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This Article Contains Spoilers -
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| “ | Problems are just opportunities that haven't presented themselves. | „ |
| ~ Fisk showing his opportunistic nature by capitalizing on the rise of Daredevil. |
Wilson Grant Fisk, better known as Kingpin, is a major antagonist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He is a ruthless crime lord who has a profound influence over New York City’s politics, police, and criminal underworld and who operates under the guise of a philanthropic businessman. He is driven by a warped sense of order and control, believing his actions are ultimately for the greater good.
He is portrayed by Vincent D'Onofrio.
His Evil Ranking[]
What Makes Him Heinous?[]
General[]
- Although he appears to genuinely love and care for Maya—going so far as to defend her as a child by beating a man to death for disrespecting her—this doesn’t hold up as a prevention. In reality, he was grooming Maya to secure her loyalty as she grew older, and later had her father killed.
- He manages to stand out despite the MCU's incredibly high standards due to being a normal human with fewer resources, in addition to his personal villainy toward Daredevil and others.
Background[]
- As a child, he killed his father by repeatedly hitting him in the back of the head with a hammer to stop his father from abusing his mother and him.
- After her father’s death (which he secretly orchestrated), Fisk took Maya under his wing, presenting himself as a protector while manipulating her into becoming a loyal enforcer.
- In retaliation for mocking young Maya for being deaf, Fisk violently assaulted the vendor, an extreme overreaction that traumatized Maya.
Marvel’s Daredevil[]
Season 1[]
- Runs a massive criminal enterprise involving the Russian mafia, Yakuza (led by Nobu), Chinese Triad (led by Madame Gao), and corrupt businessman Leland Owlsley.
- Controls Union Allied Construction, which launders money for his criminal syndicate.
- Orders the murder and framing of Daniel Fisher, Karen Page’s co-worker, to cover up the Union Allied money laundering scheme.
- Bribes and controls corrupt NYPD detectives Carl Hoffman and Christian Blake to enforce his will and kill threats like the Russians.
- Controls city officials and landlords to manipulate Hell’s Kitchen’s real estate and redevelopment for personal gain.
- Orders the kidnapping of a young boy by the Russians to lure and kill the vigilante (Daredevil).
- He violently decapitated Anatoly Ranskahov by repeatedly slamming his car door on his neck for interrupting his date with Vanessa and humiliating him. Wesley's nonchalant reaction to his gruesome death heavily implies that this was not the first time Wilson did something like this.
- Sends Anatoly’s mutilated body to his brother Vladimir as a message and frames the vigilante for the killing.
- Orchestrates a coordinated bombing attack on Russian mafia hideouts via Madame Gao’s workers, killing numerous people.
- Attempts to kill Vladimir by sending corrupt cops and a hit squad after him.
- Frames Daredevil for killing police officers, using a sniper to shoot officers from the rooftop during a confrontation.
- Orders the murder of Officer Christian Blake in the hospital to silence him before he can talk (Hoffman fails to do this, but it’s still Fisk’s order).
- Visits reporter Ben Urich and personally strangles him to death for attempting to expose his criminal activity.
- Has elderly tenant Elena Cardenas murdered via a junkie after she refuses to leave her apartment block — just to satisfy a deal with Nobu.
- Arranges the brutal fight between Nobu and Daredevil, essentially hiring a hit on Murdock by giving Nobu what he wants in exchange for eliminating the vigilante.
- Beats Daredevil nearly to death after Nobu is killed.
Season 2[]
- He manipulates Frank Castle (Punisher) into doing his dirty work—targeting and killing Dutton, a rival gang leader in the prison.
- By having Castle eliminate Dutton, Fisk creates a power vacuum that allows him to take control of the prison from the inside.
- After Castle survives and kills Dutton’s men, Fisk orchestrates his escape from prison.
Season 3[]
- Manipulates the FBI into moving him from prison to luxury home detention by orchestrating a fake attack on himself.
- Uses Special Agent Ray Nadeem’s financial vulnerability (due to paying for his sister-in-law’s cancer treatment) to target and manipulate him.
- Had one of Tammy Hattley's daughters murdered via hit-and-run to coerce Hattley into working for him for the safety of her surviving daughter.
- Despite it being offscreen, it still has onscreen impact due to every villainous action Hattley does in the show being out of fear of Kingpin and safety of her daughter.
- Controls high-level FBI agents, including Hattley, turning the bureau into a tool for his criminal empire.
- Forges legal documents and real estate transactions to hide his assets and operations, such as the acquisition of the hotel safehouse.
- Forces Melvin Potter to make a fake Daredevil suit to frame Matt Murdock.
- Orchestrates mass arrests of rival crime leaders under the guise of FBI action, only to extort protection money from them later.
- Arranges the murder of Nadeem’s FBI superior (Agent Winn) through Agent Hattley, using Nadeem’s gun to frame him.
- Has Julie Barnes (Dex’s love interest) murdered to further destabilize Dex emotionally and make him more dependent on Fisk, and watched her murder with a sadistic smile.
- He then got her assassins killed as well, and kept their corpses in cold storage, possibly to frame Daredevil further.
- Creates and unleashes a fake Daredevil (Dex in disguise) to publicly discredit the real Daredevil and stir fear and confusion.
- Has Felix Manning threaten Karen Page by mentioning personal knowledge of her past and family, including her brother’s death.
