Growing up watching the Spider-Man cartoon, the Kingpin was my favorite villain. He had such a commanding voice. I think Miller described him as a spider on a web (kind of how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle described Dr. Moriarty). He didn't need to rely on powers to win the day. On the other hand, he had the ability to surprise (since the dude is strong) which was awesome when used but not over-used.
When I recently started reading the actual comics that are the basis of the 90s cartoons I loved so much and the movies I greatly enjoy, I started reading Daredevil. And I started with Frank Miller. There, the Kingpin is an awesome villain for DD. He's brutal, but has a sort of warped moral center. While everything he does is for personal gain, his love of his wife Vanessa holds him in check. He's a villain, but he's a complex villain.
I have no doubt that D'Onofrio will do him justice.