“No, It Must Be an Axe”: D’Onofrio Changed Kingpin’s Weapon in ‘Daredevil: Born Again’

Vincent D’Onofrio, who plays Kingpin in Daredevil: Born Again, didn’t agree with one big decision about his character, and he made sure it was changed.

The Marvel series went through big changes during filming. Marvel replaced the head writers and directors to give the show a darker, more serious tone — one that’s closer to the original Netflix version of Daredevil.

Even with all the changes, D’Onofrio was always set to return as Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpin. He’s been a fan favorite since he first played the role back in 2015, and he’s said many times that he’s committed to playing Kingpin for the rest of his career.

In a recent episode of the Talk Daredevil Podcast, showrunner Dario Scardapane and executive producer Sana Amanat talked about Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again.

They also shared some behind-the-scenes stories about working with returning stars like D’Onofrio and Charlie Cox.

Amanat explained how much these actors now understand their characters:

“They know these characters so well, right? They probably know these characters at this point now better than anyone so you just have to trust some of their instincts.“

She then told a story about how D’Onofrio helped shape a scene involving Kingpin’s actions toward another character. She said:

“I remember when Vincent was like… We’re talking a bit about Vanessa’s affair that happened and it was very much him being like, ‘Well, I wouldn’t… you know what, Kingpin wouldn’t kill the guy in his basement. He would keep the promise but Kingpin would torture him in his basement,’ and I’m like, ‘Oh my god, you have a dark mind.’“

Scardapane added that D’Onofrio also disagreed with a weapon choice in Episode 6 of the show. In the scene, Kingpin gives a character named Adam a weapon — one that’s meant to act as a “great equalizer.”

Originally, the weapon was supposed to be a hammer. Then the team thought about using a bat. But D’Onofrio strongly pushed for something else. Scardapane recalled:

“I remember that discussion. And then also when he goes to confront Adam, we’re like… Originally, it was a hammer, and then it was a bat, and Vincent’s like, ‘No, it must be an axe.’ We’re like, ‘Okay…'”

Amanat agreed with his thinking, saying:

“A hammer might[‘ve] be too on the nose.”

In Daredevil Season 1, the hammer has a lot of meaning. It’s the weapon young Wilson Fisk used to kill his abusive father in a very emotional and violent scene.

That hammer became an important symbol for Kingpin. He even kept it and later gave it to Maya Lopez in Echo, showing how it still played a role in his twisted view of power and pain.

Because of that deep connection to his past, using the same hammer in Born Again could’ve felt too obvious or forced. Kingpin is a smart and careful character, and D’Onofrio knew it might seem like a symbolic move instead of a real choice.

Thanks to D’Onofrio’s input, the team went with an axe instead — and that decision helped keep Kingpin fresh and unpredictable in the new series.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!