Forget Kang and the Multiverse, the new supervillain Kingpin is the future of the MCU

The emergence of the supervillain Kingpin has opened up a completely new direction for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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Not only has there been a decline in box office performance with a string of “flops” like Eternals, Black Widow, and most recently The Marvels, but Marvel is also struggling to find consistency in implementing the multiverse concept into its superhero world. Apart from a few projects directly related to this theme, such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Loki, the MCU still seems unable to deliver a cohesive, clear, and coherent storyline like it did with the Infinity Saga.

Meanwhile, smaller-scale films featuring impressive villains and “street-level” superheroes seem to be garnering more audience affection. While Kang may be the biggest multiverse threat the Avengers will face in the future, there’s no denying the strange allure of villains like Kingpin/Wilson Fisk in the Echo series for fans.

With Kingpin set to return in Daredevil: Born Again, and possibly in other future projects, the MCU has in its hands an equally captivating storyline as the multiverse to develop and reclaim its fading glory.

Echo has laid a solid foundation for the “street-level” film series in the MCU

Forget Kang and the Multiverse, the new supervillain Kingpin is the future of the MCU – Photo 2. Series like Echo have delved deeper into the past of the MCU’s Kingpin – Photo: Internet.

Although the connection between the Daredevil series and other Netflix (now Marvel) series with the current MCU remains a mystery, Kingpin has managed to leave a profound impression on audiences and begin to execute his ambitious and ruthless plans. In the Hawkeye series (2021), this villain only appeared in a minor role towards the end, but that was enough for audiences to understand that he is a significant and formidable character.

Two years later, Kingpin officially returns to the small screen and is explored further through the Echo series, which premiered in early January. Not only does this series clarify his relationship with Maya Lopez in the past, but it also plants the seeds of Kingpin’s plans for numerous other future MCU projects. Echo vividly portrays a powerful Wilson Fisk, leading both ends of the spectrum: a giant legal business empire and a formidable criminal empire, ready to ruthlessly deal with anything in his way.

Moreover, in the post-credits scene of Echo, Kingpin reveals his new ambition of wanting to engage in politics. This segment takes place on his private jet, where he expresses a desire for “a meeting with the remaining leaders” to “stabilize the situation before things spiral out of control.” He then pays attention to the news broadcast related to the mayoral election in New York City. “Most voters want a fighter… Even a bare-knuckle brawler could join this election” – this information ignites Kingpin’s new desire: to become the leader of New York, willing to do anything to address the lingering issues there.

In the original comic books, Kingpin succeeded in that political race. The new power allowed him to easily legalize his criminal plans, while also causing trouble for other “street-level” superheroes. This detail is likely to be somewhat reflected in the Daredevil: Born Again series and may even extend to other projects like Spider-Man 4, forming a new series of stories alongside the multiverse.

Why the “Street-Level Saga” has more appeal than the “Multiverse Saga”

Forget Kang and the Multiverse, the new supervillain Kingpin is the future of the MCU – Photo 3. Many MCU projects in Phase 4 and 5 have no connection to the multiverse storyline – Photo: Internet.

Although named the “Multiverse Saga,” the main villain, Kang the Conqueror, has only appeared in two projects. He appeared in two seasons of Loki as different variants (He Who Remains and Victor Timely) and became the main villain in Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania. During that time, the multiverse films were not executed consistently, with each project seemingly exploring a different aspect of this theme.

Meanwhile, the “Street-Level Saga” is off to a good start, at least in terms of the coherence of the overall storyline. Hawkeye brings back one of Marvel’s most beloved villains, Echo continues to develop him with new aspects, and it’s highly likely that Daredevil: Born Again will place him in a new position, a new role with greater influence on the future of the MCU.

More importantly, a film series centered around Kingpin will address many of the issues that the MCU has been criticized for in recent years. Going back to the early phase with projects like Iron Man or Thor, the scripts were simplified and more cohesive to make them more accessible to audiences. Over time, this simplicity has waned as Marvel Studios transitioned to larger-scale stories and officially became “overloaded” as the MCU entered the multiverse era. With Kingpin, Marvel doesn’t need heavy CGI-laden battles or deep science fiction elements to satisfy audiences.

All the street-level superheroes who could become Kingpin’s adversaries

Currently, the MCU has paved the way for many superheroes to confront Kingpin – Photo: Internet.

At this point, the MCU has set up many superheroes to face off against Kingpin, especially now that he has gained political power. Most recently, he clashed with Maya Lopez/Echo, or previously with Kate Bishop in New York. Additionally, Kingpin will appear in Daredevil: Born Again to continue causing trouble for Matt Murdock and Punisher – characters confirmed to return to the MCU and will continue to be portrayed by Jon Bernthal. With some characters from the Defenders series returning, it wouldn’t be too surprising if we see Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, or Iron Fisk on screen in the near future.

Furthermore, it’s not out of the question for Kingpin to become the main or supporting villain in Spider-Man 4 if Marvel Studios wants to use this project to link the film and television aspects in the Street-Level Saga. After the events of No Way Home, Peter Parker’s life has been “rebooted.” Now, the web-slinger is truly alone, no longer connected to the Avengers, and can fully return to his core values: a street-level superhero, fighting street-level criminals.