Hawkeye episode 3 teases the big Marvel cameo everyone's been waiting for

Were you paying attention during this week’s Hawkeye episode? A minor moment involving Echo (Alaqua Cox) and her past might have just set up the big Marvel cameo that everyone’s been waiting for.

During Echo’s childhood karate lessons, her father William (Zahn McClarnon) tells her daughter that "uncle will take you home after class." The uncle, a giant suit-wearing man – with his face unseen – then walks up and pinches Echo’s cheeks.

This moment has set alarm bells ringing among Marvel fans. After all, how many giant men wearing suits are there in Marvel? For many, that (and coupled with a couple more references throughout the episode to Echo's 'Uncle') all points to one man: Kingpin.

This isn’t just baseless speculation, either. For one thing, former Kingpin actor Vincent D’onofrio set tongues wagging with his social media activity around the release of the first Hawkeye trailer.

There’s also the fact that, in the comics, Echo is adopted by Kingpin after he kills her father. That origin, if it comes to pass, has been twisted in Hawkeye. Jeremy Renner’s Ronin is the one who kills Echo’s father – and the rest of the Tracksuit Mafia higher-ups – but the end result may well be the same: Echo could be taken under Kingpin’s wing.

As a bonus, just in case you needed more convincing, Hawkeye is closely following Matt Fraction and David Aja’s comic run of the same name. Who turns up there to put out a bounty on Hawkeye? You guessed it. Kingpin.

The rest of the episode may have involved Hawkeye and Kate Bishop fleeing from Echo’s goons, but there’s every chance the King could be back on his throne – and putting Clint Barton in his sights – very, very soon.

For more on what the MCU is bringing to Disney Plus, check out our guide to new Marvel TV shows.