Why The Big Show should (and shouldn’t) play Kingpin in the MCU

Can the Big Show make an effective Wilson Fisk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

It seems like every day there’s a report about another actor looking to acquire a role in a comic book movie or television franchise. For example, there’s Stephanie Beatriz. She’s made cases to play both She-Hulk and take over as the new Batwoman — roles that we could definitely see her playing. Recently, WWE Superstar Paul Wight (better known as the Big Show) has thrown his name in the Marvel Studios hat. He’s looking to play New York City’s Kingpin of Crime, Wilson Fisk. During an interview with ComicBook.com, The Big Show was mentioned that he’d like to take over the role saying:

"The one that really I’m looking at it, I would love if they do a remake, I’m definitely going to go after pretty hard is that they do a Daredevil remake. And I’m going to definitely go after Kingpin pretty hard. I think Kingpin’s a shoe-in for me."

The Big Show has been an active actor for the last decade. He’s popped up in minor roles in MacGruber and Happy, and he’s co-starred in a revenge movie called Vendetta with Dean Cain. He’s also starring in a Netflix series called The Big Show where he plays a fictional version of himself. On the New Day Podcast he mentioned that he’s been trying to be an actor for years. He goes into detail saying he wouldn’t stop talking about it to WWE CEO Vince McMahon. Now, the question isn’t whether or not he has the experience to play The Kingpin. It’s whether or not it’s a good idea.

The good

Big Show fits the role of Wilson Fisk because of his massive size. Wilson Fisk is supposed to look frightening. Kingpin towers over Daredevil and Spider-Man and makes them look tiny in comparison. It’s what makes his defeat impressive. Spider-Man has lost fights to the Kingpin — mainly because Spider-Man doesn’t use his full power. The one time Kingpin really infuriated Spider-Man, he showed Fisk that he’s just a man without powers.

Now, let’s picture their fight in a Marvel movie. There’s the 5′ 8″ Tom Holland fighting the 7′ 0″, 338-pound Kingpin. The battle would be entertaining — Spidey bouncing around Fisk and making jokes until he’s caught and slammed. The Big Show talking down to Spider-Man as he’s tossing him around his office. Then, out of nowhere, Spider-Man makes a comeback and overpowers someone who’s almost double his size. That alone is worth casting him.

On the other side, there’s Daredevil. He has the radar powers, but he’s not super strong or durable. When Daredevil beats Kingpin, it looks spectacular. It’s a hard-fought battle between two men who both hate and respect each other. The Netflix series fights were done so well that you could almost feel every blow. A Daredevil series with The Big Show as the Kingpin has a ton of potential. Imagine when Kingpin flips the switch from calm and cool to cold-blooded killer. It’ll look like a gentle giant turned into a monster. Exactly like it looks in the comics.

The bad

Wilson Fisk was played by Vincent D’Onofrio in the Netflix Daredevil series. In three seasons, D’Onofrio became one the most intimidating villains in a comic book show. And he did it without superpowers. Sure, he’s a big, strong guy. However, that’s not what made him so intimidating. He seemed to have a stranglehold on the city. Even when he was in jail, he seemed to know how to manipulate people on the outside. Because he was so good and well-liked, fans may not accept that he will no longer be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Fans can tend to be stubborn. (This writer included.) Once we like someone, it’s difficult for us to let go. Even if the replacement is better. Look at Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. It’s going to be years before we can see anybody else play Logan. We know he retired from the role, yet we still keep hope alive that he’ll pop his claws one more time. It’s going to be the same for The Big Show. Even if he plays Kingpin and knocks it out of the park, there are still going to be fans that can’t admit that he’s as good as he is.

Lastly, The Big Show’s age may be a concern. He’s 48 years old. This isn’t like playing Ultron or Ronan where the villain is a one and done. Wilson Fisk’s character should be around for an extended period of time. That means that The Big Show may be looking at five years or more in the MCU. While he’s currently in the best shape of his life, Father Time is undefeated. But, if Robert Downey Jr. and the other middle-aged heroes (and villains) can hang around the MCU for that long, we’re sure it’d be no problem for The Big Show, too.

There’s a lot of good and bad that can come with casting The Big Show as Wilson Fisk. Looking back, the positive outweighs the negative. At 48 years old, he still manages to be an incredible in-ring performer. Better than some that are half his age. He’s also continued to reinvent himself outside of the WWE. There’s no reason that Big Show couldn’t prove this writer wrong. He’s shown the discipline to stay in wrestling shape. Knowing this, he could play Wilson Fisk for 10 years. If that happens, he could be looking at a wonderful career in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

What do you think? Should The Big Show play the Kingpin? Let us know in the comments below.