It's been a long time coming, but after years of rumours and stalled starts, Jeremy Renner has finally drawn back his bow and hit a bullseye with Disney+'s Hawkeye. This festive favourite is a mix of Die Hard and Home Alone with a dusting of Marvel Cinematic Universe magic. Like any good MCU outing, there are ties to a much larger world, and although we're only two episodes in, fans think they've spotted Kingpin pulling the strings from the shadows.
Away from Ben Affleck's maligned Daredevil and Michael Clarke Duncan's portrayal of Wilson Fisk, Kingpin is remembered for Vincent D'Onofrio's lauded performance in Daredevil. While Netflix pulled the plug on the noir drama after three seasons, there are continued rumours the series could be revived in the main MCU canon. D'Onofrio has repeatedly said he'd love to return, and depending on where you look on the internet, there's some pretty compelling evidence that Charlie Cox could reprise his role as Matt Murdock for Spider-Man: No Way Home.
When Hawkeye's first episode presented a gala as a front for a criminal auction at a swanky New York hotel, eagle-eyed fans noticed it was the same location D'Onofrio's Kingpin holed up in Daredevil season three. While working with the FBI (for his own gains), Fisk set up shop in the Presidential Hotel and started leaking the names of other criminals while he ran his outfit from the comfort of his penthouse suite.
Obviously, things didn't quite pan out that way, and after a bloody battle with Daredevil and Bullseye, Kingpin was last seen being taken back into custody. In Hawkeye, the same hotel is used. Is it just a reused filming location or is there more to the story?
Whether intentional or not, the potential Easter egg neatly lines up with the reveal of Alaqua Cox's Maya Lopez/Echo in episode two. For those who don't already know, Lopez is the adoptive daughter of Fisk in the comics. That's not confirmed yet in Hawkeye but she looks like she'll have an antagonistic role as the head of the Tracksuit Mafia.
When pushed on the Kingpin connection, Hawkeye Executive Producer Trinh Tran told ComicBook.com, "I can't go into details in terms of like how she's integrated into, you know, the story. I don't wanna spoil anything."
If not in Hawkeye, the newly announced Echo series is primed for Kingpin's return. It would be easy to rewrite Lopez's backstory, but with D'Onofrio's legendary status in the outer rim of the MCU, it's sure to be a hit with fans.
Elsewhere, there's been plenty of theorising about the new owner of the Avengers Tower. Everyone from Norman Osborn to the Fantastic Four are tipped to be taking up residence in the former HQ of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Hawkeye episode one just so happened to feature a flashback to Kate Bishop witnessing Avengers Assemble's Chitauri attack.
After teasing new owners in Spider-Man: Far From Home, Tran told CinemaBlend, "We'll see if it fits into where it can be headed towards" when asked about Avengers Tower. Kingpin definitely has the power and the money to take over the roomy abode as a base of operations for his criminal empire.
Hawkeye introduces street-level heroes and villains like the Tracksuit Mafia. This choice lends itself perfectly to the likes of Cox and D'Onofrio making their long-awaited return. One of the main criticisms of Daredevil was that it sat outside main MCU canon. When it comes to Hawkeye, there are plenty of nods to the wider world of the Avengers thanks to Renner's leading role.
The Disney+ shows are already part of a much larger web, and another lingering plot point is who Sharon Carter was on the phone to at the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier - with Kingpin being a popular choice.
Then again, if we take off Murdock's rose-tinted spectacles, Hawkeye could be in danger of villain overkill. The writers could include Echo, Fra Fee's Clown and possible villainous turns for Tony Dalton's Jack Duquesne (as Swordsman) and even Vera Farmiga's Eleanor Bishop (as Madame Masque). That's before we get to Yelena Belova's mission of vengeance. Even if a Kingpin cameo wouldn't quite be on a world-building par with Kang appearing in Loki, it would help catapult the MCU's more grounded outings forward.
Also, it's got to be better than THAT Power Broker twist. The prices are all in place for Kingpin's return, but it's just whether we're on target with theories or this is just another one of those shots in the dark.
Hawkeye is out now on Disney+ with new episodes releasing weekly on Wednesdays.
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Tom Chapman is a pop culture-loving writer and NCTJ-accredited Broadcast Journalist with over seven years of experience covering the small and silver screen.
Starting his career with a post at Movie Pilot in Berlin, Tom took on freelancing full-time with regular stints at Digital Spy, Screen Rant and Comic Book Resources.
These days, you can still find him covering all things Marvel and Star Wars at Digital Spy, while dipping his toe in bylines at Yahoo! and IGN.
Tom likes to think his spirit animal is a cross between Gale Weathers and Olenna Tyrell.
