During a panel interview at La Conve 63 in Monterrey, NL, Mexico, on Saturday, Finn Jones offered perhaps his most honest and vulnerable reflections on his time as Danny Rand in Marvel’s Iron Fist on Netflix (now on Disney+). Speaking candidly to the crowd gathered for the two-day annual anime convention, Jones acknowledged the criticisms surrounding both his portrayal of the titular hero and the production itself while continuing his campaign to reprise the coveted role.

Rumors abound that Jones will be joining the rest of his fellow Defenders actors in Daredevil: Born Again Season 2. However, on his first day at La Conve 63, Jones was adamant that he knew nothing of the sort.

“I don’t know,” Jones said about a potential announcement from Marvel Studios that he would return to the role of Iron Fist. “They’re taking their sweet time.”

Later, a fan asked Jones about the challenges of portraying such a layered character. He reflected on the Marvel superhero’s journey to escape his troubled past and embrace his heroic future.

“I think what I love about the character is that he’s someone who has gone through a lot of adversity in his life,” he said. “He doesn’t necessarily shy away from his vulnerability, but it’s also his vulnerability that gets him into a lot of inner turmoil and trouble. He’s a character who’s trying to blend trauma—like losing his parents—with also trying to have the courage to protect people and do the right thing.”

As he continued his response to the fan’s inquiry, Jones’ answers reflected a candidness rarely found in his previous interviews, as he compared Danny Rand’s struggles to his own experiences during the production of the Netflix show.

“[Danny] was just at the stage that we saw him in those shows seven years ago. He was someone that was out of his depth,” Jones added. “And really, if I’m being honest, I was out of my depth as well as an actor. I was very new to leading a show. I was in an environment where I think the production didn’t really know what it was doing either. It was a very rushed production. I was kind of thrown into the deep end. It was like the train was moving at full speed. I just got thrown on the train, and I was trying to drive it as best as I could. That was that experience.”

He further reflected on his character’s journey of self-discovery in the Netflix series and how it mirrored his own personal and professional growth.

“I learned a great deal about myself as an actor, as an artist, and as a person,” Jones confessed. “I think there is a similarity to what maybe Danny was feeling in that moment in the story as well.”

Moreover, the former Game of Thrones actor looked forward to the possibility of returning to the role of Danny Rand, envisioning a story arc that reflected the martial artist’s development in line with his comic-book counterpart.

“What I like about the idea of potentially coming back into that series is taking all of that growth and all of that knowledge and then seeing how Danny has evolved as a person, as a hero,” Jones explained. “Maybe he’s got some insight. Maybe he’s learned something along the way, and maybe he can actually become the figure, the mentor that he is in the books. He is someone who has gone through a lot and is able to overcome that, impart knowledge onto others, and help others.

“If the character was to come back, I would like to see it skew into that lane.”

What stood out this time was Jones’ acknowledgment of the criticisms from both critics and fans while recognizing that the show and his portrayal still had their supporters. This self-reflection showed a maturity that perhaps a younger Jones didn’t have as he answered another fan’s question about whether he would reprise the role in Daredevil: Born Again.

“It’s always possible,” Jones said. “Like I said, ‘I’m here. I’m ready.’ I think there is a willingness for the fans to see that happen. There’s a lot of willingness for the fans to see that not happen as well. I’m very aware of the critiques of the character and my role in it. But my response to that is, ‘Give me a f****ing chance, man. I’m here and I’m ready and I want to prove people wrong.’ And so, yeah, I would love to see that happen.”

The honesty, openness, and vulnerability with which Jones discussed the criticisms of his portrayal of Danny Rand marked a refreshing shift from his previous interviews, where he rarely addressed the negativity surrounding his acting and martial arts skills.

Jones has been vocal in recent years about wanting to continue Danny Rand’s journey and seeing him become the fully formed character that he is in the comics. In many of those interviews, he expressed hope to reunite with Mike Colter’s Luke Cage to form the Heroes for Hire in live-action.

Rather than deflecting criticism, he confronted it head-on, showing an awareness of the show’s shortcomings alongside his own growth as an actor. 

Marvel executive Brad Winderbaum recently expressed excitement over the possibility of finally bringing the Defenders into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whether that becomes a reality remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is Jones’ resolve to return as Iron Fist and deliver a portrayal that honors the character’s comic book roots.