Now, this is a surprise. Daredevil villain Kingpin might be back in Hawkeye – and actor Vincent D’Onofrio is doing nothing to dampen Marvel fans’ expectations.
Not to get all Matt Murdock in here, but the evidence stacking up in favor of Kingpin’s return is fairly compelling.
Exhibit A: D’Onofrio sent out a tweet just minutes after the Hawkeye trailer – all about a three-legged dog. It might seem like clutching at straws, but MCU fans have already tied that to Hawkeye’s Lucky the Pizza Dog.
Exhibit B: D’Onofrio has liked tweets saying "The King returns in Hawkeye", "Timing. Confirmed", and "Can’t wait to see you King."
Of course, D’Onofrio could just be having some fun with the inevitable rampant speculation that surrounds every Marvel project. But maybe, just maybe, he’s heavily hinting at a return.
Inevitably, it’s sent Marvel fans into overdrive. "Hyped for your comeback," says one, while another says they "cannot wait to see the best MCU villain return."
Kingpin, who has an established comic book relationship with new Hawkeye character Echo (set to be played by Alaqua Cox), might not be the only figure to return from Marvel’s Netflix days.
Charlie Cox says to "wait and see" whether he’s back as Daredevil in Spider-Man: No Way Home. A new version of the threequel’s trailer, though, has ruled out the theory that we’ve already seen Matt Murdock and Tom Holland sharing a scene together.
Hawkeye is streaming weekly from November 24. For more on the MCU’s exciting future, check out our complete guide to Marvel Phase 4.
