The following article contains spoilers for the Hawkeye finale.
Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye was set for greatness. With new characters introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, trick arrows, and loads of action sequences, the series was bound to capture the attention of MCU fans. The cherry on top was the appearance of Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin, as it proved an extremely popular fan theory to be correct. But, the finale failed to do the character justice.
Vincent D'Onofrio’s Kingpin was introduced at the end of the fifth Hawkeye episode amid huge fanfare, and viewers expected him to wreak havoc in the finale. A fight between Kingpin and Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton seemed inevitable at the time, and fans were excited to see the iconic character giving the hero a hard time. But, the finale failed to live up to fan expectations and Kingpin’s introduction seemed almost unnecessary.
Kingpin first appeared in a video still on Kate Bishop’s phone at the end of episode 5 of Hawkeye, and was seen talking to her mother, Eleanor. Barton acknowledged him as the bigger threat that he had been worried about all along, and Kate realized that her mother is involved with the mob. Judging by Barton’s concerns, Kingpin seemed like a menace that would not go down easily, definitely not without a fight.
The moment between Eleanor and Kingpin plays out in the Hawkeye finale, and it is confirmed that she had been doing his bidding to pay off her husband’s debt. With her daughter now involved in the situation, she wants to back out of her deal with Kingpin. “And that is why I have to leave this business,” she is heard telling the villain, without realizing the consequences of her actions.
The scene builds up Kingpin’s involvement in the series even more, as fans expect him to retaliate in a dangerous way and possibly even kill Eleanor. He simultaneously discovers that his adoptive daughter Maya Lopez has turned on him, which is bound to get his temper flaring. D'Onofrio’s dialogue delivery at this point is phenomenal, and as he expresses his rage, fans get ready for an epic showdown.
Unfortunately, Kingpin is missing in action for the remainder of the episode, until he finally shows up outside Eleanor’s party. It could be the writers’ way of building suspense. Keep viewers waiting just the right amount of time and then come in with a bang. What the studio does, however, need to keep in mind is that if they keep fans waiting too long, their expectations go through the roof, and anything inadequate at that point will result in a drop in ratings.
Just as fans are waiting in anticipation to see him show the true extent of Kingpin’s power, after he rips off the door on Eleanor’s vehicle, he gets into a tiff with Kate. Their fight is the weakest in Hawkeye so far, which is quite upsetting as the series has had some great action sequences so far. Kingpin barely throws any punches and is seen constantly scolding Kate, like a father figure trying to discipline his child, while dodging her attacks. The only moment of spark is when he grabs Kate’s arrows and breaks them all into half.
In the comics, Fisk does not have superpowers, but is extremely smart and physically strong. He is trained in several types of hand-to-hand combat and it is a known fact that his bulky appearance is due to muscle, not fat. He uses his true strength to attack his enemies, including superheroes like Spider-Man. To see him participate in a subpar fight with Kate in the Hawkeye finale is extremely disappointing.
Kingpin’s comic counterpart is also quite strategic, and uses his wits to control most of the thugs in the city. But, Hawkeye sees him control just the Tracksuit Mafia, who are more of a comic relief than an actual challenge for the heroes. Additionally, Kingpin is outsmarted by Kate when she manages to take off a button from his coat jacket and use it to detonate one of her trick arrows. It doesn’t seem like Hawkeye has managed to capture the true essence of the villain’s intellect.
After an exciting introduction into the MCU, Hawkeye failed to give Kingpin his rightful enigmatic presence. In Netflix’s Daredevil, every time that Kingpin is on screen, he receives a certain level of respect. Despite being the villain, the character holds so much power that fans want to acknowledge his presence. But, the character was mostly wasted on Hawkeye by only appearing in a few scenes, and mostly just arguing or fighting with people.
After he escapes the authorities towards the end of the final Hawkeye episode, he comes face to face with Maya, who has just discovered that Kingpin was responsible for her father’s death. Just when fans think things might get interesting, Maya pulls out a gun and supposedly kills Kingpin. The camera pans before she takes the shot, so it isn’t clear whether the villain is dead or not.
Regardless of whether Kingpin is dead or not, it seemed like the character was completely wasted on Hawkeye. Fans were quite excited to see a character from an isolated Marvel series entering the MCU. They spoke about it for weeks on social media, and shared any clues or leaks they could manage to get their hands on to confirm Kingpin’s appearance in the series. All the hints, especially Maya’s introduction, pointed towards his eventual arrival. Sadly, it wasn’t worth the hype and a wasted opportunity by Marvel.
Hawkeye is streaming on Disney Plus.