If you’re a fan who's been keeping up with upcoming Marvel movies and new MCU TV shows, you probably know that Vincent D’Onofrio plays one of Marvel’s coolest villains. The seasoned actor portrays the intimidating crime boss Wilson Fisk a.k.a. Kingpin. As acclaimed as D'Onofrio's performance has been, he recently fired back at a fan who complained that Kingpin was “nerfed." I appreciated that D'Onofrio ultimately did it with the kind of confidence that only Fisk could pull off.
D'Onofrio put a stamp his the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Kingpin in three gritty seasons of Netflix’s Daredevil as well as appearances in Hawkeye and Echo. The character returned amid the 2025 TV schedule in Daredevil: Born Again. Let’s just say Fisk hasn’t become any softer with age, and this backs up my belief that the MCU's TV villains are the best out there. But not everyone agrees. One fan went on X (formerly Twitter) to say Marvel “nerfed” Kingpin in his latest appearance, suggesting they toned him down for a broader audience. D'Onofrio wasn’t having any of that, saying:
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.
Boom. Graceful, measured, and totally Fisk-like. Instead of lashing out or dismissing the fan’s opinion outright, Vincent D’Onofrio approached the criticism with a bit of humility, but he did not miss the teachable moment which had presented itself. In a series of follow-up posts, he went deeper, pulling back the curtain on what it really takes to bring a complex character like Kingpin to life on screen. He added:
I control my character’s 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.
He didn’t stop there. In what might be the most graceful burn of the year, D’Onofrio offered some genuinely wise advice, not just for the commenter, but for anyone with strong opinions on art and media:
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.
Agree with this fan or not, it’s hard to deny how passionate the Full Metal Jacket actor is about the role he’s been working on since 2015. His take on Kingpin is a big part of what makes Daredevil so memorable, and his clever reply shows he cares just as much off-screen as he does when the cameras are rolling.
As for what’s next? D'Onofrio is confirmed to return as Wilson Fisk in Season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again. That aside, it sadly doesn't look like the actor will join a Spider-Man movie. Before D'Onofrio celebrated Jon Bernthal’s Punisher being added to Spider-Man 4, he confirmed that Kingpin could not appear due to legal reasons. While that my indeed be disappointing for avid comic book fans, there's comfort to be found in the fact that Born Again will continue to showcase D'Onofrio's stellar work.
Marvel fans can check out Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin through all his appearances by streaming them with a Disney+ subscription.
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