Marvel Studios loves their secrets. Whether it’s casting reveals, plot details, or even the episode count of a streaming series, the studio works hard to keep things undercover. For Hawkeye, that meant trying to keep the return of Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin a secret, something that was no small task.
In a recent interview with Marvel News Desk, D’Onofrio was asked about working with the famously secretive studio:
In the end I find it hard to believe that, the fans that I come across are intelligent people and I find it hard to believe that they don’t know its a game. And that the game evokes excitement and sometimes provokes excitement, and so I think it’s a fun game to play. And yes, sometimes its weird because in the moment, it gets bizarre, but you know the best thing about that situation from the actor’s point of view, I’ll say, is that I really don’t know anything. I literally don’t, you know, and at this point I would rather not, because its an uncomfortable position to be in.
Vincent D’Onofrio
D’Onofrio quickly clarified that while it is bizarre and uncomfortable for the actor to have to keep so many secrets while fans wildly speculate, it is still enjoyable:
You know even when I said its an uncomfortable position to be in, just as I said that, the first thing comes to my mind is: “but it’s kind of fun. The game is kind of fun”
Vincent D’Onofrio
Keeping a return such as Wilson Fisk quiet definitely couldn’t have been easy, especially for D’Onofrio who loves the character so much, but it was sure worth the wait. Now let the games begin again people wonder just where Kingpin will show up next.
Back in 2018, we witnessed half of the Marvel Cinematic Universe blipped out of existence. Even today we’re still learning just who survived and who got dusted. Recently in Hawkeye, we learned that Yelena Belova, sister of Natasha Romanoff, was a victim of the blip. One character from that show whose fate during the blip remains a mystery is Wilson Fisk.
Vincent D’Onofrio recently sat down with the folks over at Marvel News Desk, who asked the actor if he’d played this version of Kingpin as if he blipped or hadn’t.
Well, I don’t think I can talk about it because I don’t really know. I can only go by what I think and how I played it but I don’t want to put it out there because then it will become canon. I never had that discussion with anybody so just because of what I had to do in the story, I had to think about it a certain way for me to be able to understand my sort of history up until that point. Hopefully I’ll get another stab at Fisk and it’ll come out another way.
Contrary to what people initially thought, it now seems that D’Onofrio was never really given any information on the canonicity of Fisk’s previous appearance in the Netflix shows. The man certainly reserves the right to portray the character such – with canonicity in mind – but until the story explicitly states it, the debate continues to be in flux. The Fisk we met in Hawkeye was a bit different than the one we were quite used to on Daredevil, so whether it’s a post-blip Fisk or even a soft rebooted one remains to be seen.
In the opening moment of Episode 6 of Hawkeye, it was a bit obvious that Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin wasn’t the same one fans had gotten to know over 3 seasons of Netflix’s Daredevil. Over the course of the episode, the different wardrobe and near superhuman resistance to damage continued to lead fans to believe this wasn’t the same old Wilson Fisk. While it still remains to be seen just how this Fisk fits into the Marvel Cinematic Universe following the events of Hawkeye, it’s likely we’ll see him again, giving D’Onofrio more room to grow in the role.
Recently the folks over at Marvel News Desk had the chance to sit down with the Kingpin himself and took the time to ask just how D’Onofrio went about bringing Fisk into the MCU, after all that time in a very different world at Netflix.
I have to say, that from the get-go with my involvement with Marvel, from Jeph Loeb to where we were at Hawkeye, that I’ve had complete freedom the whole time. I’m not sure why I have? I know that my initial coming into Netflix was contingent on whether I thought it was an interesting part for me, because I knew who Kingpin was.
Vincent D’Onofrio
D’Onofrio went on to describe how he was able to work closely with Marvel Studios’ Trinh Tran and the writers of Hawkeye to transition the character into the MCU:
You know with Hawkeye it was the same thing. I was immediately, you know Trinh had me on the phone immediately, and I was talking to writers and the producers and we were having-every couple of weeks-we were having discussions about script and about changes and about ideas in the way my approach was. And they were happy enough to pass that on to the directors and how I work, and my approach and how I felt about it, and Kevin was very clear that I was going to be able to bring my stuff into the part.
Vincent D’Onofrio
D’Onofrio has gone on record several times saying that he’s playing Fisk as if he were the same character as the one from the Netflix series. It’s clear from this interview that he truly cares for the character and any future appearances of Kingpin will benefit from his involvement in determining where he goes next.
