Kingpin actor Vincent D'Onofrio explains how he dealt with trolls when he first started playing the character in Daredevil. Kingpin is the arch-nemesis of Marvel's blind superhero Daredevil. Though the role was played by late actor Michael Clarke Duncan in the 2003 Ben Affleck movie, it was D'Onofrio who was cast in the Netflix TV series, created by Buffy the Vampire Slayer alumni Drew Goddard. Goddard also served as showrunner and consultant for the series. As the first TV adaptation of the Daredevil comics, the show was highly anticipated and came among a slew of comic book adaptations, such as Jessica Jones, that Netflix released at a similar time.
Daredevil, which ran three seasons on Netflix from 2015-2018, starred Charlie Cox in the lead role as Daredevil/Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer turned vigilante superhero who fights crime in New York's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. Deborah Ann Woll and Rosario Dawson also starred in the show, with D'Onofrio's Kingpin appearing as the principal antagonist of the series. Widely acclaimed for its dark tone, themes of moral ambiguity, and strong performances, Daredevil was very popular, but that didn't mean that the show escaped criticism.
Indeed, 62-year-old D'Onofrio described how he had his fair share of trolls after taking on the role several years ago and explained how he dealt with them. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Comicbook, the actor/director described how he has a new way of dealing with trolls, by simply not engaging with them. Read the comments from the Ghost Wars star below, as he talks about the trolling he received during his character's early days:
"I used to have trolls, I used to have trolls. I did. But, what I did was, I just stopped… I put them in a box where they don't exist and I ignored them for a long period of time. They've just kind of gone away. Every once in a while, one will show up, and I just ignore it. Because I think that there's too much going on in the world to perpetuate negative stuff. I used to get combative, and it was hurting nobody but myself."
Actors and actresses are no strangers to dealing with backlash and trolling, and it is certainly something that is expected for those taking iconic and beloved roles. In the age of social media, everyone has a platform, and every fan with an internet connection can have their say. Whether this is constructive or not is up for debate, but it has certainly encouraged more engagement between performers and fans. The trolling and abuse is the darker side of this, and something that will hopefully get better in the future.
In the case of Daredevil, this is a story and franchise dear to the hearts of fans, and, due to the wide reach of the MCU these days, it is clear people are going to hold strong opinions about it. But it seems as though Full Metal Jacket star D'Onofrio is taking it all in stride, which is hardly surprising considering his experience as an actor. As a younger man, he may have struggled more with negative feedback and reviews, but as an older and wiser actor, he seems to be rising above it. The fact that his Kingpin has enjoyed a resurgence by appearing in Hawkeye might have something to with this. And Daredevil fans who enjoyed D'Onofrio's performance will no doubt be delighted that his character has reappeared in the MCU once again.
Source: Comicbook