Warning! Spoilers ahead for Hawkeye.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe's iteration of Kingpin will have to be different from the character's previous depiction on Netflix. Marvel Studios' fifth and current Disney+ series, Hawkeye, sees Jeremy Renner reprise his role as Clint Barton in his very first leading role as an Avenger. The show aims to delve deeper into the character, but aside from his story, fans are also thrilled for the potential return of the Kingpin, Wilson Fisk, in the MCU.

Prior to the premiere of Hawkeye, there were already rumors that Marvel Studios was planning on bringing Kingpin into the fold after the character's rights returned to them, alongside all the other players in the Marvel TV and Netflix universe. Despite this, many fans were still skeptical that Kevin Feige and his team would be eager to immediately use him in the franchise, as it's just been a few years since Vincent D'Onofrio's incredible run on Daredevil. However, Hawkeye episode 3 provides a string of evidence that backs up the aforementioned rumor. At this point, it's difficult to say when and how Kingpin makes his MCU return, but fans shouldn't expect him to be exactly like Daredevil's version of the villain.

Related: How Hawkeye's Echo Is Connected To Kingpin In The Comics

D'Onofrio's Kingpin was the main antagonist to Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock in Daredevil. Largely deemed the best out of all the shows that came out of Marvel TV and Netflix's partnerships, the pair's collective and individual performances were so good that fans naturally want to see more of them despite the satisfying ending of season 3. But while Marvel Studios is laying the groundwork for Fisk's MCU arrival, chances are that he wouldn't be the same depiction of the character from Daredevil.

Daredevil stands behind Kingpin in a room in Daredevil.

As a Disney brand, the MCU has been generally kid-friendly, which means that its iteration of Kingpin cannot be as brutal as D'Onofrio's original version was on-screen. In arguably his most violent scene in the show, Fisk repeatedly bashed Anatoly Ranskahov's (Gideon Emery) head between the door and the car until he was decapitated. Given Marvel Studios' current storytelling approach, such a scene will never be allowed in the MCU.

It's important to note, however, that while Marvel Studios is bringing Kingpin into their universe, it's uncertain if it will be the same character from the Daredevil series. Up until this point, the canonicity of Marvel TV/Netflix shows is still up for debate. Initially, Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage were created with the idea that they would be part of the MCU. The plot of Daredevil season 1, for instance, largely deals with fallout from the Battle of New York and its effect on Hell's Kitchen. The fact that Marvel Studios brought in J.K. Simmons to play a different J. Jonah Jameson in the MCU after he already portrayed the part in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies proves that they're not opposed to casting the same actors to play new iterations of their old roles. Since D'Onofrio was so good as Kingpin, it makes sense that Feige and his team would want him for the part again.

Whether or not it's the same version of Wilson Fisk who will debut in the MCU doesn't really matter to many fans. Many would just simply be thrilled to know that D'Onofrio will reprise his iconic Marvel role. And although Kingpin's physical brutality needs to be tamed down in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios can find other ways to present him as a formidable adversary for anyone in the franchise. 

More: Why Kingpin In Hawkeye Is Different From Mephisto In WandaVision

Hawkeye airs on Wednesdays on Disney+.

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