Kingpin's Future in the MCU: Navigating Past and Present Challenges

The Dilemma of Kingpin's Past in the MCU

Kingpin's exciting future in the MCU faces one big problem if the entirety of his past in Netflix's Daredevil is indeed part of the official MCU canon. Thanks to Marvel's Echo, key moments from Wilson Fisk's traumatic past seen in Daredevil were referenced and shown in flashbacks. However, it will be imperative to learn if everything Kingpin has done previously will be part of the established MCU continuity as well, as there could be significant complications in the future.

Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk AKA Kingpin dressed in the classic white Kingpin outfit in Ryker's prison from Marvel Netflix Daredevil Season 2

Played once again by Vincent D'onofrio, Wilson Fisk's MCU return in Echo follows his appearance in 2021's Hawkeye where it was confirmed Kingpin survived Thanos' Snap and has since been freed from prison. Having somehow regained much of his power and influence, Kingpin hoped to bring Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) back into the fold, even though Echo shot Kingpin in Hawkeye once she learned Fisk was responsible for her father's death. Having failed, Echo's post-credits scene teased Kingpin's will run for New York's mayor, a popular narrative from the original comics. However, this could be problematic assuming everything from Netflix's Daredevil is indeed canon with the MCU.

Kingpin at the end of Echo

The Challenge of Kingpin's Past Convictions

As seen in both Daredevil seasons 1 and 3, Fisk was convicted and arrested on multiple counts of conspiracy, racketeering, bribery, incrimination, blackmail, corruption, terrorism, mass murder, and organized crime. He's also guilty of patricide, assault and battery, and mutilation on more than one occasion. Fisk bribed, blackmailed, and manipulated several agents within the FBI to shift public perceptions in his favor to reclaim his power as New York's Kingpin of Crime. It's hard to reconcile Fisk's past defeats and imprisonment in the Netflix series, his present status in the MCU, and now his future aspirations to become New York's mayor which will likely be featured in the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again series.

Kingpin holding his hand up in Echo next to Matt Murdock holding his cane in Netflix's Daredevil

Ultimately, Fisk's convictions and time spent in prison make it difficult (but not impossible) for him to run for mayor. Assuming everything in Netflix's Daredevil is now part of the official canon, Fisk's prior convictions wouldn't automatically prohibit him from running for office. While the laws about elected positions vary from state to state, the real-life laws in New York only seem to forfeit those who are convicted while already in office. It's less clear about those with prior convictions seeking to run for future office, which Kingpin clearly does at the end of Marvel's Echo.

That said, it does seem as though Fisk will need either get his record expunged or receive a pardon from the governor, something he could perhaps claim through his typical methods (intimidation, manipulation, bribery, blackmail, etc.). Combined with his established ability to charm and influence public perceptions in his favor, Wilson Fisk does have a legitimate chance to become the MCU's Mayor of New York despite his arrests and convictions in the Netflix series, claiming a major seat of power from which Kingpin could take his criminal empire to even greater heights behind the scenes.

Resolving Kingpin's Backstory Problem

While receiving a pardon or record expungement is certainly an option for Kingpin's MCU future, it's also possible that Fisk's legal problems have already been taken care of before Hawkeye and Echo. After all, it's currently unknown how Fisk got out of prison after the events of Daredevil season 3, nor how he still has so much power and resources at his disposal. Perhaps it was a consequence of the Blip and the world being thrown into chaos after losing half the planet's population.

One would hope this gap in Fisk's history will be covered at some point in future MCU projects. However, it's also possible that the MCU may simply gloss over Kingpin's past that was established in Netflix's Daredevil, choosing instead to pick and choose what they want to keep ahead of Daredevil: Born Again where Kingpin's run for office will likely begin. Either way, Wilson Fisk running for mayor and perhaps even winning as he did in the comics is more than possible in the MCU's future.