First appearing in 1967's The Amazing Spider-Man #50, Kingpin was introduced in Marvel Comics as a villain to Spider-Man, but later went on to become Daredevil's archenemy. Kingpin is one of the longest-running supervillains in Marvel comics, playing the part of the street-level crime boss whose strategic mind and physical strength make him a worthy adversary for any hero. In Netfix's Daredevil, D'Onofrio brought the character to life with a brutality that captivated audiences, leaving questions about whether he would reprise the role in the MCU after the cancelation of Marvel Television shows. Hawkeye brought D'Onofrio's Kingpin into the MCU, pitting him against Clint Barton and Kate Bishop in the series finale.

Related: Daredevil vs. Kingpin? Why MCU Phase 4 Must Avoid A Netflix Repeat

Some of the most powerful and long-awaited villains in previous MCU projects have been cursed with being featured as one-offs, vanquished by the hero easily and never revisited despite having long runs in the comics that allowed room for thrilling story opportunities. Victims to this curse include Whiplash from Iron Man 2, Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger, and Ultron from Avengers: Age of Ultron. Even the Mad Titan Thanos suffered from this after only really being featured in Avengers: Endgame. Marvel may be about to avoid this mistake with Kingpin.

Why Kingpin Being New York Mayor Is Good For The MCU

In 2017's Daredevil #595 comic, Fisk became the Mayor of New York, using his power to outlaw vigilantism to get rid of Daredevil, and other superheroes, once and for all. This storyline is rumored to be the Echo series and assumed to be making an appearance in the Daredevil reboot series too. With so many projects planned to involve Fisk, it seems that Marvel Studios has finally avoided their notorious villain problem.

Fisk's involvement in so many Marvel projects means that audiences have the opportunity to watch the villain grow, potentially over years, just as the heroes do from story to story. Kingpin's comic story arc spans decades, pitting him against multiple heroes—many of whom are already established in the MCU—so the opportunity is there for the character to have a long career in the franchise. While much of the current MCU is dedicated to developing the multiverse storyline, the Disney+ shows, Hawkeye, Echo, Moon Knight, and Daredevil specifically, are dealing with the street-level stories, which is where Kingpin can truly thrive.

Vincent D'Onofrio's version of Wilson Fisk in the MCU has already demonstrated more strength than his Netflix counterpart, so the possibility of him becoming Mayor of New York is exciting for viewers. The character will be developed more than ever before and fully established in the MCU for years to come. His next appearance is set to be in Echo on Disney+ in 2023, but it seems that this will only be the beginning of Kingpin's story.

Next: Phase 4 Set Up Kingpin's Best MCU Hero Fight (Not Spider-Man Or Daredevil)