Marvel producer Richie Palmer wants to see Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin become a major Marvel Cinematic Universe villain after working with him on the Disney+ series Echo, which debuts on January 9.
D'Onofrio first played Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, in the Netflix series Daredevil before reprising the role in the MCU for Hawkeye and the upcoming Disney+ shows Echo and Daredevil: Born Again, but Palmer, who served as an executive producer on Echo, hopes the character could become even more pivotal in the future.
"I want to see that," Palmer told ComicBook when asked if he would like Kingpin to become a recurring villain in the MCU going forward. "Stay tuned to how [Echo] ends and where we see him next. As a Kingpin fan myself, that sounds awesome, and I know Vincent would love it."
Palmer also reflected on D'Onofrio's performance as Kingpin, specifically in Echo, explaining how the actor tapped into a different side of the character while maintaining his status as a feared figure in the MCU.
"He's scary. He's violent. And, like Maya, he can do so much with just the look on his face, and he is so intimidating, and that's awesome," he said. "But also, what I think is great about him being in this show is we got to see a different side of him in terms of his emotionality. And where he is after being humbled by Maya at the end of Hawkeye. I think he's a little bit of a changed man when we meet him here. I think it's exciting to see such a larger-than-life character like Kingpin go through those changes."
Echo is the first series to launch under the new Marvel Spotlight banner, which signifies that audiences can watch the series without needing all the prior knowledge of the larger MCU. It is also the first Marvel Studios-produced TV series to be rated TV-MA, meaning it's intended for mature audiences, and the first Marvel series simultaneously released on Disney+ and Hulu.
The series stars Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez/Echo, who made her MCU debut in Hawkeye. Echo is the adoptive daughter of Kingpin and has a close association with Daredevil. She is a deaf Native American character, created by David Mack and Joe Quesada, and made her first appearance in Daredevil Vol. 2 #9 in 1999.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X @AdeleAnkers.
