Marvel Studios' Hawkeye has now aired three episodes on Disney+, with its most recent entry teasing the arrival of Vincent D'Onfrio's Kingpin. The show sees Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton and Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop reluctantly teaming up after "the world's greatest archer" gets herself into a situation of which doesn't quite understand the severity.
The party hunting the two archers is the Tracksuit Mafia. While they don't seem that serious at the moment, their lieutenant, Alaqua Cox's Echo, poses a real threat. The character was formally introduced in the third installment and really gave both heroes a run for their money.
The episode, however, revealed that she isn't the one at the top. According to Clint, there's someone higher up - someone "you don't want to mess with."
If rumors are to be believed, the person teased is likely the Kingpin. In the comics, the character Maya Lopez's adoptive father, so it would be a natural fit into the series if that were the case.
Marvel continues to give the world more signs that this is the case by launching a massive comic crossover event focused around the Kingpin of Crime, which launches the very same day Hawkeye's fourth episode airs.
The Kingpin of Crime Threatens Marvel Comics
Bloody Disgusting noted that Marvel Comics is set to release a massive crossover event that focuses on The Kingpin of Crime himself: Wilson Fisk.
Devil's Reign sees Major Fisk outlawing costumed vigilantes in New York City, which comes into conflict with not only street-level heroes, but also members of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Using uncovered secrets and supervillains like the Thunderbolts, Kingpin seeks to be rid of those pesky protagonists for good.
What makes this all notable? Well, the event is set to launch the very same day (Wednesday, December 8) that Hawkeye airs its fourth episode.
Could this be Marvel giving a (not-so) subtle hint that the character is indeed on his way to the MCU?
Hawkeye Better Be Ready for Kingpin's Arrival
While the comics event obviously won't be translated directly into live-action, at least not with Hawkeye, its placement is undoubtedly noteworthy. It shows that the Kingpin is almost certainly going to make an appearance in the MCU soon - synergy and all.
Pairing Kingpin's probable arrival with this comic crossover event is an exciting move for another reason: it positions Kingpin as a threat to more than just street-level heroes. Could future Avengers teams go up against, as Spidey puts it, the Fat Man?
Out of all of the old Marvel Netflix projects, Charlie Cox's Daredevil and Vincent D'Onfrio's Kingpin were arguably two of the most beloved aspects. So, the moment rumors started swirling that both were set to reprise their roles in upcoming MCU projects, it seemed too good to be true.
If the whispers are legit, then both of the characters will appear relatively close to each other. Charlie Cox's time in Spider-Man: No Way Home could be only two weeks away, and D'Onfrio's return would likely be sometime in the next three weeks if it's to come in Hawkeye.
Either way, it's an exciting time for MCU fans, and getting those characters back would be amazing for audiences worldwide.
