Marvel's Vincent D'Onofrio Clarifies Kingpin Tone for Daredevil: Born Again (Exclusive)

After a triumphant return in Hawkeye back in 2021, Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin is preparing for another outing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe later this month. The beloved villain is the main antagonist in the upcoming Echo series, which is said to be grounded and gritty, much like the previous Daredevil series. Not only that, but Echo will help lay the groundwork for Daredevil: Born Again, which will also heavily feature Kingpin.

Fans loved the dark and terrifying depiction of Kingpin in the original Daredevil series, which wasn't part of the actual MCU. Echo and Daredevil: Born Again are part of the franchise, but it appears we will be getting a similar version of Kingpin. Speaking to ComicBook.com ahead of Echo's premiere, Vincent D'Onofrio opened up about this iteration of the character going into the rebooted Daredevil saga.

"I really can't say much, as you know, but I will say that while I was shooting Echo, I realized it confirmed a lot for me. Which was that even if people had never seen the original Daredevil, the tone of Echo and the writing of Echo allowed me to present the character to even a new audience, not just audiences that had seen Daredevil before. And the way that I think he's best portrayed, I think in that tone, he's best portrayed like that, and we're going to continue that."

Kingpin's MCU Future

According to Marvel producer Richie Palmer, this Kingpin has the potential to be one of the scarier, longer-lasting villains in the whole MCU.

"He's scary. He's violent. And, like Maya, he can do so much with just the look on his face and he is so intimidating and that's awesome," Palmer told us in a recent interview. "But also what I think is great about him being in this show is we got to see a different side of him in terms of his emotionality. And where he is after being humbled by Maya at the end of Hawkeye. I think he's a little bit of a changed man when we meet him here. I think it's exciting to see such a larger than life character like Kingpin go through those changes."

When asked about the potential of Kingpin being a major recurring villain in the MCU, Palmer sounded optimistic about the idea, though he didn't share any specific plans.

"I want to see that," he said. "I think stay tuned to how this show ends and where we see him next. As a Kingpin fan myself, that sounds awesome and I know Vincent would love it."

Starring Alaqua Cox, all five episodes of Echo will debut exclusively on both Disney+ and Hulu on Tuesday, January 9th. The origin story of Echo revisits Maya Lopez, whose ruthless behavior in New York City catches up with her in her hometown. She must face her past, reconnect with her Native American roots and embrace the meaning of family and community if she ever hopes to move forward. Vincent D'Onofrio will reprise his role as Wilson Fisk / Kingpin, and Charlie Cox will reprise his role as Matt Murdock / Daredevil. Echo will also star Chaske Spencer, Tantoo Cardinal, Devery Jacobs, Cody Lightning, Graham Greene and Zahn McClarnon.

Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, Stephen Broussard, Richie Palmer, Marion Dayre, and Jason Gavin (Blackfeet) are executive producers of Echo. Amy Rardin, Sydney Freeland, Christina King (Seminole), and Jennifer Booth are co-executive producers.