Last weekend, we looked at which characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe were worthy of their own spinoff. In this week’s installment of Murphy’s Team-Up, we take a look at one thing we’d all change about the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Dalbin: I would change the order of the films to represent a more linear and chronological release and utilize the Marvel One-Shots to fill in some gaps. Captain America: First Avenger would’ve been first, then Captain Marvel, then maybe a Black Panther prequel with King T’Chaka as the protector of Wakanda. Maybe Guardians of the Galaxy takes place much earlier in the regular timeline, with an accompanying One-Shot showing Peter being taken and groomed by Yondu.
Marvel Studios has done an impressive job handling all the plates in the air, but there have been some small missteps in the canon: the Incredible Hulk end-credits scene comes to mind, as well as the revelation that Odin had a fake Infinity Gauntlet in his treasure room. A more streamlined narrative may have avoided those while utilizing a different medium to support the stories being told.
Anthony Canton III: If there was one thing I’d change in the MCU I’d keep Ultron around. What if? opened up an interesting door involving the multiverse and Ultron’s potential to be a lasting villain. One of the issues in superhero movies generally run into is villains normally die. Even the most compelling villains tend to hit the dirt and while there are good logistical reasons for it we need some more Zemo types in our lives. Bring Ultron back, have him show up again and make him a more significant threat than he actually was. Change that, and you always have something you can go back to. It can be in different ways too, we have time travel and the multiverse. More Ultron means more fun.
Joāo RP:
If I could go back and change one thing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it would have to be turning the time travel approach used in Avengers: Endgame from the Multiverse Theory to the Fixed Timeline theory. The Multiverse Theory means, as its name states, that by traveling in time you create bifurcations in the time stream, making it branch out into new, separate timelines. Just like we’ve all seen it explained in Loki. Even if it all ended up laying the groundwork for the aforementioned Loki series, it has led to a convoluted mess we’ll explore more of in Phase Four.
Had Marvel Studios used the Fixed Timeline theory, it would ask for a more clever way of dealing with traveling back in time. This is because the actions of the time travelers would have already taken place in the previous movies, and so these would have to be retrofitted onto those scripts’ gaps. It would also give the Infinity Saga a bit more closure, instead of trying to get ahead of itself in setting up what would come next. The Multiverse could wait, as there were many possibilities to still have it come to fruition down the line, without having to compromise the ending of a 23-movie-long overarching story.
Mary Maerz: I always wish they had found some way to adapt Demon in a Bottle for Tony. I know why the studio did not do that, and I think the order of films currently could have made that extra tricky, but they did try and put some mental health elements in Iron Man 3—and they hinted at his possible problem in Iron Man 2. If you did everything to set up Demon in a Bottle in Iron Man 3, then Age of Ultron and his role in it could have been the big moment where it all comes to a head, considering he really screwed the pooch there. It would also explain some of his significant character growth and maturity between Age of Ultron and Civil War, where he seems like he had to sit with himself and figure out what he’s doing with his life anyway. Considering we had sort of less/sporadic character development for him after 2013, it could have given his arc some real punch in Phase 2-ish and let the results play out naturally in Phase 3.
Nathan Miller: My use of time travel to change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be more meta than changing something within the story-universe. I would have decision-making executives in charge of greenlighting early Marvel films give the go-ahead to the early projects Kevin Feige and team wanted to make in the mid-2000s. It would have been amazing to have had films centered on Shang-Chi, Black Widow, Black Panther, Cloak & Dagger and Doctor Strange in Phase One. It’s fascinating to imagine how different the MCU might look in that context!
Hunter Radesi: If I had the power to alter the cinematic Marvel timeline and change one thing, I would make Peter Parker a protégé of Steve Rogers instead of Tony Stark. I typically tend to stay away from this topic, as I truly love the version of Tom Holland’s web-slinger that we got. However, I always felt that Steve’s values were better suited for a young Parker who may have needed to hear the “plant yourself like a tree” speech at that point in his life.
‘Y: The Last Man’ gets canceled but might find a new home
FX’s Y: The Last Man, the adaptation of the iconic comic book series by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra got canceled before its first season came to an end. Showrunner Eliza Clark announced it through her Twitter account, all while maintaining hope that this wouldn’t be the end of it. Just a couple of days later a rumor emerged that the show might find its next home at HBO Max, something that, in a way, would bring the show back under the Warner Bros. umbrella, as the source material was published through DC’s Vertigo imprint.
