Following his turns as the evil character in Marvel’s Netflix series, Vincent D’Onofrio is obviously back as Wilson Fisk, aka The Kingpin, in the proper Marvel Cinematic Universe (the Netflix era was previously disconnected from canon). D’Onofrio already re-appeared as the character in the “Hawkeye” Disney+ limited series (2021), and he’s back once again in the “Echo” series, which is streaming now on Disney+ and Hulu (read our review).
READ MORE: Marvel TV Drama: ‘Moon Knight’ Creator Quit, ‘She-Hulk’ Creator Sidelined & Company Undergoes Creative Television Rethink
And as the end of “Echo” suggests in its post-credit teaser, Wilson Fisk will be back and play a significant role in the New York City setting of “Daredevil: Born Again,” a series that will also see Charlie Cox reprise his characters as Matt Murdock/Daredevil (recent rumors also suggest that Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson will reprise their “Daredevil” Netflix roles as Karen Page and Foggy Nelson, respectively).
And tonally, things have been inconsistent and something of an odd question mark over at Marvel. “She-Hulk: Attorney At Large” was a significant departure and re-introduced Daredevil and Matt Murdoch in a much more comedic and quippier light. Even the Kingpin’s appearance in “Hawkeye” was much breezier than we had seen in the Netflix series, with the crime lord wearing tacky Hawaiian shirts and using his weight and size in a physical comedy manner that had not been utilized previously (he even took an arrow to the chest in Hawkeye,” and it did nothing)
But then on “Echo,” the brief Daredevil appearance reverted to the grim and tone way he had been portrayed in the Netflix series, with more or less the same dark suit too (the crimefighting suit on “She-Hulk: Attorney” at law was also much more colorful). Likewise, Kingpin’s Hawaiian shirts and physical comedy suddenly vanished, the character regressing to essentially the same way he was in the Netflix series, which was grave and forbidding.
So, what tenor will they be going for in “Daredevil: Born Again” and will it be whiplash for audiences again? Probably not. In a new Post-Credit Podcast interview, Vincent D’Onofrio, the actor, said the show would be taking its cues from the darker tone of “Echo.” He even said he believed “Daredevil: Born Again” would fall under the Marvel Spotlights banner, though he clarified that that’s not official, just his belief.
“We’re in the middle of the production,” D’Onofrio said about the “Daredevil: Born Again” series. “And it’s coming out great, and we’re putting everything we can into and trying to get it right no matter how long it takes us to do that. What’s going on right now is that Charlie Cox and I are extremely happy with what’s happening. Like, I’m right in the middle of playing Wilson Fisk, that character, so I’m stuck in this place. I know everything about it, but I can’t say a word about it.”
Asked if “Daredevil: Born Again” would fall under the Marvel Spotlights banner like “Echo did, D’Onofrio said, “Oh, for sure,” but quickly clarified, perhaps in case Marvel snipers were listening. “I mean, that’s just my opinion; I would imagine it would be. Nobody has said, ‘Hey, did you know this is happening?’ No, no one has said that, but it is of the same tone and feel [of ‘Echo’]. The attention that the big bosses are giving to it is extraordinary, and Charlie and I are amazed about how much they care about this series, and I can’t imagine it being treated any less.”
D’Onofrio’s thoughts about Marvel taking the time to get it right, no matter what, seem to refer to the production problems reported late last year,
Last October, it was reported that “Daredevil: Born Again” was undergoing a “significant creative reboot” after Marvel had reviewed the series during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes and believed it wasn’t working. Head writers Chris Ord and Matt Corman were let go, as were the series directors. While certain elements would be salvaged, reports suggested that ‘Born Again’ would be starting over, and new creatives were hired (“Loki” and “Moon Knight” filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead were also hired to oversee the revamped project).
Given the events of “Echo” and D’Onofrio’s comments on tone, all signs point to a return to the Netflix universe’s mood, which may mean Marvel is done with their comedic riff on the Daredevil universe and will be re-embracing the darker and grittier side from the Netflix versions. The supposed return of Foggy and Karen Page surely doesn’t brush against that idea, nor does the news that Disney+ has added all those Netflix shows to the official Marvel timeline, which has led many fans to believe they have been retroactively added to the MCU canon. Time will tell. In the meantime, check out some clips from the recent shows for context about that tone-shifting.