The sequel to the beloved Daredevil series, Daredevil: Born Again is finally about to be released. One of the most important characters in that story is Vincent D’Onofrio’s antagonist Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin. Fisk has been a headache for Daredevil from the very start and this new show is no different.
Over the years, several people in the industry have raised the concern that superhero movies are not ‘real cinema’ or that the actors starring in those movies lack true craft. However, D’Onofrio’s comments from almost a decade ago prove those critics wrong with one simple admission.
Vincent D’Onofrio once claimed that Marvel is into “real acting”
The trailer for Daredevil: Born Again dropped recently, and Vincent D’Onofrio‘s Wilson Fisk/Kingpin is seemingly running for Mayor of New York City, as was teased in the finale of Echo, released last year. Now, it is no secret that D’Onofrio has to keep his head shaved to play Fisk and Charlie Cox has to put on a suit to be Daredevil. Every other actor in the show has to do something or the other to convincingly do their parts.
In a conversation with Empire in 2019 (via Variety), Martin Scorsese boldly expressed his criticism of Marvel movies, saying:
I don’t see them. I tried, you know? But that’s not cinema. Honestly, the closest I can think of them, as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks. It isn’t the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being.
These comments obviously offended some while some others were disappointed that someone as legendary as Scorsese would say something like this about these billion-dollar franchises. On the other hand, five years earlier, when Screen Crush mentioned to D’Onofrio that actors in superhero movies claim to be living their childhood fantasies, he responded:
I mean, it’s kinda cool. The thing about Marvel is that they’re not – they’re into real acting. They’re looking for artists that are willing to take chances and are willing to create characters, even if that character has been around for years and years in comic books, they still are depending on us to create something and take it somewhere else.
He further went on to give Robert Downey Jr.’s example as he said that Iron Man is who is on-screen because of the Oppenheimer star. This proves that, regardless of whether the actors are living out their childhood fantasies, they must be willing to take the risk of facing criticism if they fail to bring these characters to life in a way that meets fans’ expectations.
Martin Scorsese clarified that his comments on the Marvel franchise are due to his “personal taste”
Scorsese is not the only filmmaker who ended up enraging the fans with his thoughts about the Marvel franchise. James Cameron had also said something similar before the Taxi Driver director. To his credit, Scorsese wrote an op-ed for the New York Times in which he conveyed his true feelings about superhero movies.
The fact that the films themselves don’t interest me is a matter of personal taste and temperament. I know that if I were younger, if I’d come of age at a later time, I might have been excited by these pictures and maybe even wanted to make one myself.
The Killers of the Flower Moon director claimed that Marvel movies lack “revelation, mystery or genuine emotional danger” which is what sets them apart from other independent movies. He also revealed that his issue with franchise films lies in the fact that they leave no room for independent films in theaters, as fans tend to prefer watching franchise films over independent ones.
Frequently asked questions
Who does Vincent D’Onofrio play in Daredevil: Born Again?
D’Onofrio reprises Wilson Fisk, the crime boss known as Kingpin, the role he originated in Marvel’s 2015 Daredevil series. In Born Again, Fisk is running for Mayor of New York City, a turn teased in the Echo finale.
What did Vincent D’Onofrio say about acting in Marvel projects?
In a Screen Crush interview (about five years before Scorsese’s 2019 remarks), D’Onofrio said Marvel is “into real acting” and looks for artists willing to take chances and create characters, even ones decades old in the comics. He cited Robert Downey Jr.’s shaping of Iron Man as an example.
What did Martin Scorsese say about superhero movies?
In a 2019 Empire interview, Scorsese said Marvel films aren’t “cinema” but are closer to “theme parks,” while granting that the actors do their best. He later wrote a New York Times op-ed calling it a matter of “personal taste” and arguing the films lack revelation, mystery, or genuine emotional danger.
