Daredevil’s Greatest Villain Just Returned To The MCU In Hawkeye
Daredevil's greatest villain is back in Hawkeye!
It’s been rumored for months, but now the rumors are over. In the final shot of “Ronin” — the fifth and penultimate episode of Disney+’s Hawkeye — Daredevil’s greatest villain returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Wilson Fisk, aka the Kingpin of Crime, appears at the end of the episode played by Vincent D’Onofrio.
If you’re one of the fans who’s been hoping the Daredevil villain would show up in Hawkeye, the entire episode keeps you excited. Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), his wife Laura (Linda Cardellini), Kazi (Fra Fee), and Maya (Alaqua Cox) keep making vague, pointed references to the thus far unseen crime boss whose attention Clint has feared attracting since he first saw Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) on the news dressed as Ronin. In the episode’s final scene, Kate receives a text from Yelena (Florence Pugh) revealing that it was Kate’s mother Eleanor (Vera Farmiga) who hired her to kill Clint. Panicked, Kate passes the phone to Clint, asking him who it is in the photo standing next to her mother. Barton says, “Well that’s the guy I’ve been worried about this whole time. Kingpin.” The final shot shows D’Onofrio once again playing the Daredevil villain.
Vincent D’Onofrio first played the Daredevil villain in the eponymous hero’s Netflix series. While the characters of shows like Jessica Jones and Daredevil would often make vague references to the events of the MCU, there was never any firm word on whether or not the narratives were connected. When Netflix canceled all of the Marvel series, it seemed for a while that the question would never be answered. The grainy photo on Kate Bishop’s phone represents the very first solid narrative connection between the MCU and the defunct Netflix series.
The reveal seems to be specifically timed, considering it comes days before the theatrical release of Spider-Man: No Way Home (SPOILER WARNING). This week’s Marvel releases have given us not just a Daredevil villain, but Daredevil himself. Video has leaked of Charlie Cox’s long-rumored appearance as Matt Murdock — serving as Peter Parker’s attorney — in the upcoming film.
Considering all of this — plus the enduring rumor that Jon Bernthal will soon be returning to the role of Frank Castle, aka the violent vigilante Punisher — it seems like a revival of the Marvel characters previously featured on Netflix is underway. So far, however, most of the speculation has revolved around Cox returning as Daredevil, D’Onofrio returning as the Daredevil villain Kingpin, and Bernthal. There’s been little to no word on the possible returns of Mike Colter as Luke Cage, Finn Jones as Iron Fist, or Krysten Ritter reprising the role of Jessica Jones.
It’s only speculation, but with the reveal of Kingpin in Hawkeye, there could be another of Daredevil’s greatest villains on the way for the final episode. Netflix’s Daredevil‘s third and final season ends with the tease that Benjamin Poindexter (Wilson Bethel) would be evolving into the iconic villain Bullseye. The twisted bad guy is known to hit whatever he’s aiming at, and as such could be the perfect enemy for Clint Barton. In fact, in the comics when Norman Osborn forms his team of Dark Avengers, he taps Bullseye to replace Hawkeye.
