The orignal Ben Affleck led Daredevil movie gets a lot of flack. From the over-the-top acting, to the so very early 2000’s soundtrack. Actually, I think the soundtrack was the tonly thing people enjoyed. The original Daredevil movie came out at a time where studios were trying to figure out what exactly constitutes a good superhero film. It came hot off the heels of the beloved Sam Rami Spider-Man film, and five years after the much overlooked Blade movie. The Man Without Fear took a chance and tried to present Matt Murdock as a street level hero, both in and out of the courtroom.
Unfortunately, not everyone was a fan of the take. The extended version dives further into Matt’s court case, one involving Coolio for some reason, while trying to juggle the origin of Daredevil, the introduction of Electra, Matt’s Catholic guilt, and Bullseye. It was a lot. The one thing that works pretty damn well, was Michael Clarke Duncan as Kingpin.
Daredevil’s King of New York
The late, great, Michael Clarke Duncan, gave us a pretty damn great rendition of Wilson Fisk. His portrayl of the infamous crime boss is still one of the best parts of the original Daredevil movie. His disarming charm coupled with his massive frame brought the character of Kingpin to life on screen. This imposing “businessman” was also a lightning-quick powerhouse who fought toe-to-toe with the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.
And who could forget that voice. Everything about Mr. Duncan’s stature and physical prowess screamed “Kingpin”. Prior to this, the only depiction I had of Kingpin was the comics and the classic animated version in the 90’s Spider-Man cartoon. Michael C. Duncan wasn’t a better, or even the best incarnation of Kingpin. He did uphold the mantle of Daredevil’s greatest adversary, paving the way for Vincent D’Onofrio’s incredible stint in the Netflix and now Disney Plus version of Daredevil.
So when you are watching and possibly enjoying Daredevil: Born Again, don’t forget to revisit the 2003 Ben Afflet and Michael Clark Duncun vehicle. They figured out a way for them to fight in the rain….inside. Nothing better than that.
