Concerns by fans that Marvel Studios’ upcoming “Daredevil: Born Again” series will soften the ‘hard edge’ of its Netflix predecessor are unfounded, according to actor Vincent D’Onofrio.
Filming is now underway on “Daredevil: Born Again”, which is shooting eighteen episodes back-to-back between now and mid-November. D’Onofrio, who plays Kingpin/Wilson Fisk in the series, tells Newsweek that the extended episode count means this is “a long game” which he finds fun because “you get to plan out and bring it.”
He goes on to reveal he had very similar concerns to fans himself about the original show’s darker content being matched by the upcoming Disney+ reboot of the show.
However, he says his concerns were assuaged when looking at other Marvel Studios output. He adds that the darker and more brutal aspects of the Netflix series weren’t gratuitous and are important in terms of character:
“It was a concern of mine too, because the Netflix show was so raw and brutal, you know? But then I started to look at what Marvel’s been doing lately with their series, and the direction that they want to go in.
All I can say […] is that if you look at the most brutal stuff that Marvel is doing, which is few and far between, but it’s there, it will be there for us too.
I think one of the things that the fans loved with the original show was that it wasn’t just violence to be violent. It was, at times, a bit shocking to see, but it was all based on emotional stuff, from Charlie’s part and mine.
These are two very emotional characters caught up in this life of theirs, so it will answer all of that for the fans. We will bring it on, and we will have emotional violence as well as just out-and-out physical violence.”
D’Onofrio will also reprise his role as Kingpin in the first season of “Echo,” which was already filmed but hasn’t set a release date as yet. His character is the adoptive uncle of Alaqua Cox’s Maya Lopez/Echo. The series as a whole serves as something of a prologue to ‘Born Again’.
Also starring in the new “Daredevil” is Jon Bernthal, reprising his Frank Castle/The Punisher role, and Sandrine Holt as Vanessa Fisk. Michael Gandolfini, Arty Froushan, Margarita Levieva and Nikki M. James also star.
