Is Hawkeye's Kingpin The Same Version As Daredevil?

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Hawkeye.

Now that Kingpin has been teased in Hawkeye, it is up for debate whether he's the same version from Daredevil or a rebooted version for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Speculation ran rampant that Wilson Fisk could appear in the Disney+ show for months leading up to its release. This primarily came as a result of Kingpin's connection to Maya Lopez a.k.a Echo in the comics. With the MCU seemingly following a similar story and possibly bringing back Vincent D'Onofrio to play him, Hawkeye is reopening a long-standing debate.

Vincent D'Onofrio isn't confirmed to be back as Kingpin in the MCU, but Hawkeye episode 3 heavily teased his return is coming. The Fisk hints started with a flashback to when Echo was a child and the hand of her father's powerful associate. A nice black suit and a recognizable chuckle were all it took for speculation to ramp up about Kingpin's return. He's now widely believed to be Echo's unnamed uncle based on those teases and his comic history with Maya. Rumors have swirled for quite some time that this could happen in Hawkeye with Vincent D'Onofrio returning to the role after playing Kingpin in all three seasons of Daredevil. This possibility came after D'Onofrio's Kingpin became one of Marvel TV's best pieces of casting and resulted in fans of Daredevil clamoring for him to come back in some fashion.

It is not yet known how big a role Kingpin will have in Hawkeye, especially since episode 3's teases indicate Marvel's willingness to take his introduction slowly. This could be because of Fisk's possible MCU future and the likelihood that he'll appear in Echo's spinoff show and other Marvel Studios productions. However, bringing back Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin is easier than it seems on paper, as it has larger implications depending on whether the Hawkeye Kingpin is the same version audiences have encountered previously.

Are Marvel's Netflix Shows MCU Canon?

Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock Daredevil Netflix Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark Iron Man Marvel Cinematic Universe MCU

The potential of Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin appearing in Hawkeye after playing the character in Daredevil raises more questions about the canonicity of Netflix's Marvel shows. When Marvel TV and Netflix agreed to make multiple live-action shows in 2013, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage were created to exist within the MCU. The different shows included all types of references to the wider universe, its characters, and events. This ranged from directly referencing different Avengers or The Raft to only referring to the Battle of New York in The Avengers as "The Incident". With the shows sometimes bending over backward to connect to what the MCU movies included or completely ignoring them in other instances, whether or not Marvel's Netflix shows are actually MCU canon has been an ongoing debate for the last half-decade.

The canonicity of Marvel's Netflix shows was more so a debate while the various series' were making new seasons. It wasn't lost on viewers that the movies never acknowledged anything that happened in the shows, including events like The Hand terrorizing New York. Those conversations have died down since Netflix canceled all of their Marvel shows, leaving the characters in limbo for two years where Marvel Studios couldn't use them. While the studio might now be on the cusp of bringing Kingpin back, those involved with Marvel seemingly view the Netflix shows as non-canon stories. Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, for instance, said all Marvel TV productions were not MCU canon. He might not have the same power as Kevin Feige, but it would hardly be surprising if everyone at Marvel Studios shared this opinion - especially since the MCU movies and Disney+ shows have routinely contradicted and ignored Marvel TV's productions.

Phase 4's exploration of the multiverse creates a loophole to the entire canon debate about Marvel TV shows and the MCU, though. With an infinite number of timelines existing after Loki, any Marvel production in history could technically be part of the MCU's multiverse canon. This could include Marvel's Netflix shows like Daredevil and open the door for Marvel to borrow elements from them moving forward.

