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

It turns out that fans of the notorious Hell's Kitchen villain, Wilson Fisk, might not see him on the big screen anytime soon — according to Vincent D’Onofrio, the actor who portrays Fisk in Daredevil: Born Again. During a recent interview on the Happy Sad Confused podcast with Josh Horowitz, D’Onofrio shed light on the complex situation surrounding his character's usage.

"The only thing I know is not positive," D’Onofrio admitted. "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." He further elaborated that his portrayal of Fisk is restricted to television shows only, and not even a standalone Wilson Fisk movie is feasible due to rights issues. "I don’t know when that would work out — or if it ever would work out at all," he added.

This revelation likely means that D’Onofrio's version of Fisk won't appear in any Marvel Cinematic Universe films, including the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday. This could also complicate the prospects of a potential Charlie Cox Daredevil movie, where Fisk's presence as a villain would be expected.

D’Onofrio first brought Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpin and New York City's most powerful crimelord and future mayor, to life in Marvel's *Daredevil*. The Netflix series, which debuted in 2015, ran for three seasons and concluded with nearly 40 episodes in 2018. D’Onofrio's performance has garnered widespread acclaim from both fans and critics, making his character's future a topic of significant interest.

In a conversation with IGN last month, D’Onofrio shared insights into the influences that shape his portrayal of Fisk, drawing inspiration from the everyman performances of actors like Harrison Ford. "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, Daredevil: Born Again Season 1 is airing on Disney+ on a week-to-week basis, with its finale set to premiere on April 15, 2025.