Vincent D’Onofrio Explains Uncertainty Around Kingpin’s Future – Can We Expect Him in the SSU?

Sony Pictures, following Disney, ranks as the second most active studio in Marvel content development. Prior to 2019, Disney, Fox, and Sony held the reins, but Disney’s acquisition of Fox altered the landscape. Despite Disney and Sony’s deal to integrate Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony retains rights to Marvel characters, aiming to forge its own cinematic universe centered on Spider-Man’s villains and anti-heroes.

However, Sony’s efforts to establish this universe largely faltered, marked by only a few successful projects. Most recently, both ‘Morbius’ and ‘Madame Web’ proved to be significant box-office disappointments.

However, recent reports indicate that Sony remains steadfast in its commitment to expanding its cinematic universe and exploring supporting characters from Spider-Man’s world, which could have significant implications for the MCU moving forward.

Vincent D’Onofrio, speaking with Collider, known widely for his portrayal of Kingpin, one of Daredevil’s iconic adversaries, discussed the complexities stemming from the rights arrangement between the two studios. He emphasized the unpredictability of Kingpin’s future appearances across various projects.

I’m going to transparently say this: You know the whole Marvel-Sony thing, right? So there are characters — Marvel characters invented by Marvel — that are caught in between Marvel and Sony. And so it takes a long time for them to figure out who is doing what. I just never know where [Kingpin can show up] . My character is in that kind of situation, unlike Charlie’s. So I don’t know, it’s part of the deal when it comes to playing Kingpin.

Kingpin has long been recognized as a formidable foe of both Daredevil and Spider-Man, a fact well-established through appearances in Netflix’s ‘Defenders’ Saga and MCU’s ‘Echo.’

While the character’s future remains uncertain, rumors suggest Kingpin may feature in the next Spider-Man film within the MCU. Confirmed projects include D’Onofrio reprising his role in the upcoming ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ and voicing Kingpin in the animated series ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.’

Regarding the SSU, Kingpin could potentially appear in future projects if a clear connection between the universes is established, facilitated by the Multiverse. Tom Hardy’s Venom has already crossed over into the MCU, indicating further potential for inter-universal crossovers.

What are your thoughts? Would you be interested in seeing Kingpin in the SSU? Share your opinions in the comments below!