Here’s How RDJ & Hugh Jackman Were An Inspiration For the Kingpin

RDJ & Hugh Jackman have been major inspirations for the superhero genre and it was no different for Kingpin. The presence of villains is essential

By Mabel Judith Andrady
January 14,2022
Featured Image

RDJ & Hugh Jackman have been major inspirations for the superhero genre and it was no different for Kingpin. The presence of villains is essential to the success of superhero movies. As the saying goes, a hero is only as strong as his or her enemy, and that’s true. Loki, Thanos, Killmonger, and many others in the MCU have become legendary in this regard. Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin, who had not been seen since his show was canceled in 2018, recently returned to the spotlight.

There’s been a lot of talk about Wilson Fisk since he appeared in Marvel Studios’ new streaming series Hawkeye. After leading the Tracksuit Mafia, the mob boss eventually met up with Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye and Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop during his criminal activities. Seeing the actor and his iconic character together again thrilled fans.

As soon as D’Onofrio made his debut in Daredevil, the critics began heaping praise on him. He has since gone on to work with Charlie Cox on some of the best superhero films ever made. So, what was the actor’s inspiration for his role as a comic book villain?

RDJ & Hugh Jackman As Icons Of Inspiration

Hugh Jackman as Wolverine
Hugh Jackman as Wolverine

Actor Vincent D’Onofrio talked about how he got the idea for his role as Kingpin in a Marvel News Desk interview. RDJ’s performance sparked his interest in the superhero genre for the first time:

“The only thing that was on my radar at that point when it comes to superhero stuff was Robert [Downey Jr.’s] performance in Iron Man, which I thought was extremely impressive. It made me think [about superhero films] for the first time…”

Robert Downey Jr.
Robert Downey Jr. in a still form Iron Man

That moment, when Hugh Jackman realized that “he could tear it up” as one of those villains, D’Onofrio recalls, was “with Hugh Jackman.”

“I think I was actually with Hugh Jackman, [he] was over my house cause our kids went to the same school together. And we were sitting in my patio—I’ve never told this story before actually—and I said, ‘You know this superhero stuff is really turning out to be interesting,’ and he goes ,‘Yeah.’ And I’m like, ‘You know, I think I’m gonna, one day, I’m gonna get the chance to play one of those bad guys, and I think I could tear it up.’ He goes, ‘YRDJeah, I think you could too.”

Vincent D’Onofrio’s Dependable Intuition

Kingpin
Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin in Daredevil (Netflix)

As can be seen, by the positive reception his character has received, the actor got it right. Some fans rank him in the top five or ten villains they’ve seen on-screen; he’s now a household name. Alaqua Cox’s Echo was seen shooting and killing him at the end of Hawkeye’s finale. If that was really the case, Marvel Studios wouldn’t bring a major character back only to kill him off right away.

But when can fans expect to see him again? For Wilson Fisk’s role in the upcoming Disney+ Echo, which will focus on Maya Lopez, it is a safe bet that the show will be centered around her relationship with her uncle. There is also the possibility of an appearance in Tom Holland’s upcoming Spider-Man movie. Regarding fighting Kingpin, fans have always wanted to see the web head take on the villain. I hope he comes back sooner rather than later, no matter what.