Just a few hours after Marvel Studios dropped its holiday-themed trailer for Hawkeye, MCU fans are having a Christmas-like morning after actor Vincent D’Onofrio’s Twitter activity started teasing what might be the reincarnation of his fine Kingpin.
While only a couple of weeks ago Charlie Cox was keeping the Marvel rumor mill busy as fans speculated on whether he appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home's trailer, those theories have now been debunked by the magic of IMAX theaters and it’s time for another Daredevil star to get some attention thanks to Hawkeye. After all, D'Onofrio was constantly praised for his portrayal of Wilson Fisk in Daredevil as it managed to become the most successful of Netflix’s Marvel shows.
As it turns out, D’Onofrio posted an almost perfectly timed dog tweet that some fans believe could be referencing Hawkeye’s best bud from the comics, Lucky the Pizza Dog, and thus signal the actor’s grand return, or rather his introduction to the MCU. If that’s not enough to fuel the fires of speculation, then D’Onofrio liking a wave of tweets with messages like “THE KING RETURNS IN HAWKEYE” or “Can’t wait to see you King” will surely keep a lot of fans on their toes until November 24, when Hawkeye hits Disney Plus.
Kingpin is one of Marvel’s biggest and most recognizable villains, and although his criminal activities tend to be mostly confined to New York City, it’s precisely that and his lack of superpowers that would make him perfect for Hawkeye. Combine that with D’Onofrio’s firm grasp over the role, and the past leaks pointing towards Kingpin's debut start to look quite solid.
Marvel Studios always plans ahead with plenty of time, so having Kingpin thrown into the MCU mix would prepare him for future encounters with Daredevil, X-Men, and even Shang-Chi, though any Spider-Man crossovers would depend on what Sony plans to do with Peter Parker. As for Hawkeye itself, the series appears to be borrowing themes from the Hawkeye Vol. 4 comics and combining that with Clint Barton’s stint as Ronin in the MCU, so Echo’s (Alaqua Cox) casting in the show would only give further reason for Kingpin to show up since she’s his adoptive daughter from Marvel Comics.
Let’s not forget that Marvel Studios has confirmed in the past that Netflix’s shows are not canon to the MCU, however, that doesn’t prevent writers from using characters that were so perfectly cast and scripted before. If rumors are true, then D’Onofrio could easily become one of the MCU’s best villains in no time, or at least most certainly in "this city."
Hawkeye will premiere on November 24, 2021, exclusively on Disney Plus.
Source: GamesRadar+