sony wanted, they could allow the Marvel version of Kingpin to appear in their movies, just as they did for Michael Keaton’s Vulture at the end of Morbius.
Sadly, for much of the same reason, characters like the Hulk struggle to get their own movies; other studios have their heels dug in, refusing to allow some of their IP to cross over into Marvel movies due to restrictive contractual laws no one seems to want to untangle.
Denying the Longtime Rivalry
While Daredevil and Fisk are iconic adversaries in their own right, Spider-Man has his own rivalry just as intense with the king of crime.
First appearing in “Amazing Spider-Man #50” in 1967, Fisk has harbored a longstanding hatred of one of New York’s greatest heroes ever since his heroic efforts began reducing the effectiveness of his criminal empire.
This rivalry intensifies over the next forty years, culminating in one of Spider-Man’s most brutal moments in the “Back and Black” storyline. After Aunt May is almost killed in an assassination attempt, Peter stops holding back, hunts down all the villains associated with the attack, and ultimately confronts Kingpin in prison and brutally beats him as if he’s become his own version of the Punisher.
This is the type of action that D’Onofrio hopes he’ll be able to one day explore with his character, but until Marvel and Sony figure out how to navigate through those murky ownership waters, his dreams will remain on hold.
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