Will The Kingpin make an appearance in Hawkeye, or won't he? That's the agonizing question many Marvel fans are asking after actor Vincent D'Onofrio's latest tweet about the upcoming Disney+ series."This is going to be fun," D'Onofrio tweeted Wednesday, retweeting a Marvel Studios post observing the one-week countdown to the show's premiere. "I love these @Marvel series."
D'Onofrio played the role of Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. The Kingpin, on all three seasons of Netflix's Daredevil series, beginning in 2015. There has been no announcement the actor will reprise his role in Hawkeye -- or have any role in the series. Nonetheless, D'Onofrio's subtle acknowledgements of the show on social media have led to fan speculation he will make an appearance.
The actor's retweet is only the latest move to fuel such rumors. Shortly after Marvel Studios released the first trailer Hawkeye, D'Onofrio shared an original poem he created about a three-legged dog on his Twitter account. The seemingly disconnected tweet left many fans surmising the poem might have been an allegory to Lucky the Pizza Dog -- the half-blind pet belonging to Hawkeye main characters Clint Barton and Kate Bishop -- and that D'Onofrio might have been hinting at some involvement with the show.
D'Onofrio then went on to like several tweets made by fans speculating on his possible involvement in the series, perpetuating even more speculation.
The Kingpin was the central antagonist to Charlie Cox's Daredevil/Matt Murdock in Daredevil’s first season. With Fisk in jail come Season 2, D'Onofrio's character served more of a supporting role. In Season 3, Fisk -- now out of jail -- goes after Murdock, seeking revenge for his imprisonment.
When first conceived, Daredevil and the other Marvel series streaming on Netflix -- Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Punisher and The Defenders -- were initially said to be part of Marvel Cinematic Universe continuity. However, Marvel Studios has since disavowed that connection, and none of the characters from those shows have appeared in any MCU films or series.
Still, that's not to say those series couldn't be part of the MCU, or that Disney or Marvel Studios could change their minds again about characters being featured in MCU projects. The non-powered Barton and Bishop, and the upcoming show's street-level setting, would be right at home in the same universe as D'Onofrio's Kingpin.
Or, if D'Onofrio does appear on the show, it could be as another character entirely.
Fans have one more week to wait and find out. The first two episodes of Hawkeye premiere on Disney+ on Nov. 24.
Source: Twitter