Kingpin actor Vincent D’Onofrio, who recently took on the role in Disney+’s Hawkeye series claimed that the Netflix Daredevil series was cancelled because of Marvel Studios’ plans for Disney+.
D’Onofrio made an appearance on the Marvel News Desk podcast, where he was asked about Daredevil Season 3 and the show’s cancellation, “Did you feel like there was something left undone or were you okay that you found that there wasn’t going to be anything beyond Season 3 on Netflix?”
“I don’t think any of us were ok,” the Kingpin actor answered. “I think that we were like, ‘Oh ok, we had a hit show and now it’s gone.’ You know?”
“But shortly after that at the same time the group #SaveDaredevil started to rise, we started to learn, the cast, most of us I believe, but I know Charlie and I for sure, and Deborah and Elden, we started to learn the reasons why that happened and so we understood what Marvel was doing because of Disney+ coming out,” he declared.
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He continued, “When you’re in this business a long time like we have all been, it kind of made sense business-wise. What didn’t make sense to us was why we wouldn’t continue that show or the idea of how that worked and how well it worked, you know?”
“Conceptually, I think we were disappointed, but I think we all understood what was going on and that sort of was inevitable. In this business you learn to accept things because, you know, it’s a business in the end and there’s nothing you can really do about it,” D’Onofrio said.
The actor did note the show left a lot on the table when it came to its characters, “One of the things about losing the opportunity to do a fourth season was that – I know that Charlie feels the same way and I know he’d be comfortable with me speaking for him because Charlie and I are friends – there was a lot more to explore with his character and mine, and all of the characters in my opinion. All of the characters.”
“And we just hoped that one day we would be able to and it turns out I’ve been able to do Hawkeye now and Charlie, he’s there in Spider-Man,” he stated.
D’Onofrio then opined, “I really do wish that the movie business was like when I was younger when you just knew what was going to happen and you could talk about things freely and people would give you information and you would be able to share it. But nobody tells you anything these days. It’s not just superhero movies. It’s every project that I get involved with.”
“Even with the Tammy Faye movie that I did I was allowed to say that I was in the Tammy Faye movie, but I wasn’t allowed to say what it was about. And early on I wasn’t even allowed to say what character I played. It happens all the time. It’s just part of the business these days,” he elaborated.
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When asked about the challenges of publicizing a project without revealing any of the details, D’Onofrio answered, “In the end, I find it hard to believe that – the fans that I come across are intelligent people. And I find it hard to believe that they don’t know that it’s a game.”
He went on, “And that the game evokes excitement, and sometimes provokes excitement. And so I think, I think it’s a fun game to play. And yes, sometimes it’s weird because in the moment it gets bizarre.”
“But, you know, the best thing about that situation, from the actor’s point of view I’ll say, is that I really don’t know anything. I literally don’t. And at this point I’d rather not because it’s an uncomfortable position to be in,” D’Onofrio said.
However, he would then say, “But I have to say even when I just said it’s an uncomfortable position to be in, just as I said that the first thing that comes to my mind is, ‘But it’s kind of fun. The game is kinda fun,'” he asserted.
All of the Marvel Netflix shows were cancelled back in 2018 with plenty of rumors flying around as to why they were cancelled. Regarding the cancellation of Luke Cage, The Hollywood Reporter indicated it was “due to creative differences” and an “inability to agree to terms for a third season of the show.”
Deadline believed the shows were cancelled due to their high costs and Netflix’s desire to have their own original content. They reported back in 2018, “The fact is times have changed on the digital landscape and Marvel shows on Netflix are costly to make.”
They added, “When the initial deal with Marvel/Disney was made by Netflix five years ago, the company, desperate to gain big draw content, laid out big bucks for the series – which it never owned. Now the situation is very different, with Netflix awash in new series and returning series that it holds the keys to.”
However, given D’Onofrio’s comments, it appears that it was Disney and Marvel’s decision to have their Marvel properties on Disney+ that was the prime reason for not having the show continue on Netflix.
What do you make of D’Onofrio’s confirmation? What do you think Disney+ has in store for Daredevil and Kingpin?
NEXT: Vincent D’Onofrio Explains How His Daredevil And Hawkeye Kingpin Characters Are Connected