Who will be the major villain in Hawkeye?

Fans were theorizing who the villain would be in Marvel’s new series of Hawkeye. With the recent release of the first two episodes on Disney+, fans may have their answer.

The most obvious answer would be Jack Duquense who is well known in the Marvel universe as the villain Swordsman, but this could be a red herring as a last-minute reveal at the end of the second episode gives a big hint that a larger villain could be at play.

Audiences are introduced to a woman who is feeling the bass coming from a nearby speaker. Though viewers aren’t told the character’s name, fans have identified the woman as actress Alaqua Cox.

Cox is credited as playing the character Maya Lopez throughout the series and in the comics is better known as Echo. This revelation is what leads us to believe that the true villain throughout the series could potentially be crime lord Kingpin.

Echo is a deaf, Native American woman of the Cheyenne Nation with photographic reflexes, an ability that allows her to perfectly replicate any physical movement she sees. This ability is what led Kingpin to take a particularly keen interest in her.

The comics tell us that Echo’s father, William Lopez, was murdered by Kingpin. Kingpin then recruits Echo into his crime ring, manipulating Echo into doing his dirty work.

Echo has a very detailed storyline throughout the comics, which is probably why an Echo TV show was announced on Disney+ Day. Though a release date or specifics are yet to be announced, it’s likely the show will follow a similar arc to the comics. And that naturally begs the question: will we see an Echo/Daredevil team-up in the future?

Do you think we will see Kingpin in the Hawkeye series or do you have a theory of your own? Let us know in the comments.