Why Kingpin Might Be Marvel’s Phase 5 Big Bad

Fans have long clamored for the Thunderbolts to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a calling Marvel Studios will soon answer with a feature-length film. Few details have been unveiled about the movie so far, other than the fact Thor: Ragnarok scribe Eric Pearson is currently writing it and it will be directed by Dave helmer Jake Schreier. Though little is known about the project, one thing is certainly clear: Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio) should be set up as the film’s antagonist. Not just that, but the big bad of Phase Five altogether.

Interestingly enough, Thunderbolts enters theaters after the release of Captain America: New World Order and the debut of Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+. With those three projects alone, the foundation is set to make Wilson FIsk a larger villain through the waning days of Marvel’s next phase of filmmaking.

Let’s examine a recent comics storyline for inspiration. If you look to the source material, Fisk recently spent around five years as the Mayor of New York City, a move he was able to accomplish due to some benefactors pulling the strings behind the scenes. Those same benefactors nearly helped the longtime Daredevil baddie launch a presidential campaign, though the heroes of New York had different plans.

Not only that, but Mayor Fisk also had the Thunderbolts as his own personal security detail and eventual paramilitary force as he started to crack down on vigilantism across the city.

Between the billionaires financing Fisk’s political moves — ahem, a New World Order — and the character’s recent involvement with the Thunderbolts, Marvel Studios is setting up a perfect adaptation of recent Kingpin comics.

Better yet, Marvel Studios has already given Born Again a record-setting 18-episode first season order, meaning that if the show manages to squeak out nine episodes before New World Order hits theaters, a second plot would be able to take place on the back half of the season. New World Order would then lead perfectly into Thunderbolts, where the group — currently being assembled by Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine — could try thwarting Fisk’s mayoral (or presidential) bid for one reason or another.

Thunderbolts is set for release on July 26, 2024 while Daredevil: Born Again currently has a release timeframe of Spring 2024.

What characters would you like to see take part in Marvel’s Thunderbolts flick? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things MCU!