The MCU Must Avoid Repeating Its Kingpin Mistake With Daredevil

Daredevil and Kingpin have both officially joined the MCU, but Marvel would be wise to treat Matt Murdock differently from Wilson Fisk. Both characters made their debut in the Netflix TV series Daredevil in season one and went on to play major roles in seasons two and three. However, after some major changes to Kingpin’s character following his return, marvel must be careful to avoid altering what made these two versions of the characters so iconic to begin with.

Following the cancellation of Daredevil, fans were worried they wouldn’t see Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio in the roles again. Fortunately, D’Onofrio reappeared as Wilson Fisk / Kingpin in Hawkeye as the secret antagonist in episodes five and six. It was no coincidence, therefore, that in the same week, Charlie Cox returned as Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Fisk played a major role in the Hawkeye series, as it was revealed that he was manipulating Eleanor Bishop, whose husband had been in debt to him. D’Onofrio’s performance was virtually the same as it was in Daredevil, but the character was markedly different from how he was portrayed in the Netflix series. Whereas the Kingpin had been a truly frightening adversary for Matt Murdock, who could snap at any moment and brutally kill anyone in his path, the Fisk in Hawkeye felt less threatening and more toned-down to fit the child-friendly tone of the series. Even his costume reflected this change, as he traded in his slick black and white suit for a red Hawaiian shirt and brimmed hat that more accurately resembled Kingpin’s comic book counterpart. The Wilson Fisk of Hawkeye was thus a less intimidating shell of the Kingpin seen in Daredevil.

Now that Charlie Cox has officially entered the MCU, and possibly made the Netflix series canon once more, Marvel must not make the same mistake with Daredevil. Part of what made all three seasons of Daredevil so enjoyable was how grounded and gritty they were. They were unafraid of tackling real-world issues like human trafficking, drug dealing, and even loss of faith. At the heart of those stories was Matt Murdock, who was a far more serious hero than the happy-go-lucky heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Murdock’s waning faith in Catholicism, his immense struggle with being Daredevil, and his integrity as a lawyer should therefore be kept intact if he were to succeed in the MCU. Transforming Daredevil into a quip-spouting hero like Thor, Iron Man, or Spider-Man simply wouldn’t work.

Of course, it was expected that Marvel Cinematic Universe films and TV series wouldn’t feature bloody violence on the level of Daredevil. However, that doesn’t mean that they can’t be taken seriously. A major problem with Fisk’s presentation in Hawkeye was that he spent most of his time getting beaten up by Kate Bishop, Eleanor, and eventually, Echo. The Netflix series always took injuries very seriously, as Daredevil had to constantly be stitched up by his friend and ally, Claire Temple. This added a great deal of gravitas to the series and made each of the Man Without Fear’s fights feel tense and real.

Fisk surviving an explosion, an arrow to the chest, and perhaps even a gunshot to the face, may have been more comic accurate, but it wasn’t more compelling. When Daredevil returns, Marvel Studios would be wise to keep the gritty, street-level feel of his original series. This intensity also extended to the way his fight scenes were shot. Daredevil became famous for its incredible action, which included long single takes and close-quarter martial arts. His action scenes in future projects must keep this level of intensity, without relying on expensive sets and CGI.

The Netflix series characters have come from a world that is inherently darker, grittier, and more realistic than the MCU. Now that characters like Fisk and Murdock have been folded in, it is more important than ever that Marvel fixes its tonal problem. Daredevil is not Captain Marvel nor one of the Guardians of the Galaxy; he’s a street-level hero who has suffered injuries that nearly killed him and stopped crimes that echoed the issues of the real world. If Daredevil does appear in She-Hulk, Echo, or any other future project, Marvel must stay true to the vision of the character Netflix created and avoid turning him into a cookie-cutter MCU hero.

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