- Grooms Dex (Bullseye), a mentally unstable FBI agent, by feeding his delusions and trauma, encouraging him to become a killer in Daredevil’s name.
- Gaslights and manipulates Dex into thinking he understands him better than anyone else, replacing Dex's emotional anchor (Julie) with himself.
- Covers up Dex’s extrajudicial killings by corroborating a false version of events to the FBI.
- Frames Matt Murdock as a criminal fixer and as the Daredevil impostor who attacked the New York Bulletin, leading to a manhunt against him.
- Threatens Foggy Nelson’s family through Felix Manning unless Foggy publicly recants his accusations against Fisk.
- Directs Melvin Potter to betray Matt Murdock under threat, and sets a trap using FBI agents.
Hawkeye[]
- Fisk is revealed to be the ultimate boss behind the Tracksuit Mafia, a criminal organization involved in theft, murder, and money laundering.
- He uses shell corporations (like Sloan Limited, headed by Jack Duquesne) to launder money for his operations.
- Clint Barton, as Ronin, tells Maya that her father was killed on Kingpin’s orders, using an informant to set the hit in motion. This manipulates Maya into a vendetta and years of violence, not knowing she was being used.
- Manipulates events so that Jack Duquesne is framed for the murder of his uncle Armand III, a crime actually committed by Eleanor Bishop under Fisk's influence.
- Forces Eleanor to work for him due to her late husband’s debt, coercing her into covering up crimes., committing murder, and helping facilitate his empire.
- When Eleanor tries to cut ties with him, Fisk sends Kazi to assassinate her, demonstrating how he deals with betrayal—even from reluctant accomplices.
- Has Eleanor hire Yelena Belova to assassinate Barton, leveraging her grief over Natasha Romanoff’s death and weaponizing her emotionally.
- During the final confrontation, Fisk physically attacks Kate Bishop with extreme force, showing no hesitation in trying to kill a young woman.
Echo[]
- After dismissing the interpreter during dinner with Maya, Fisk had them killed.
- As revenge for Maya’s betrayal and to coerce her, Fisk abducted her grandmother and cousin, threatening to kill her entire family.
- He used his traumatic childhood (killing his own father) as leverage to build sympathy from Maya and prevent her from leaving him or turning against him.
Daredevil: Born Again[]
Season 1[]
- Uses his political power as newly-elected mayor of New York City to create a dangerous anti-vigilante environment, which includes using his status as mayor to threaten and blackmail people for his own gain. He uses his influence to control public perception and punish those who challenge him.
- He indirectly causes the murder of Hector Ayala, by allowing the Punisher symbol to be misused by corrupt police officers.
- After discovering Vanessa's affair with Adam, Fisk kidnaps and tortures him before forcing Vanessa to demonstrate her loyalty by shooting and killing Adam.
- Blackmails high-ranking officials, including NYPD Commissioner Gallo, threatening to expose their personal scandals to further his own agenda. He manipulates people like journalist BB Urich to push his anti-vigilante stance.
- Attempts to turn Red Hook into a city-state where he can establish his rule free from external influence, undermining the city's integrity and jeopardizing the safety of its citizens.
- He kidnaps and violently kills Commissioner Gallo by crushing his skull with his bare hands after discovering Gallo's plan to sabotage him and have him removed from office.
- Declares martial law, imprisoning those who oppose him, including dissidents like Duquesne, Castle, and others, in an attempt to consolidate his control.
What Makes Him Inconsistent?[]
- He is genuinely tragic. He was raised in a violent and abusive household, with a father who was overly strict, emotionally distant, and who would regularly beat his mother. In a moment of desperation, Fisk was forced to kill his father with a hammer to protect his mother, and together, they disposed of the body. This moment started Fisk’s obsession with feeling powerful and wanting control over others.
- He is portrayed sympathetically far too often to qualify as NPE, particularly in Echo, when Maya uses her powers on Fisk, forcing him to relive the memory of his father’s abuse toward his mother in an effort to heal his trauma and help him let go of his anger.
- He has a deep and profound love for his wife, Vanessa. His actions, however heinous, are often motivated by his desire to protect or prove his devotion to her.
- He has standards. He has a firm belief about upholding one’s end of the bargain, and was genuinely horrified by Muse’s murals, which were painted with human blood.
- He is an extremist who believes that the chaos and crime in New York City need to be controlled for the greater good, by any means necessary. He genuinely sees himself as a force for order and progress. His vision for the city is one where crime is eradicated and the corrupt system is replaced with his own leadership.
- It's worth noting, however, that the first season of Daredevil: Born Again portrays Fisk as more megalomaniacal than ever, since he appears to prioritize power over his desire to do good. Thus, this prevention is less severe—and there's even a chance he could subvert it altogether in the future.
- He can be genuinely affable and capable of forming deep connections with those he trusts, particularly with Wesley, whose death deeply affected him, and Daniel Blake, whom he forgives after Blake drunkenly leaks details to BB about Fisk's union-busting activities. Despite this, Fisk values Blake’s unwavering loyalty and ultimately recruits him as his protégé.
Trivia[]
- He is currently the only version of the character to qualify as Inconsistently Heinous.
- His counterpart from Sony's Spider-Verse films qualifies as Near Pure Evil, due to lacking many of the redeeming qualities his MCU counterpart has.
External Links[]
- Kingpin on the Villains Wiki
- Kingpin on the Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki
- Kingpin on the Magnificent Baddie Wiki
[]
 Inconsistently Heinous
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