Every Live-Action Version Of Marvel’s Kingpin, Ranked

In a world with serial killers bonded to alien symbiotes, mad scientists that have robotic appendages, and some villains are literally born in Hell, it’s an impressive feat one of the Marvel universe’s most feared foes is Wilson Fisk, aka the Kingpin of Crime. Debuting in Amazing Spider-Man #50 and inspired by classic Hollywood actor Sydney Greenstreet, Fisk shifted his focus to the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, trying a number of tactics to bring down Daredevil and demonstrating just how far he’s willing to go to take down the Man Without Fear and a host of other heroes who thought crossing him was a good idea.

Wielding an impressive intellect, incredible physical strength, and a drive that has seen heroes’ lives crumble in front of them, it stands to reason that when bringing the character to life, the star playing them had to be suitable for the role. Over the years, we’ve had three live-action iterations of Fisk find their way onto screens, and each one has brought something considerably different to the role compared to the rest. Either brilliantly cheesy, classically camp, or ferocious in a way never seen before, these Kingpins have all been worth a watch, but only one deserves the true title. To start us off, we’ve got to go back to 1989, where Fisk was faced with a wandering scientist and his shirt-ripping alter-ego that only turned up if people needed saving or he got a paper cut in a really inconvenient place.

Before the more popular Kingpins arrived on the scene, genre legend John Rhys-Davies took the role of Wilson Fisk in the 1989 TV movie “The Trial of the Incredible Hulk.” Bill Bixby’s David “Bruce” Banner was in between lonely walks when his monstrous other side, the Incredible Hulk (Lou Ferrigno), was put on trial, with only a blind defense attorney to keep him safe. Thankfully, this noble civil servant had a secret of his own and brought with it a notorious foe in the form of “The Lord of the Rings” and “Indiana Jones” star John Rhys-Davies.

While it might sit at the bottom of the list for takes on Mr. Wilson Fisk, there’s no doubt that Rhys-Davies’ performance of the character is perfectly in line with the now delightfully dated franchise he was joining at the time. In a show where nothing was really comic-accurate (Ferrigno was green, but he was nowhere near the size of the not-so-jolly green giant from the comics), Rhys-Davies followed suit by having hair despite playing a notoriously bald character. Sitting somewhere in between a bad guy from both a James Bond movie and “Robocop,” this Kingpin just didn’t strike the required amount of fear and intimidation for not just our heroes, but the audience as well. Nice shades though, right?

Arriving with what might be one of the most aughts introductions to ever grace a comic book film, Michael Clarke Duncan was the pristine-looking iteration of Wilson Fisk in Mark Steven Johnson’s big-screen blunder bringing Matt Murdock to the big screen. This Fisk was an outlaw, quick on the draw, and rocked a killer cane in a penthouse suite that had impressive water features all over the place. He also lacked the ferocious edge that Fisk in the comics was known for. Okay, so there’s certainly a duplicitous nature to this version, rubbing shoulders with the upper-class types in a city that he plans to run from its criminal underbelly. Even so, he’s an enemy made from the era that’s seeping through every frame, be it in the slow-motion fights with Bullseye (forehead-rubbing Colin Farrell) or the poorly lit locations that barely cast a light on Ben Affleck’s Daredevil, who was in one of the worst superhero costumes of all time.

Like John Rhys-Davies before him, this Fisk is a byproduct of his era. With lots of brawn and a commendable amount of brain, it wasn’t on the level of the despicably brilliant Kingpin fans are familiar with. Duncan is a more defined marble-cut mob boss who feels just like any other villain of the decade. It’s a shame, particularly given the Oscar-nominated talent that’s behind the behemoth of a bad guy, and maybe if handled a little better on the script level, he could’ve made a true king out of this version of Fisk.

Well, he wasn’t going anywhere else, was he? Granted, Vincent D’Onofrio has an edge on the other iterations of a live-action Kingpin simply because of the amount of time we’ve spent with him. Nevertheless, that lengthy run of three seasons, a few well-cooked omelettes, and the occasional violent outburst gave us the best version of Kingpin ever and one of the best characters in Netflix’s entire Marvel-based binge-watches.

Speaking in a pace that sounds like he’s fighting the urge to explode over any inconvenience that comes his way, D’Onofrio’s Fisk is a monster in a suit and a perfectly matched foe to Charlie Cox’s equally impressive Daredevil. The writing of the hit show certainly helps in building the hype around this feared ruler of Hell’s Kitchen, but the performance keeps the sell going throughout.

Very few Marvel villains have you fearing for anyone within reach of Fisk’s mammoth-sized hands. Cross the Kingpin of Crime in this world, and there’s a chance you’re going to be slammed against a table, strangled to death, or have your head crushed like a watermelon in a car door. And yet, perhaps the most terrifying element to D’Onofrio’s Kingpin is the reach of his criminal and business power. Season 3 proves that nothing can stop this man and it takes a lawyer and a vigilante that are one and the same to finally beat him (“I BEAT YOU”). Word to the wise, though: Whatever you do, don’t embarrass him in front of Vanessa.

Wilson Fisk’s adventures continue in “Daredevil: Born Again,” which is streaming now on Disney+.