Kingpin has Karen Page’s back: Vincent D’Onofrio on the God of War backlash against Deborah Ann Woll
As backlash builds around her God of War character, a Daredevil co-star has waded in to back Deborah Ann Woll.
Not every day you get a Marvel actor wading right into the gaming fan wars, but here we are. Deborah Ann Woll, who you'll probably recognise from Daredevil, is starring as Laufey in the upcoming PlayStation-exclusive God of War game — and yes, the internet has opinions.
Vincent D'Onofrio Steps In
As soon as the first gameplay trailer for God of War Laufey dropped, a chunk of the fanbase started grumbling loudly about how Woll's virtual likeness looked. Some just don't like the character model, but plenty have gone off the rails comparing it to her real-world appearance. There's also a separate lot who aren't thrilled at the idea of Laufey — a female lead — stepping in where Kratos usually bellows.
All a bit much, if you ask me. Enter Vincent D'Onofrio, who you might know as Kingpin from Marvel or that memorable Jurassic World bloke. He's not having any of it. When a fan piped up online about boycotting Laufey, D'Onofrio fired back with a full-throated defence:
Deborah is beautiful and extremely talented. She is as smart as whip and a complete nerd. Also incredibly kind. How perfect she is! And a good friend.
He made it pretty clear he'd be picking up the new game, too, admitting he's a 'fan of God of War' and can't wait to play it with his own son. Not often you see proper solidarity between Marvel cast-mates on gaming Twitter, so there's that.
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The Backlash & Official Responses
Deborah Ann Woll herself has actually taken the criticism on the chin when cornered about it at a convention. She said it wasn't bothering her — partly because she's not even on social media, which, let’s be honest, does help:
But one, I’m not on social media, so that helps. And two, I feel totally unbothered because I know it’s great. It’s fine if it’s not your cup of tea, but in no universe is it bad.
Meanwhile, Santa Monica Studio boss Cory Barlog has also responded to ease concerns. He insists Laufey is just one facet of a bigger narrative they're trying to build in the God of War universe, promising more Kratos down the line. His message for any panickers: Kratos is still "the God of War."
- Deborah Ann Woll stars as Laufey in the next God of War chapter
- Significant online buzz – both positive and negative – surrounds her casting and character design
- Vincent D’Onofrio publicly defends Woll and says he’s excited for the game
- Sony and Santa Monica Studio stress that Kratos is not gone for good
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