Kingpin's Weird New Hawkeye Look Was A Secret Spider-Man Homage

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Marvel's Hawkeye episode 6

While some may have found Kingpin's new look in Marvel's Hawkeye odd or confusing, it's actually a secret reference to a popular Spider-Man comic featuring Wilson Fisk himself. In the series' final episode, Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin makes a return to the MCU after 3 years of the character's fate being unknown and in limbo after the surprising cancellation of Netflix's Daredevil where Fisk was the prime antagonist. Now, Fisk is back in the MCU sporting a new look that's fairly unique and different compared to the more formal suits he's worn in the past.

In Hawkeye episode 6, Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) discover that Kate's mother Eleanor (Vera Farmiga) was the one who's hired Yelena (Florence Pugh) to kill Hawkeye while also working for the Kingpin himself. However, Kate's continued investigations motivate Eleanor to pull out of her partnership with Fisk, a move the Kingpin doesn't take lightly. As such, Fisk orchestrates a large-scale response from his Tracksuit Mafia with orders to take her out. However, Fisk ends up confronting Eleanor personally at the Rockefeller Center in his new threads.

In the final episode of Hawkeye, Kingpin is seen wearing his traditional white coat seen in Daredevil. However, he's also sporting a red and white Hawaiian print shirt underneath, complete with a matching hat when he confronts Eleanor. As such, it almost looks as though Kingpin is planning to take a trip to somewhere exotic. In actuality, Kingpin's Hawkeye costume is an Easter egg, being an exact match for Fisk's look in Spider-Man: Family Business, a 2014 comic story from Mark Waid, James Robinson, Gabriele Dell'otto, and Werther Dell'Edera where Peter Parker faces the Kingpin in Europe as well as Cairo.

Click here to watch Hawkeye: Behind the Scenes Secrets on YouTube

In Family Business, Fisk is operating overseas having lost the majority of his power in New York, starting from scratch in Europe to regain what he lost in the States. While the MCU's Kingpin is still in New York, it's seemingly implied that he's lost much of his power as well due to the chaos of Thanos' Decimation. As such, it appears as though both versions of Fisk are perhaps in the same boat while wearing this particular ensemble. Furthermore, it's been revealed that this new look for Kingpin was suggested by D'Onofrio himself which he confirmed in an interview with Comicbook.com (being a big fan of the Family Business storyline):

"I may have told you this before, but the screensaver on my computer is that Family Business cover of him in that shirt. It has been for several years. And yeah, that is something that I brought to the table for Hawkeye"

Beyond its status as a Spider-Man reference, it's certainly an interesting style choice for Fisk considering what fans were used to seeing him wearing in Netflix's Daredevil. Furthermore, the argument could be made that Kingpin's new Hawkeye costume might have played better had it been revealed that he was about to leave the city or had just come back from a trip or vacation. Either way, it's still nice that there's some fun meaning and intentionality behind Kingpin's Hawaiian shirt and matching hat all the same.

More: Kingpin Is Stronger In The MCU Than On Netflix: Why?

Hawkeye is streaming now on Disney+.