The latest episode of Hawkeye on Disney Plus is one of the MCU’s most monumental yet. More than just another fun entry in Clint Barton’s story, it officially bridges the gap between mainline MCU and the Netflix TV shows, as Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin makes a return from Daredevil. Hawkeye episode 5 marks a new direction for Marvel TV, leaving the door open for even more characters to return.
Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin returns in Hawkeye episode 5
Yes, that’s right: Vincent D’Onofrio is officially back in the MCU. At the end of Hawkeye episode 5, Kate Bishop receives a text with an image of a mysterious threat. It’s none other than Wilson Fisk.
Kingpin seems to be on Hawkeye’s radar too, as Clint says, “That’s the guy I’ve been worried about this whole time.” Of course, we’ve never seen the two interact before in the MCU, but it seems they’ve got history. Fans can expect a big showdown in next week’s final episode, giving Fisk a more pronounced role than his brief cameo in this installment.
It’s the first time D’Onofrio has played the role since the third and final season of Daredevil back in 2018. Following the show’s cancellation and the launch of Disney Plus, it seemed that the Marvel Netflix shows were no longer canon. In fact, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn said earlier this year that he considers all pre-WandaVision shows non-canon. However, the return of Kingpin could quietly reintroduce the Daredevil TV show back into Marvel continuity.
Equally, this may not be the last we see of Daredevil characters in the MCU. Rumors suggest Charlie Cox will reprise his role as Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home. That’s increasingly likely, as studio head Kevin Feige recently said Cox would play the MCU’s Daredevil in the future. With both Hawkeye and Spider-Man bringing back Daredevil characters, it seems like a show previously deemed out of continuity is truly back.
For more on Hawkeye, check out our episode 5 post-credits breakdown. Rumors are also suggesting a Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness trailer will screen after Spider-Man’s credits.
