Is it possible for Vincent D'Onofrio's version of the Kingpin to be added to the MCU's sprawling continuity with Spider-Man 3? D'Onofrio's Kingpin was often simultaneously sensitive and dangerous, making for a special brand of tension in the canceled Daredevil series. The show, which ran for three seasons, was part of Netflix's now abandoned Marvel universe, and since it ended, the actor has been vocal on Twitter about his interest in taking the character to the big screen.
Given D'Onofrio's widely applauded performance as the complicated supervillain, many fans would approve of his Wilson Fisk joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Interestingly, of course, Kingpin was introduced in the comics as an adversary opposite Spider-Man before he moved on to facing other Marvel heroes, so the link would make sense. And with Spider-Man in the MCU tied to New York, having the villain with similarly close ties to the city who could be set up as its defender against the presumably "evil" vigilante would also fit the MCU.
Not too long ago, the very idea would have been unthinkable, given the rather tenuous nature of the Marvel Netflix universe's link to the mainline MCU. However, given the more recent developments regarding the upcoming Tom Holland solo Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel, it is still possible for D'Onofrio to get his wish. After all, in the comics, Wilson has tussled with the web-crawling crimefighter on numerous occasions. D'Onofrio's potential future in the MCU lies in the apparent cracking open of the Marvel Multiverse in WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The Holland-led Spider-Man franchise (made possible with collaboration between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures) has itself borrowed the continuities of other universes previously featuring the hero. Spider-Man: Far From Home famously cameoed J.K. Simmons' J. Jonah Jameson after the actor played the role in Sam Raimi's trilogy and Jamie Foxx is set to reprise Electro, a role he played in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
It is notable that, by all appearances, both Simmons and Foxx are playing different versions of their former roles. The Jameson in the end credits of Spider-Man: Far From Home gave off decidedly contemporary vibes, seemingly drawing inspiration from controversial modern news figures like Alex Jones. On Instagram and in interviews, Foxx has revealed that Electro will have a different (and non-blue) design for Spider-Man 3. All of this points to a desire to reuse actors from other cinematic franchises, updating their characters so that they fit more neatly (in terms of tone and design) into the MCU. And given that Kevin Feige and company is clearly looking to get a little strange in Marvel's next outings, it is certainly possible that these characters will eventually be revealed as hailing from alternate universes. Should this prove true, why shouldn't figures from the more adjacent Netflix Marvel shows - like Wilson Fisk - cross over?
D'Onofrio's Fisk would certainly be welcome in the cinematic universe, especially in the Spider-Man franchise, which has struggled to extricate its Peter Parker from the Avengers and his now-dead mentor Tony Stark. Introducing Kingpin, a gritty mob boss in the comics, would effectively ground the hero, whose previous MCU appearances have strayed a bit from his "Friendly Neighborhood" origins, often dealing with intergalactic threats and super tech. Pitting Spidey against someone like Kingpin - whose greed and thirst for violence would threaten any community - may help to initiate the fresh start the web-head so desperately needs.
Thanks to the impending opening of the Marvel's Multiverse, Vincent D'Onofrio's hopes to come back and play an alternate universe version of Kingpin is certainly still on the table. Seeing the actor in Spider-Man 3 after already capturing the Fisk's fury and pathos would certainly be a nice surprise for fans of the Netflix Universe, even after the streaming juggernaut has stopped producing Marvel content. But judging from the Daredevil series' high body count, Spidey may be hoping that D'Onofrio stays far away.