‘Hawkeye’ Brings Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin Into The MCU
Ever since the third episode of Hawkeye on Disney+, there had been speculation about whether a significant Marvel villain was involved in the underground crime scene in the series. There were hints that he was the driving force behind the attacks on Clint Barton and Kate Bishop. After weeks of speculation, the truth finally comes out. Kingpin aka. Wilson Fisk is now part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
The nods to Wilson Fisk really picked up speed in the third episode of Hawkeye as Maya Lopez's uncle (Echo) was identified as the one leading the tracksuit mafia. Of course, as soon as Hawkeye revealed Echo's past, it only made sense for fans to hypothesize that Kingpin would eventually appear in Hawkeye. After all, he is Maya’s uncle by adoption. The hints continued as Clint referred to Maya's boss as the "big man."
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At the end of episode 5, a picture of Kate's mom, Eleanor Bishop (played by Vera Farminga) speaking to a man in a white suit jacket was sent to Kate's phone. This confirmed Fisk's involvement in the story. While Kate did not recognize the man, Clint knew precisely who he was. Unfortunately, as exciting as this reveal was, the image did not give any context to Fisk's role in the MCU.
Vincent D'Onofrio, returned to play the role of Fisk in Hawkeye. He also portrayed the character in the Netflix series Daredevil, which aired for three seasons from 2015-2018. D'Onofrio was so perfectly cast that Disney/Marvel saw no reason to change. The actor’s defining career moment is his role as Private Leonard “Gomer Pyle” Lawrence, a Marine recruit in Full Metal Jacket (1986).
This wasn't the first live-action Wilson Fisk. Michael Clarke Duncan played Fisk in Ben Affleck's 2003 version of Daredevil. The one difference between the character in Daredevil and the one in Hawkeye is that Fisk in Hawkeye is seen with his signature cane.
Despite this being the first time we see Fisk's face, it most likely isn't the first time he has been in Hawkeye. In the third episode, Fisk shows his hand, literally. Whether or not it is D'Onofrio's hand is unclear, but it is entirely possible.
With Hawkeye taking place in the streets of New York, it only makes sense to bring in other Defenders like Luke Cage (Mike Colter). Netflix’s Daredevil was such a great series with perfect casting all around. It would make perfect sense to bring in Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock (Daredevil). And why not Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page? On Twitter, D'Onofrio praised Cox's acting and expressed his desire to see Cox as Daredevil in the MCU. It is just a matter of time, folks.
Kingpin made his debut in Marvel comics in 1967 in Amazing Spider-Man #50. He quickly rose in the ranks as one of the most powerful villains in the Marvel universe. Kingpin's original archnemesis was Spider-Man, but later on, he also fought Daredevil as the two superheroes were friends. In addition, Fisk used his influence to gain political positions, which brought attention to Matt Murdock and his law firm. Spider-Man and Daredevil would team up repeatedly to fight Kingpin, who would later on reveal Daredevil's identity. Regardless of how many times the police arrested Fisk, he always managed to be released. Funny how power works like that.
In the comics, Maya Lopez’s father father worked for Fisk. Eventually, Fisk had her father killed. As he lay dying, he made Fisk promise that Maya would be taken care of, and Fisk agreed. Of course, nothing Fisk does is out of generosity. Fisk saw her fighting potential and paid for her to be trained as an assassin. Fisk blamed Maya's father's death on Daredevil, so she hunted him down for revenge. Eventually, Maya learned the truth about her father's killer and turned against Fisk.
As of now, it is unknown whether or not this Fisk will be the same as the one in Daredevil. If it is, that means Netflix's Daredevil and its connected shows could be considered part of the MCU. Fisk's involvement could also affect Echo's series coming later in 2022.
Hawkeye series finale airs this Wednesday December 22 on Disney+.
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Source(s): Screen Rant