Marvel Studios, hopefully for the final time, decided to push back a few of its upcoming theatrical releases. Every movie starting with Thor: Love and Thunder was moved forward by a few months, with a couple of the previously announced 2023 dates removed altogether from the schedule. Kevin Feige referred to these changes as being due to “production shifts and changes” and since Marvel has several slots at their disposal it’s something that can easily be decided upon.
Harry Styles joins the MCU
Variety senior writer Matt Donnelly confirmed that Harry Styles had joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe on a viral tweet posted the night of the Eternals World Premiere. Styles is said to be playing Eros, the brother of the Mad Titan Thanos on a post-credit scene in the upcoming MCU feature. It came as a surprise to most that someone working for a major trade could so carelessly spoil such an important introduction, depriving fans of the surprise they would surely get at the end of their first Eternals viewing.
Thanagarians to appear in new CW series ‘Naomi’
Naomi seems to be adapting the Raanian / Thanagar War plotline from the comics. A recent clip from Naomi has made its way onto the internet giving us our very first look at Alexander Wraith as Dee, the mysterious mechanic in town who Naomi believes is holding a secret the could solve the mystery of her origin. Dee is a Thanagarian war deserter, who planned to run from the conflict with his wife who didn’t make it to earth. Naomi’s adoptive father is the one who came to earth in search of Dee but ended up falling in love and staying on Earth.
Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ continues its meteoric rise
After just four weeks in release, Netflix’s Korean drama Squid Game pulled in a stunning 142 million views by member households globally. The numbers were released by Netflix on Tuesday as part of its third-quarter earnings report in a letter to its investors. “A mind-boggling 142m member households globally have chosen to watch the title in its first four weeks. The breadth of Squid Game’s popularity is truly amazing,” the letter read.
‘World War Hulk” project in development at Marvel Studos
It’s been thoroughly reported that Mark Ruffalo has, over the years, often pitched Hulk solo storylines to Marvel Studios’ president Kevin Feige. Even though World War Hulk probably won’t turn out to be a Hulk solo outing, you can’t get more Hulk-centric than this. Fans rejoiced at the prospect of bringing the iconic comic storyline to the big screen where the MCU will have to deal with the implications of such a world-altering event.
Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune’ might get its expected sequel
Dune: Part One is already being described and one of the biggest cinematic achievements of the past decade. Many have left theaters clamoring for the studio to deliver the sequel, as the future of the franchise seems brighter than ever before. Following the massive positive reaction to part one of director Denis Villeneuve‘s passion project, WarnerMedia Studios CEO seemingly confirmed that plans for a ‘Dune’ sequel are already being put into place.
Anakin Skywalker returns. Again.
After confirmation that Hayden Christensen would return to the Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader role in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, a trade report announced that he would also make an appearance in the upcoming The Mandalorian spin-off, Ahsoka. Star Wars continues to move forward while leaning on a number of characters from its past, from Anakin to Kenobi and Boba Fett.
Cheadle gave us another update yesterday at ACE Universe Comic Con. Not only did he mention a timing update having recently brought the head writer onboard but he also spoke about his excitement for Rhodey’s next stories:
I think the most exciting part is yet to come. I think we don’t really have a super strong idea who he is really, outside of that bubble of the Avengers, outside of necessarily his friendship with Tony, and now he’s gonna kind of be untethered from all of that. So it’s an opportunity to really kind of discover who he is in a way that we have not had before with concentrated time and focus on Rhodey and Rhodey’s journey and hopefully some stuff about his past and and you know teeing up some things about his potential future. I think those kinds of things were hinted at in an Endgame where where this character might go and the things that may be in the offing for him.
Cheadle also reiterated something he’s said a few times before: it is still early days in the development of the show so despite it being announced almost a year ago now, we shouldn’t really expect to see it anytime soon.
It’s very early in the process of Armor Wars, we just hired my boy Yassir which I’m very excited about. […] A great guy, a lot of great ideas but honestly we’re just really trying to crack the spine of what it’s going to be.
So it seems in talking about Armor Wars teeing up Rhodey’s potential future, it might suggest a future beyond that event itself. As a senior member of the Avengers without some close friends like Tony and Steve around, it remains to be seen whether he will become a mentor to other newer members or simply lead by example. Whatever the case, Armor Wars seems like it will show us the potential first step in a new path for Rhodey.
