Daredevil’s Kingpin, Vincent D’Onofrio, has responded to a fan’s complaints about the character as seen in Disney+ series Born Again — and while polite, it’s as cool a reaction as you’d expect to come from Wilson Fisk himself.
D’Onofrio returned alongside series star Charlie Cox for Daredevil: Born Again, which picks up D’Onofrio and Cox’s characters several years after they were last seen in Netflix’s abruptly-cancelled Daredevil show, and following their reintroduction into the MCU in other projects.
But while many fans were delighted to see the characters squaring off against each other on screen once more, you can’t please everyone. And one of those viewers with complaints decided to share them directly with D’Onofrio via social media, drawing the actor’s attention.
“Wilson Fisk got nerfed like the Hulk,” said the fan, in response to a post by D’Onofrio. “Not your fault Disney didn’t rehire the writers from the Netflix show. Hope Season 2 returns to what made the Netflix show so damn good. But Disney has a track record of ruining reboots.”
The message was quickly spotted by the Kingpin actor, who offered this in response:
“I have to say I disagree with all that you say. To be honest my performances have been called many things but never nerfed. Lol. Yet I don’t play the part just for you and you don’t watch TV just for me. So we are even and I accept your criticism. No matter the lack of good sportsmanship, fairness and legitimacy.”
Honestly, it’s difficult not to read D’Onofrio’s words in his Kingpin voice. Most would have stopped responding there, but the fan continued, further criticising “Disney Fisk” by suggesting “Netflix Fisk would never have a guy locked in cage [sic]. Fisk would’ve killed him, his family, friends and coworkers.”
Step up D’Onofrio again, with a further response:
“I control my characters performance,” he wrote. “You are a bit green when it comes to your knowledge on making a show. The detail, the writing, the technologies and the overall structure and architecture in laying out the storyline and executing performances. You keep saying it’s the writing that is the problem. You may not like it. Many do though. We can’t please everyone but we can please millions and they’ve said so. Our fans are very loud.
“Let’s say I were you and I hated the portrayal of Kingpin as much as you do. I’d stay away from it. I’d champion storytelling that I love instead of dragging writers and someone’s performance. As an actor I fail in my eyes everyday and also in my past work many times but I keep trying to get it right. All creative types have that in common. What we don’t do is try and ruin millions of others fun when we don’t like a piece. Instead we champion the stuff we do like and become inspired by it. Try it. It makes life so much more sustainable and yes, inspiring.”
Oof.
Daredevil: Born Again will be back on Disney+ with new episodes next year, including the return of Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones, and yes, more Kingpin versus Daredevil action.
Image credit: Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at [email protected] or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
