Vincent D’Onofrio reveals why the Daredevil series was canceled

Kingpin actor Vincent D’Onofrio tells his story of finding out the hit Netflix series Daredevil was canceled.

Though Vincent D’Onofrio made a triumphant return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Hawkeye as Kingpin, his tenure was originally cut short after the show where it started, Daredevil, was suddenly discontinued in the middle of its success.

This cancellation shook the cast as much as audiences and D’Onofrio explained the surrealness of the news to Marvel News Desk. “I don’t think any of us were okay,” he said.

Everything is not OK

D’Onofrio added the shared reaction of his costars, Charlie Cox and Deborah Ann Woll, was “we had a hit show and now it’s gone.” And shortly thereafter, they “started to learn the reasons why that happened.”

D’Onofrio confirmed a rumor that – like his predecessor Michael Clarke Duncan said in the 2003 Daredevil movie – it was business and Marvel pulled the plug because of the eventual launch of Disney Plus, which was always set to become the home of new Marvel content.

Daredevil’s cancellation was just business

D’Onofrio also said that he and the Daredevil cast understood “what Marvel was doing because Disney+ [was] coming out”. He would continue that the move made sense for business but not conceptually:

"“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. Conceptually, I think we were disappointed, but I think we all understood what was going on, and it sort of was inevitable.”"

He added, “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.”

Who runs this town

Fortunately for the Daredevil cast, they didn’t have to do anything except waiting. D’Onofrio returned as Kingpin and may show up again in Disney Plus’s Echo – assuming Wilson Fisk is still breathing after the Hawkeye finale.

And Charlie Cox, meanwhile, entered the MCU fully in a Matt Murdock cameo for Spider-Man: No Way Home that naturally begs the question: Can The Man Without Fear or his associate Karen Page be far behind?

Know when to get out

Somebody who won’t be joining them is Daredevil season 1 showrunner Steven S. DeKnight. The executive producer tweeted that he is finished exploring the characters after such a well-received season as he likes “to end on a high note.”

So don’t expect DeKnight to join the show, or movie, if Daredevil gets resurrected by Kevin Feige.

Are you hankering for more Kingpin and Daredevil, such as another showdown between them on streaming? Make your voice heard on social media and in the comments.