Just two episodes of the MCU Phase Four show starring Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton and Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop have aired, but fans are already theorizing about the possible appearance of The Kingpin of New York. But how close are these theories from the truth? Check out the speculations and what Vincent D’Onofrio had to say below.
Signs and speculations
It seems no Marvel Cinematic Universe project on film or television would be complete if there are no rumors swirling about it. And Hawkeye on Disney+ is no exception. In this case, it is The Kingpin, previously played by Vincent D’Onofrio in the now-defunct Netflix Daredevil series. It should be noted that the rumor began even before Hawkeye started airing on Disney+. This stems from the fact that Marvel Studios president and head of creative development Kevin Feige stating his interest in bringing in characters and actors that he liked from the Netflix shows into the MCU proper. With Hawkeye taking place in the New York setting and the Tracksuit Mafia (called the Tracksuit Dracula Gang in the comics) being the antagonists, could The Kingpin of Crime be far behind? Marvel fans who have watched the first two episodes of Hawkeye noticed that a key location shown is the Presidential Hotel. In real life, this is the Lotte New York Palace Hotel. This is significant as the location was also used in the Netflix Daredevil series, as Wilson Fisk’s temporary headquarters after his brief incarceration. The ballroom of the hotel was also used as the backdrop for his wedding with Vanessa and where his final confrontation with Matt Murdock occurred as the series ended. Another point of consideration is his connection with Maya Lopez aka Echo (played by Alaqua Cox). In the comics, The Kingpin and Maya had a close relationship as a sort of mentor and student, respectively. Given that Maya is the de facto leader of the Tracksuit Mafia, Wilson Fisk being the true power behind her would be consistent with the source material. In an interview with Comicbook.com, director Trinh Tran addresses the question of whether the Kingpin would be appearing in the Hawkeye show:
— ComicBook.com (@ComicBook) November 22, 2021 Having the Kingpin be revealed at some point in the Hawkeye series would not be unusual. The previous MCU Disney+ shows did have surprise reveals close to the middle of their runs, such as Evan Peters’ fake Pietro (Quicksilver) in WandaVision and Julia Louis-Dreyfus being introduced as Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
Leaked image and Vincent D’Onofrio reaction
But this is not the only reason for the rumors that have arisen of Kingpin playing either a cameo or bigger role in the Hawkeye series. A few images have surfaced online that look like actor Vincent D’Onofrio. However, the clothes are closer to the comic book design than shown in Netflix’s Daredevil. It also appears this Kingpin follows the trait of having more body mass. But are the images real? Says D’Onofrio of the Kingpin image:
— Vincent D’Onofrio (@vincentdonofrio) November 27, 2021 While it is true that the Kingpin image looks at best a very low resolution or at worst a bad photomanipulation, D’Onofrio does not deny that he is in the series. Perhaps there is more truth to the rumor than initially thought? And if it is true that Charlie Cox is making a cameo as Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home, D’Onofrio’s Kingpin making his way in Hawkeye would add fuel to that fire. And of course there is still Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) hunting Clint at the end of Black Widow. With the third episode of Hawkeye airing soon, MCU fans will definitely be on the lookout for more clues as the series progresses. Catch episode 3 of Hawkeye on the Disney+ streaming service this December 1, 2021.
