Vincent D’Onofrio has opened up about his role in Hawkeye and addressed Kingpin’s notable strength boost seen in the series. His appearance as the criminal mastermind marked the actor and character’s return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the first time since Daredevil season 3 in 2018. Currently, audiences can catch his one-episode arc as the character on Hawkeye, which is streaming on Disney+.

Vincent D’Onofrio entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2015 with the premiere of Daredevil on Netflix. The series centered on Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock and was the first series of the Netflix Defenders universe. D’Onofrio appeared in all three seasons of Daredevil, maintaining a consistent presence as a threat to Hell’s Kitchen until Murdock eventually defeated him in the season 3 finale. However, in the time between Daredevil season 3 and Hawkeye, Fisk has seemingly returned to his life of crime and is leading the Tracksuit Mafia encountered by Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld).

Related: Kingpin in the MCU Explained: Backstory, What's Canon, Comic Connections

With Fisk’s return in Hawkeye now common knowledge among fans who have seen the series, some have criticized the depiction of the enormous villain’s strength. That said, in a recent interview with Comicbook.com, Vincent D’Onofrio defended the strength shown in his portrayal of Wilson Fisk, noting that the strength displayed in Hawkeye is no different than what was already established on Daredevil. D’Onofrio explained:

"You know I learned recently, a couple of the fans, they were very excited about it, they were commenting about the strength that I have. Because I'm throwing Kate [Bishop] around and stuff. But I totally forgot. I just saw a clip on Twitter of me and Charlie [Cox] fighting in [Stephen] DeKnight's first season. Obviously, he's an incredible director. He helped develop the character of Wilson Fisk.

"There's a scene that we shot on an alley, in a street in Brooklyn, where I'm literally throwing Daredevil (Charlie) through the air. Like, I'm picking him up and swinging him 15 feet into a garbage can. I do it a few times in that fight. It's no different. It's really not. So, I keep saying that it's the same Fisk that was in Daredevil. It's the same canon, but people get confused about things. I understand."

So, while Wilson Fisk’s strength seemed heightened in Hawkeye, Vincent D’Onofrio seems to think it is no different from what was already seen in the Netflix series. In Daredevil, Fisk was routinely seen decimating his foes in hand-to-hand combat and lifting weights far heavier than any normal man could handle. As the actor has confirmed that this is, in fact, the same Fisk seen in that show, his strength is consistent with previous depictions of Kingpin. It’s also consistent with comic book depictions of Kingpin, as the character has often been shown going toe-to-toe with superhuman heroes like Spider-Man in the comics.

Of course, all of this raises questions about whether or not audiences will continue to see Fisk display these strength levels in future MCU projects as an ongoing villain for the Marvel heroes. Between his role on Hawkeye, and Charlie Cox’s return as Daredevil in Spider-Man: No Way Home, it’s clear that Marvel has recognized the audience's love for this corner of the MCU. However, whether or not that means we will see a rematch between Daredevil and Kingpin remains to be seen. Hawkeye is currently available to stream on Disney+.

Next: Hawkeye's Best Future Is As Young Avengers' Leader (With Laura)

Source: Comicbook.com

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