‘Hawkeye’ star teases intense face-off with Kingpin next week

Having maintained airtight security for so long, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has suddenly gotten into the habit of desperately trying to hold onto the worst-kept secrets in the industry for as long as possible.

While that obviously applies to Spider-Man: No Way Home more than most, Vincent D’Onofrio’s return as Kingpin in the fifth episode of Disney Plus series Hawkeye wouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone that’s been following the breadcrumb trail of rumor, speculation and hearsay.

In fact, we’ve been hearing for months that the fifth installment in particular would be the one where Wilson Fisk made his grand comeback to MCU canon, which was right on the money. However, we don’t know what comes next. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Hailee Steinfeld teased that Kate Bishop will be coming face-to-face with the fearsome crime boss in next week’s finale.

“It’s a very different experience standing underneath Vincent and hearing him. To be in his presence is really something. I’ve been a fan of his for a very long time. It’s always amazing to be a part of something with people that you really admire. I’m excited to see people watch it unfold.” 

Now that Kingpin is back thanks to Hawkeye, it would be logical to assume that D’Onofrio will be part of Echo, given the comic book ties between the two characters that have been transplanted into live-action to a certain degree. It’s all very exciting, with one of the best Marvel villains we’ve ever seen now officially part of Kevin Feige’s all-conquering franchise for the foreseeable future.