Who has two thumbs and can easily crush the heads of most superheroes between them? Marvel Comics’ Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin, that’s who! The Character has already seen two live-action adaptations over the years, in both the Daredevil movie and Netflix series. Now, a new piece of fan art posted by apexform on Instagram imagines WWE wrestling superstar Paul Wight aka The Big Show taking on the role of Kingpin in Spider-Man 3.
In the comics, the Kingpin’s immense size is a superpower in itself. He is described as a giant of a man, who was once an Olympic powerlifter, and whose flashy white suit hides a physique that is pure muscle. Fans are easily able to imagine The Big Show suiting such a role to the T, and support for casting him in the role of the supervillain gained even more traction after Wight openly declared his interest in the role in a past interview.
“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.”
Those who only know The Big Show from his immensely successful career in the WWE might not be aware that, much like Dave Bautista, Wight has been quietly making a name for himself in Hollywood for playing roles of giant, threatening men with unexpected depth. In the short-lived Netflix series Happy!, Wight played the role of a sensitive prisoner who enters into a relationship with the main villain of the show. Wight also headlines a Netflix sitcom The Big Show Show that sees him play the part of the good-natured family man raising his three rambunctious daughters.
Of course, Wight’s non-threatening appearance in such roles does not take away from the fact that he was one of the most effectively terrifying heels in the history of WWE for many years, able to switch over from a friendly smile to a look of terrifying menace at the drop of a hat, and throwing legendary wrestlers like The Undertaker and Kane like ragdolls around the ring. It is almost too easy imagining Wight as the new Kingpin, who can present a friendly exterior to the general public while brutally crushing the likes of Spider-Man and Daredevil in his free time.
Of course, playing a role well requires great acting as well as looking the part. Despite lacking The Big Show’s size, Vincent D’Onofrio is for many people the definitive Kingpin thanks to his nuanced portrayal of the character on the Netflix shows. In a recent interview, D’Onofrio gave his blessings to Wight to become the MCU’s new Kingpin.
“If that guy wants to play Kingpin, then f-cking go after Kingpin, give it your all, that’s what I would say. That’s what I would hope he would say to me too. I mean, I think it’s awesome that he’s even saying the things he’s saying, I think it’s ambitious and it’s good attitude to have.”