Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Hawkeye episode 3.

Daredevil (Charlie Cox) continues to be rumored for a return in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Hawkeye episode 3 makes that an even stronger possibility. Ever since the cancellation of Netflix's Marvel shows, there's been a demand to see some of those characters and actors transfer over to the MCU proper, and perhaps none more so than Matt Murdock. With Daredevil season 3 ending with such a clear tease for another outing, then there have been campaigns to "#SaveDaredevil," and Cox himself has expressed hopes of returning on numerous occasions.

Whether or not an MCU-set Daredevil season 4 or reboot show happens, it does seem increasingly likely that The Man Without Fear will be back in some way sooner rather than later. That may well be in 2021, with lots of rumors Daredevil will be in Spider-Man: No Way Home, or more specifically Matt will, with the most common theory being that Peter Parker (Tom Holland) will recruit his services as a lawyer after Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) and J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) revealed his identity to the world in Spider-Man: Far From Home's post-credits scene.

Related: Kingpin Bought Avengers Tower: This Hawkeye Theory Makes So Much Sense

Naturally, Marvel hasn't confirmed Daredevil in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but Hawkeye episode 3 does make it seem much more likely. Although not outright stated, the episode strongly sets up the return of Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin as Echo's (Alaqua Cox) "uncle," positioning him as the man at the very top of the criminal enterprise Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) are going up against. The episode all but confirms Kingpin's MCU return, even showing brief glimpses of a man whose stature would certainly fit with Wilson Fisk (and a laugh to match). If that's the case, then it confirms Marvel is bringing back Netflix characters, and so the logical next stop would be Daredevil, giving his return a clear precedent in the MCU.

A man pinches young Echo's cheek in Hawkeye.

Like with Kingpin in Hawkeye, Daredevil in Spider-Man: No Way Home makes so much sense that it'd be more surprising if it didn't happen (although that can't completely be ruled out, of course). Audiences have long wanted to see both D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk and Cox's Matt Murdock in the MCU, and to bring in one but not the other seems an unlikely move, given it would only likely lead to greater calls for the actor and character left out. Much like Hawkeye's Kingpin setup, there's clear narrative reason for Spider-Man: No Way Home to use Daredevil, so neither case would just be fan service but instead quite organic, and likely lay the groundwork for bigger appearances later down the line.

The bigger question is whether the Daredevil in Spider-Man: No Way Home and the Fisk in Hawkeye will be the exact same versions of the characters as seen in Netflix's Marvel universe, or if they're going to be soft reboots, bringing back the actors but as new takes on the characters (similar to Simmons in Far From Home). The MCU ignored the Netflix shows even before they were canceled, so there's little to suggest they are canon. At the same time, Marvel could likely find a way to work them into it without breaking things too much, or might instead keep things vague, allowing them to play the same characters in the same way without getting too bogged down in canon issues. Either way, it seems pretty likely that both Kingpin and Daredevil will be in the MCU again soon.

Next: Hawkeye: Every Marvel Easter Egg & Reference In Episode 3

Hawkeye releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.

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