The following article contains spoilers for Hawkeye.The Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to be reveling in the idea of throwbacks lately. From the intense focus on classic Spider-Man nostalgia in the latest film to now referencing shows from what seems like yesterday, phase four has a pretty clear theme. Thanks to the Disney+ series Hawkeye, fans have now gotten even more opportunities to reminisce about some of their favorite semi-recent Marvel developments, and one, in particular, has been written in the stars for a while now.
Those who have been keeping up with Hawkeye both on the show and on the internet likely already know that Vincent D'Onofrio is currently poised to make his return as intimidating crime boss Wilson Fisk in the very near future. While the tease at the end of the most recent episode treated his presence as a big reveal, it's pretty clear that D'Onofrio's reprisal of that beloved role has been almost as badly kept a secret as Alfred Molina's appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home. But that doesn't mean fans aren't super excited after finally seeing the official confirmation, and the actor himself is just as pumped.
Taking to Twitter, D'Onofrio posted a simple but effective picture depicting silhouettes and the logo from Hawkeye overlaid with the unmistakably imposing outline of Fisk/Kingpin (interestingly, it almost looks like the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse version of Kingpin, if he actually had a neck). He also included the caption "When I was a boy..." which many fans of his take on the character will recognize as either a trait of his from the show (bringing up his childhood in various intense monologues) or a semi-popular meme which lampoons that same tendency. Fans have been eagerly preparing for this news since seeing some intriguing posts from D'Onofrio a few months ago that may have been referencing Hawkeye.
During his substantial time on Netflix's Daredevil, D'Onofrio's Fisk often spoke of his childhood as an explanation of his actions or simply to psych out whichever poor individual he just so happened to be menacing at any given time. However, this may have been more than simply a tactic to get under the skin of his adversaries. Many viewers praised the character and D'Onofrio's performance as a sympathetic (if not overtly confirmed) portrayal of people with autism, which likely contributed to the character's popularity.
Aside from that particular interpretation of Fisk, he's also enjoyed a rise in popularity due to subsequent appearances in other media since Daredevil's cancelation. This notably includes instances like Kingpin's substantial role in 2018's Spider-Man video game. So considering Marvel's current fondness for bringing back many of its most beloved stars, the reintroduction of Law & Order: Criminal Intent star D'Onofrio almost feels like it was inevitable at this point.
It looks as though fans are finally near the end of the waiting game, as that blurry photo seen in the final shot of Hawkeye episode 5 pretty much means there's no more room for stalling. Fisk is back, and it will be interesting to see how Clint and Kate handle this humongous threat.
Hawkeye drops new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.
Source: Vincent D'Onofrio|Twitter