Warning: This article explains spoilers for the finale of Hawkeye.

Hawkeye star Vincent D'Onofrio hopes his character Kingpin isn't really dead. Hawkeye, which premiered its first two episodes the day before Thanksgiving, aired its finale yesterday, December 22. The series had a lot to wrap up, from Clint Barton's (Jeremy Renner) adventures with his newfound protegé Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) to including uncovering Kate's mother's (Vera Farmiga) past, getting Maya (Alaqua Cox) off the tail of the Ronin, and Yelena's (Florence Pugh) continued determination to see Clint dead. Still, Hawkeye added yet another wrinkle at the last minute.

In the cliffhanger of the penultimate episode, it was revealed that Kingpin, who was last seen in the Netflix series Daredevil which ended in 2018, was the mastermind behind the Tracksuit Mafia. Despite using his enormous strength to survive a confrontation with Kate Bishop and her trick arrows, he finds himself majorly wounded and escaping down an alley. His progress is impeded when his revenge-seeking former second-in-command Maya corners him and seems to shoot him in the head as the camera pans away.

Related: Every Hawkeye Character's Future Explained

Speaking exclusively with Screen Rant, Vincent D'Onofrio expressed his wish for Kingpin to return in another MCU project. He says "he never died in the comics" and that he felt the same way in the past because he "hoped that Daredevil wouldn't end." He puts Kingpin's fate in the hands of Kevin Feige and the folks behind the Marvel universe, knowing that they have a plan but "there's so many more facets of this character to explore and he knows that I feel that way." Read the full quote below.

Yeah. I hope he's not dead. You know, I feel the same way everybody else does about him. You know, he never died in the comics. But, I hoped that Daredevil wouldn't end. So, it's like that. I think it's very clear. I think the fans know, and I think that Marvel knows, Kevin knows, that I want to continue playing this character because I feel like there's -- and I told them and him --  that there's so many more facets of this character to explore and he knows that I feel that way. And I think that I'll either do it or I won't do it. So that's the business.

Maya points a gun at the Kingpin in Hawkeye

Comic fans know that characters who don't die onscreen can't be considered dead until proven otherwise. Even characters who do die onscreen can find a way back into the world, especially considering how Spider-Man and Doctor Strange have been running amok with the multiverse lately. However, it seems pretty clear that the reason the camera panned away during that climactic moment was to avoid depicting a gory, brutal death onscreen in a show created by Disney, so this may indeed be the last of Kingpin.

Considering how quickly Hawkeye disposed of Kingpin after introducing him, it's only fair to give D'Onofrio another shake at the character. He clearly has an untapped well of passion for the role, and there is certainly room for him in the future of the Marvel universe. Indeed, if the rumors swirling around Charlie Cox eventually returning as Daredevil come to fruition, that would be the perfect place for Kingpin to make his triumphant return.

Next: All 18 Marvel Shows Releasing After Hawkeye (& When)

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