After three seasons on Netflix, Daredevil is finally coming to the MCU. Charlie Cox reprised the role of Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home last December, just days after we saw Vincent D'Onfrio return as the Kingpin in Hawkeye. The stage has been set for future stories featuring both characters, but it's Wilson Fisk we're focusing on today.
We all know that Fisk is one of the Man Without Fear's greatest foes, but after being gunned down by Maya Lopez, what can Marvel Studios do with the villain that Marvel Television didn't?
Looking back over the character's comic book history, we've singled out five storylines that would serve as the perfect basis for The Kingpin's return (presumably in Echo). Many involve Daredevil, while others feature unexpected faces from across the Marvel Universe, including Spider-Man and Ghost Rider. All of these could work, as they each have serious big or small screen potential.
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5. "Hardcore"
After being gunned down by Maya Lopez (who learned of his role in her father's death, just like in Hawkeye), The Kingpin returned to New York City after undergoing surgery to fix his blindness. Echo's assassination attempt failed, robbing Fisk of his eyesight, but leaving him very much alive.
Daredevil paid for that, and in "Hardcore," Matt Murdock - pushed to the edge by recent events in his life - publicly beats his old foe and declares himself the new Kingpin of Hell's Kitchen. It would be hard to jump straight into this arc in the MCU, but the concept of Fisk returning after his apparent death and going to extreme measures to regain his former glory seems likely for Echo.
We'd actually make it so that Maya is the one to defeat her "uncle" and take his place, albeit as a Kingpin looking to keep criminals in check. However, the Man Without Fear should definitely factor into any sort of take on this story as his dynamic with Echo deserves to be explored.
4. Summoning Ghost Rider
We're going a little more obscure here, but this is a moment that could be a perfect fit for the MCU...with major consequences for the future. In the pages of "Shadowland" (a story that saw Daredevil lose his mind after killing Bullseye and taking control of The Hand), The Kingpin decided to take desperate measures in an effort to stop his archnemesis' rise to power.
Using an ancient scroll, Fisk summoned the Ghost Rider and gained control of the Spirit of Vengeance himself. Needless to say, this has all the makings of being the perfect way to reintroduce Johnny Blaze to audiences and is a good excuse to explore Kingpin's fascination with the occult.
Explaining that Ghost Rider has been trapped in Hell for several years means Marvel Studios can address his absence and pit the anti-hero against Daredevil in what we can only imagine would be an epic battle. Johnny would eventually break free, using his newfound freedom to make the guilty pay for their crimes on Earth...starting with Fisk!
3. Teaming Up With Daredevil
In the current Daredevil run from Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto, Hell's Kitchen came under fire from a couple of villainous billionaires looking to remake New York City in their own image. Despite hating each other with a passion, Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk were left with no other choice than to put their differences aside - albeit briefly - to take down a major threat.
The villainous group was made up of Bullseye, Rhino, Crossbones, Bullet, and Stilt-Man, and while these two weren't happy about working together, they successfully repelled the bad guys.
We've seen these two clash so many times on screen, why not force them to work together for once? Maya Lopez was sympathetic, but still a gangster in Hawkeye, so perhaps her series will continue to take Echo down a villainous path? This would lead to clashes with the Matt and the returning Kingpin, leaving them no choice but to team up in an effort to stop an out of control Maya.
2. Battle With Spider-Man
D'Onofrio has talked about wanting to pit his Wilson Fisk against Spider-Man, and there are two specific stories we think Marvel Studios could take inspiration from. The Kingpin made his debut in the pages of Amazing Spider-Man #50, targeting Spidey and J. Jonah Jameson! Proving himself a force to be reckoned with, Fisk was more than a match for the wall-crawler here.
This was also the case when another version of The Kingpin showed up in Ultimate Spider-Man. Using Electro and The Enforcers as muscle, the villain similarly overpowered Peter Parker and even unmasked the teenager during their first meeting.
Both stories, not to mention countless others, show the sort of magic that can happen when these two cross paths. While we're excited to see Daredevil's rivalry with the villain play out in the MCU, it would be no bad thing for Spidey to try and take down his criminal empire in Spider-Man 4.
1. "Devil's Reign"
We're not suggesting a direct adaptation of this story (it's not actually ended yet), as there are far too many moving pieces. However, the prospect of Wilson Fisk becoming Mayor of New York City and using that newfound power to make life hell for Daredevil and his fellow street-level superheroes has all the makings of a compelling tale.
It could play out in a movie or on Disney+, but legitimising Fisk and having him take aim at vigilantes like Daredevil, Spider-Man, and Moon Knight would shine a spotlight on new corners of the MCU. Those characters could then come together in an effort to put The Kingpin down once and for all, with D'Onofrio making his presence felt in multiple franchises before then.
A slow-burn approach would be best to do the concept of Devil's Reign justice, but this storyline has the potential to actually make many of the other suggestions listed here a reality too.