Hawkeye is now three episodes in on Disney+ and fans are loving it! While the Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld lead show has had a lower viewership compared to other MCU shows, critics and fans have enjoyed Cint and Kate's banter, the Christmas theme, and of course, Lucky the Pizza Dog. Episode 3 was a huge step up, and it might have given us our first glimpse of Vincent D'Onofrio's return as the crime lord Kingpin!
During its three-season run, Daredevil proved to be a critical and statistical hit as it continually attracted excellent reviews and viewing figures. However, the series was, unfortunately, a victim of the Marvel TV shut down as Netflix canceled it in 2018.
With Daredevil and his side characters back under the control of Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios, it appears to only be a matter of time before they return to the MCU. Recent rumors have indicated Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock will appear as Peter Parker's lawyer in Spider-Man: No Way Home while D'Onofrio will reportedly make a comeback for the later episodes of Hawkeye on Disney+.
As a supposed leaked image of Kingpin's return in Hawkeye goes viral, D'Onofrio has seemingly denied its legitimacy with a recent tweet.
Hawkeye Leak Shut Down by Kingpin Actor
Daredevil's Kingpin actor Vincent D'Onofrio recently took to Twitter to comment on a supposed leaked image of his Marvel villain in the Hawkeye Disney+ series.
After being sent the image by a follower, D'Onofrio seemingly denied the leak calling it a "really bad job" by "someone trying to make it look like [him]:"
"Well, it's a really bad job from someone trying to make it look like me. This guy in the pic is more handsome I think."
The supposed leaked image - which by all accounts appears to be fake - featured D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk in his classic white suit and made fatter, as he is in Marvel Comics, through CGI and a fat suit.
UPDATE:
Hawkeye Episode 3 introduced Alaqua Cox's Maya Lopez into the mix. While showing Maya's backstory at the beginning of the episode, we are shown a brief glimpse of Maya's "Uncle".
Given all the rumors surrounding Kingpin's return, it's hard not to look at this shot and not see Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin. Furthermore, you can briefly hear Maya's "Uncle" laugh, which sounds exactly like Vincent D'Onofrio.
In response, the same hour that Hawkeye episode 3 was released, Vincent D'Onofrio went to Twitter to post a picture of himself at Disney World. Coincidence?
pic.twitter.com/qa5hWanOvF
Vincent D'Onofrio's Return as Kingpin in Hawkeye Confirmed?
With D'Onofrio addressing the supposed Hawkeye leak, it appears as if the Kingpin image is fake, as many had speculated. Although that doesn't mean the actor won't appear in the Disney+ series as past reports have strongly indicated he will appear in later episodes.
Since Charlie Cox's return as Daredevil in Spider-Man: No Way Home is reported to be a soft reboot of the character, fans should expect D'Onofrio's to be the same. Based on this, it's entirely possible fans will be treated to a much larger and more comic-accurate Kingpin as was seen in Insomniac's Spider-Man game and Sony's Into the Spider-Verse.
In Marvel Comics, Kingpin is the adopted father of Echo, a deaf hero who will play a key role in Hawkeye before spinning out into her own series. Given this connection, fans could be treated to an adaptation of this relationship through flashbacks in the archer-centric series.
Should both rumors pay off, Cox's Matt Murdock and D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk would be reprising their Daredevil roles in the wider MCU within weeks of each other. This ought to prove a delight to fans of the popular Netflix series who have been calling for its resurrection since it was canceled in 2018.
Now that Marvel Studios has reclaimed control of the character, it may only be a matter of time before a new solo Daredevil film or series enters production. But before then, it's likely the blind lawyer and his cast of side characters will continue to pop up in other projects.
The first two episodes of Hawkeye are streaming now, exclusively on Disney+.
