With so much chaos and overhaul behind the scenes of Daredevil: Born Again, we had no idea just how it would all turn out. And while it was by and large well-received – we gave it an 8/10 and season one holds an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcorn meter gauging fan reactions – some still have plenty of criticisms about the revival series. But they might not want to tell Kingpin, as Vincent D’Onofrio is having none of the hating.
Vincent D’Onofrio recently took to social media to respond to a follower who said that Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin was “nerfed” and that Disney botched the character. And while D’Onofrio could have completely blown it off, he has made a habit of using social media to engage in a mature way, doing exactly that here. Replying directly to the follower, “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.”
When the same follower replied that he wasn’t slighting Vincent D’Onofrio’s acting but rather the writing itself – especially of Kingpin – the actor added, “I control my characters performance. 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…” D’Onofrio would go on to encourage the poster (essentially a proxy considering the eagerness for so many fans to criticize) to remain positive and supportive, especially considering the amount of work that goes into any creative endeavor.
Good on Vincent D’Onofrio not just for standing up for Kingpin’s handling by Disney+ compared to Netflix but also for practically any production. We may not always need to take into account the blood, sweat and tears that goes into making a TV show or movie when we criticize it, but sometimes it’s important to let others enjoy what they do. And plenty of people have dug Born Again, at least to the point where it has been renewed for a second season, currently slated for a March 2026 release…assuming it doesn’t hit the snags that delayed season one for so long.
What do you think of Kingpin in Born Again compared to the first Daredevil series? Did Disney+ “nerf” him?
