WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the first two episodes of Hawkeye, now streaming on Disney+.
With Hawkeye's first two episodes available to stream on Disney+ and Episode 3 on the way, Marvel fans have already begun theorizing about who the main antagonist will be this season and when they will be revealed. With several projects from Marvel on the way for both the big and small screens, it's entirely possible audiences might see the introduction of a new villain via Hawkeye who could potentially cross over into future MCU titles. One villain audiences have been clamoring to see again is the notorious crime lord Kingpin.
First introduced in the Spider-Man comics in 1967 (The Amazing Spider-Man #50), Wilson Fisk was a prominent antagonist who later crossed over to the Daredevil comics. His most recent appearances in Marvel cinematic titles include Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (voiced by Liev Schreiber) and a feature in the Netflix-produced Daredevil series, where he was portrayed by Vincent D'Onofrio. Why are fans so insistent on seeing this character again? What hints are hidden in Hawkeye that could potentially lead to a Kingpin reveal later on?
D'Onofrio's appearance as Kingpin is arguably a fan-favorite, with his portrayal of the crime boss often labelled as one of the best onscreen versions of the character. Fans were understandably disappointed at Netflix's decision to cancel its Daredevil series in 2018, however some were left hopeful that the reason for this was due to a potential crossover of Kingpin and/or the titular hero of the series, Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) into future MCU titles. Murdock, when not running around as the masked vigilante of Hell's Kitchen, doubles as a lawyer in his daily life, and rumors have long been swirling that he may make a cameo in the upcoming MCU film Spider-Man: No Way Home representing Peter Parker (Tom Holland).
Cox has neither confirmed nor denied his involvement in the film. However, who else besides Matt Murdock has been introduced as a lawyer in an onscreen Marvel title that could help clear Peter's name after Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) framed him in Spider-Man: Far From Home? If there's a possibility of seeing Murdock again, then the idea of Kingpin being close behind isn't too far of a stretch. Now, after the events of Hawkeye Episodes 1 & 2, fans have more reason to believe Kingpin may make an appearance in the MCU, and it may be sooner that Spider-Man.
Echo
Marvel announced on Disney+ Day 2021 that a Hawkeye spinoff based on the character Echo would be arriving on Disney+ in the future. No official release date has been announced, however Echo made an appearance in Hawkeye prior to her spinoff. At the end of Hawkeye Episode 2, with Clint (Jeremy Renner) and Kate (Hailee Steinfield) now in the clutches of the Tracksuit Mafia, the camera cuts to a brief shot of Echo (Alaqua Cox) glaring ominously in a dimly-lit red room.
Echo first made an appearance in Marvel Comics Daredevil #9, and like Hawkeye, is hearing impaired. She's described as having the ability to photographically memorize and reproduce her opponent's movements, similar to the Taskmaster in Black Widow. Her appearance in Hawkeye (and her subsequent spinoff) are exciting for a few reasons. One, it's nice to see Marvel embracing Deaf culture within its Phase Four titles with characters like Makkari in Eternals, Echo and now Clint.
It's also a refreshing take to see Clint Barton suffering from the wear and tear of years of avenging, proving that not all superheroes are necessarily superhuman. Another reason why it's so exciting to see Echo making an appearance on Hawkeye is that in Marvel Comics, Echo is the adopted daughter of Kingpin. It's not out of the question to assume if we're seeing Echo show up as an antagonist as early as Episode 2, there has to be someone else higher up in the crime ring who might make an appearance later on in the series.
The Crime Hierarchy
All dramatized versions of underground crime operations typically follow the same formula, and this trend continues within Hawkeye. The "muscle" usually consists of a handful of strong men to do the heavy-lifting (and break a few bones if necessary). This is clearly represented by the Tracksuit Mafia, with the cliché driven to the extreme by utilizing "bro" as much as possible within their dialogue. Above the muscle is usually a player that doesn't have as much power as the big bosses but controls everyone underneath, and in Hawkeye, Kazi fills this spot. Fans of the Hawkeye comics will recall that the mercenary Kazi "The Clown" was one of Hawkeye's most dangerous foes, so it will be interesting to see if Kazi's storyline in Hawkeye will follow a similar theme to The Clown in the comics.
At the end of Episode 2, Echo is revealed as head of the Tracksuit Mafia, ranked above Kazi, but there's no reason to believe the hierarchy stops with her. Why would the writers reveal the main villain so early on in the series, unless Echo isn't the one truly in charge and is taking orders from someone else? The MCU is known for tricking audiences into thinking they've figured out the bad guy, only to be thrown for a loop at the last second (Loki, WandaVision, and Eternals being recent examples of this). It's very likely Clint and Kate have only just cracked the surface of this crime conspiracy.
Eleanor Bishop & Jack Duquesne
In the opening moments of Hawkeye Episode 1, Kate's parents are shown having an argument about finances, shortly before the Chitauri army disrupts the lives of everyone in New York City. In the span of a few moments, the Battle of New York from The Avengers takes place practically in the middle of Kate's living room. Her mother quickly finds Kate and both are able to escape, however Kate tragically loses her father, sparking her on her journey to becoming a skilled archer, gymnast and karate master.
It's a typical superhero origin story, though something doesn't seem right. It's only ever implied that Kate's father dies, and the timing of Eleanor going downstairs when Kate's father was already down there right before an alien army came and blew up the penthouse they were previously arguing about seems a little too convenient. With her husband's death, the Bishop family's financial troubles seemed to disappear, and Eleanor became head of a successful security company. In Episode 1, Kate learns that her mother is now engaged to fellow socialite Jack Duquesne. At the socialite dinner Kate attends with her mother and Jack, she overhears Jack's uncle, Armand III speaking in hushed tones with Eleanor.
Kate is under the impression Armand is threatening her mother, however, there are undertones within Armand's dialogue that imply Eleanor has secrets Kate is unaware of. One line in particular stands out, as Armand mentions "I have powerful friends too." This implies that Eleanor is in contact with someone powerful and probably feared within the community, but it could also be a hint that Armand is also working for someone just as threatening. The ambiguity of this heated exchange paired with Armand's death at the end of Episode 1 leads viewers to believe someone in a position of power orchestrated his murder.
Signs point to Jack (Jacques) Duquesne as the obvious suspect in Armand's murder, though this seems like too easy a reveal. Jack was seen taking the sword of Ronin after the black market auction went awry, only for Armand to end up slain by a sword in his apartment. To further drive the point home, Jack offers Kate a monogrammed butterscotch from the candy dish in Armand's apartment, seemingly the smoking gun pointing to Jack as Armand's killer. But is this too obvious of a reveal? Like Eleanor, Jack seems crafty and secretive, but that doesn't mean he isn't working for someone higher up on the food chain. Maybe Eleanor ultimately ordered Armand's murder. Maybe she was given the order from someone else and had Jack carry out the act. Either way, Eleanor and Jack will definitely be two characters to keep an eye on as Hawkeye progresses.
Will Kingpin Make an MCU Appearance?
Phase Four is well underway in the MCU, and the introduction of new heroes means new foes for them to face. Does this mean a re-introduction of antagonists from past Marvel titles? With more and more MCU titles connected to Kingpin gearing up for release both in theaters and on Disney+, fans are more anxious than ever to see their favorite crime lord rule New York once again.
The setting of Hawkeye, the introduction of both Echo the character and Echo the series, and the possibility of a Matt Murdock cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home are all signs that point to the potential reveal of Kingpin in some or all of these titles. Will he be revealed in Hawkeye Episode 3? Or will Marvel keep fans on their toes yet again?
New episodes of Hawkeye premiere on Disney on Wednesdays.