Thunderbolts* Explains Why Kingpin Isn’t In The MCU Despite Seeming Impossible To Avoid

by

Note: This article includes SPOILERS for Thunderbolts*. In an unexpected twist, Thunderbolts* provides a compelling reason why Kingpin doesn’t feature in the MCU movie, despite initial assumptions suggesting his inclusion would be necessary. The release of Thunderbolts* has significantly advanced the narrative of the MCU, introducing the Thunderbolts as a new team and subtly hinting at the beginning of the Fantastic Four: First Steps storyline. However, the film is equally intriguing for what it leaves out.

Before the movie was unveiled, there was a flurry of MCU speculations about the film and potential characters involved, with almost any character who’d even been mentioned in a Thunderbolts comic being proposed as a possible cast member for the Thunderbolts. Remarkably, this included the MCU’s Kingpin, given his recent prominent role in New York City. However, the Thunderbolts film managed to overlook him, and with convincing narrative reasons to back it up.

Thunderbolts* Being Set In New York Seemingly Made It So The MCU Movie Had To Feature Or Address Kingpin

Even before the movie “Thunderbolts” premiered, it was evident that a significant part of its plot unfolded in New York City. Previews and previews for the film featured Valentina conversing with the team members gathered within the renovated Avengers Tower. Moreover, The Void was portrayed as causing chaos among New Yorkers and the city at large, using his dark powers to transform civilians into shadows and looming menacingly over the city itself.

As a dedicated movie enthusiast, I couldn’t help but notice the citywide impact The Void seemed to have in its use of powers – quite conspicuous when considering the absence of such events in Daredevil: Born Again season 1, despite their apparent relevance and significance. This discrepancy made it evident that Thunderbolts was set after season 1, aligning with the release order. Intriguingly, this places Kingpin as New York’s mayor during the events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie itself.

In essence, it appeared that either the character should make an appearance in the film or be mentioned, because the mayor of New York would typically play a role in organizing or directing the heroes to protect the city. Additionally, considering Kingpin’s public opposition towards vigilantes and the risks posed by costumed figures, addressing this issue seemed necessary. However, this scenario isn’t reflected in the movie Thunderbolts, yet the film’s plot offers a convincing reason for this discrepancy.

How Thunderbolts* Approaches The Void Explains Why Kingpin Isn’t In The Movie

In the upcoming MCU film, the fact that Thunderbolts takes place after Kingpin assumes his mayoral role emphasizes his absence even more significantly. It’s evident that the events depicted in Captain America: Brave New World have already occurred by the start of this new movie, as Valentina discusses Ross’ Red Hulk transformation during her congressional meeting – a detail that stands out because Daredevil: Born Again season 1 is thought to be happening concurrently with the Captain America film.

In simpler terms, the main events in the movie occur differently than usual, with The Void attacking New York midway through instead of luring the film’s characters there. Consequently, the heroes jump right into action against him, leaving no room for Kingpin or other New York heroes to be involved, as the entire crisis seems to unfold rapidly, with minimal time for others to intervene or give commands.

In a nutshell, it seems that The Void’s abilities, which pull individuals into a terrifying alternate world to confront their deepest traumas and fears, could be the reason why no other Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) character becomes involved in these events. It’s plausible that characters like Kingpin, Daredevil, Spider-Man, and others from New York might have found themselves in this realm, battling their personal demons or left puzzled by the sudden occurrence, as they wouldn’t have had the same immediate understanding of the situation that The Thunderbolts did.

Overall, the Thunderbolts story effectively establishes a situation where only the main characters have the ability to take action and potentially save the day. This arrangement makes it less conspicuous that other significant heroes and villains are absent from the storyline. Upon reflection, this approach appears to have been a wise decision for multiple reasons when considering the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie landscape.

I Think Thunderbolts* Not Featuring Other New York Characters Was For The Best, Even If It Might Seem Like A Missed Opportunity

Experiencing characters like Spider-Man or Kingpin alongside MCU fans in the Thunderbolts series would have been thrilling beyond measure. Ironically, the absence of these iconic figures might have been beneficial. The opportunity for a stunning cameo or crossover was certainly tantalizing, yet executing it without compromising the main narrative, given that Spider-Man: No Way Home and Daredevil’s Born Again season 1 ended on significant cliffhangers, would have been challenging. A surprise appearance here could have overshadowed the core storyline, creating a distraction that wouldn’t have done justice to the suspense left hanging in those stories.

In my perspective, instead of spreading things out across various characters and stories, Thunderbolts* manages to maintain a strong focus on its own team. It subtly links itself to other Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies and characters through clever references, such as Valentina hinting at Red Hulk and Bucky alluding to his supposed disagreement with Captain America. By doing this, the film remains connected to the broader narrative while still standing on its own two feet, which is advantageous for Thunderbolts* and the entire MCU in the long run. The movie only breaks away from its main storyline in the very last post-credits scene of Thunderbolts*, where it teases The Fantastic Four: First Steps as a hint of things to come.

Actor Vincent D’Onofrio from “Kingpin” mentioned the difficulties in bringing his character to MCU films before the release of “Thunderbolts”. When asked about appearing in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”, D’Onfrio explained that it’s challenging for Marvel to use his character due to ownership issues. He is currently only usable for television series, and everything is tied up in rights matters. It appears the story approach chosen was simpler to avoid such complications.

Personally, I can’t help but feel that both “No Way Home” and the first season of “Daredevil: Born Again” have left such intriguing cliffhangers for their main characters. The prospect of seeing these stories continue in their intended directions might be compromised if they were to appear in “Thunderbolts.” After all, the possibilities for reunions and crossovers in the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday” are immense. It seems it could be wiser for the “Thunderbolts” storyline to have devised a clever way to account for characters like Kingpin’s absence here, given their significant roles that lie ahead.

Read More

2025-05-04 19:20