The last 2 episodes of the first season of What If…?, Marvel Studios first canonical animated series, saw a significant ramping up in terms of action and big, frenetic fight scenes. Episode 8 saw The Watcher go God-mode and take on Ultron in one of the best battles of the series which also saw an iconic comic book aesthetic jump mediums to the MCU: the Kirby Krackle. In an interview with ComicBook.com, What If…? director Bryan Andrews talked about bringing the artistic convention to the series and honoring the man for who it’s named, comic book legend Jack Kirby.
Kirby often used the Krackle, or Kirby Dots, as a representation of Cosmic energy (and in Episode 8 The Watcher was giving off some big energy!). Comic readers might mostly associate the style with Kirby’s work on The Fantastic Four (as seen below) but the unique representation permeated his work and has been used in animated series and films before such as Ben 10 and Into the Spider-Verse. Andrews, who has worked as a story board artist for Marvel Studios for more than a decade, was thrilled to bring the effect to the series.
I just wanted to do it forever. And then I’ve always been bummed that they haven’t done Kirby Krackle on the live action movies, so I was like, ‘We’re doing it here, guys,’ and everyone was like, “Yay!” I think, now that we’ve done it and it looks amazing, I’m hoping that whatever weird thing that the visual effects people have been avoiding it for [is over] — I don’t know why they would. Come on guys. Bring it, bring it! So we’ll see. Maybe it’s a new era of visual effects.
Kirby’s influence has been felt more and more in the past few years of the MCU. Taika Waititi’sThor: Ragnarok designs were very Kirby-esque and in just under one month one of Kirby’s most obscure creations, the Eternals, will be featured in their own film. It’s both wonderful and appropriate to see the Kirby Krackle introduced into the MCU via The Watcher, one of Kirby’s creations and a staple of The World’s Greatest Comics Magazine. Let’s hope the live-action crew take a cue from Andrews and find a way to bring the Krackle to the big screen in Marvel Studios Fantastic Four.
With so little being known about Marvel Studios upcoming Disney Plus streaming series Moon Knight, any tidbit, no matter how small, seems exciting. This one certainly falls into the small tidbit category: French actor Gaspard Ulliel’s agency page, Hamilton Hodel, has updated a listing showing that Ulliel will be bringing the little known character Midnight Man to the MCU.
Anton Mogart, aka Midnight Man, first appeared in 1981’s Moon Knight #3 and made just a handful of appearances over the years. An art and jewel thief who liked to do his dirty work right at midnight (hence the clever moniker), Mogart had a run in with Moon Knight that resulted in his face being partially melted by some nasty NYC sewage. Mogart swore vengeance against Moon Knight but never accomplished much other than getting himself killed. His son, Jeff Wilde, partnered with Moon Knight for a time under the name Midnight. He eventually flipped out and got himself killed by Moon Knight.
Moon Knight is currently filming overseas and is expected to stream on Disney Plus in early 2022.
In a recent chat with Charles Murphy, Loki director Kate Herron took the time to explain how Marvel’s Cinematic Multiverse, introduced by Jonathan Majors‘ He Who Remains in the finale of the series, works and details exactly what we’re seeing as the timeline branches. Check out the video below:
Marvel Studios has set 2022 production start dates for a pair of Disney Plus streaming series, one of which may come as a bit of surprise to fans. We are hearing that Echo is currently set for a January 2022 start of production and will be followed up in April by Ironheart.
Echo will continue to story of Maya Lopez, played by Alaqua Cox, that will begin when Hawkeye debuts later this year in Hawkeye. Despite being described by Variety as being in “early development” just last March, it appears that the series has been fast-tracked and could crack Marvel Studios 2022 streaming lineup.
Ironheart, announced at December’s Disney Investor Day, will star Dominque Thorne as Riri Williams and recently gained a head writer in Chinaka Hodge. The currently scheduled April start of production would give the writers’ room just about one year to adapt Williams to the MCU.
As with any production dates, particularly ones this early on, things can change. Still, it’s exciting to continue to see movement on these projects and what the next phase of Disney+ Marvel shows will include. It’s especially exciting considering Cox is getting an opportunity to break many barriers in her role as Lopez. Marvel and Disney must have been quite impressed with what they saw in Hawkeye to greenlight a solo series so quickly.
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