Marvel Have Already Brought Back Rebooted Characters From Other Timelines

JJ Jameson talking to the camera in No Way Home

If Hawkeye uses Vincent D'Onofrio as Kingpin again, he could be the latest actor to reprise a Marvel role in a rebooted capacity. Marvel Studios did this for the first time with Spider-Man: Far From Home. J.K. Simmons returned in the post-credits to play J. Jonah Jameson again over a decade after he last played the Daily Bugle editor in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. His return came as he played a very different version of Jameson, as the MCU reimagined him as an Alex Jones-type personality. J.K. Simmons is viewed as a perfect J. Jonah Jameson, so it made sense that Marvel Studios would keep him in the role even in a rebooted capacity. Of course, the multiverse has now provided an explanation for this too, as the MCU's and Raimi's versions of Jameson can be variants who exist in completely different universes but look alike.

This practice allows Marvel Studios to keep great casting decisions they didn't make. J. Jonah Jameson is the only confirmed example of this in past MCU content, as Avengers: Endgame's Edwin Jarvis could be the exact same one seen in Agent Carter. However, Spider-Man: No Way Home could see Marvel reboot Charlie Cox's Daredevil too. The Daredevil star is rumored to play Matt Murdock again in the movie before returning for other MCU projects. It is expected that Cox's return won't see him play the exact same version that he did on Netflix, but that won't become clear until December 2021.

How Daredevil's Ending Could Set Up Kingpin's MCU Return

There is a chance that Hawkeye will make Kingpin's previous story MCU canon and use Daredevil season 3's ending to set up his return. Fisk's role in the final season of Daredevil saw him attempt to reclaim control over New York City. This included getting out of jail and restoring his tarnished reputation, both of which he managed to accomplish. However, this played a part in Matt Murdock becoming driven to take Fisk down once and for all. Daredevil season 3's ending led to a brutal brawl between the two men that tested their strength and character. Although Matt was prepared to kill Kingpin at one point, the fight ends with a different understanding. Daredevil agrees to not reveal that Fisk's new wife Vanessa ordered a hit on an FBI agent as long as he never revealed his secret identity or tried to kill Karen Page or Foggy Nelson again. Fisk agreed to these terms and was then arrested by the FBI.

Since Kingpin was firmly established as New York's top crime boss during Daredevil, this backstory would work with how Hawkeye has set up Fisk's power over New York. But it is the fact that he survived the events of season 3 that enables Marvel Studios to build on his story quite easily. Hawkeye could reveal that Fisk has once again got out of prison and is regaining the power he potentially lost. It's even possible that Kingpin's imprisonment was one of the reasons why Ronin was able to decimate New York's criminal underworld and the Tracksuit Mafia, which Fisk presumably oversees in the MCU. This, in turn, could imply that Hawkeye's Kingpin is the same one seen previously.

Is Hawkeye's Kingpin The Same Version As Daredevil?

Between the two options of Hawkeye's Kingpin being a reboot or a continuation of the Daredevil version, a reboot is the better option for the MCU to pursue. This allows Marvel Studios to keep Vincent D'Onofrio around and give him more opportunities to deliver great performances as Fisk without having to worry about Daredevil's continuity. The reboot gives the MCU more creative freedom with Kingpin's MCU role, such as Fisk buying Avengers Tower. There is also the opportunity to alter Kingpin's look a bit by possibly using various techniques to make him even bigger physically like his comic counterpart, which the Netflix shows couldn't do due to budgetary limitations.

Although a reboot does strip Hawkeye's Kingpin of three excellent Daredevil seasons of backstory, directly continuing this continuity is a much bigger deal than just how it impacts Wilson Fisk. Confirming that Hawkeye's Kingpin is the same one as Daredevil's version makes all of Marvel's Netflix shows canon by association. That would mean all the actors, characters, and events are now part of the MCU canon. The ripple effects don't stop with Netflix, though, as the interconnectivity of Marvel TV's productions would then make Agents of SHIELD, Agent Carter, Runaways, Cloak & Dagger, and possibly even Inhumans MCU canon. As great as it might be to have some of these titles officially confirmed as MCU canon, it also creates even more questions about the timeline, multiverse, and more. As a result, Hawkeye is better off rebooting Kingpin than continuing the version last seen in Daredevil, but at least Vincent D'Onofrio should still be playing him.