Last month, the Marvel Cinematic Universe did something pretty unprecedented: amid all the hype over the returning web-slingers in Spider-Man: No Way Home, we got two cameo appearances from Netflix’s Daredevil: Charlie Cox turned up as Matt Murdock in No Way Home and Vincent D’onofrio returned as Kingpin in Hawkeye.
It was never clear whether Marvel was writing off the Netflix series or actually including it in the official continuity. Now that we know it’s the latter, fans have been wondering what Kingpin was up to since the Daredevil finale. Thankfully, D’onofrio has some answers.
In the Daredevil season 3 finale, Matt Mardock finally sees his nemesis Kingpin get locked up for good. At least, it seems that way. However, in Hawkeye, Wilson Fisk is out and causing mayhem in the streets of New York. How did he escape prison? Where was Daredevil during his attack?
According to D’onofrio, Kingpin lost his grip on power after Thanos snapped him (along with half the universe) away in Avengers: Infinity War. “I think that his empire fell because all this otherworldly stuff was going on,” he told ComicBook.com. “Given the opportunity, he might have been able to even grow his empire during that stage, but he wasn’t given that opportunity. So I think, as far as Hawkeye goes, he’s on his way back, to grabbing back what is his.”
Regardless of where he stands now, Wilson Fisk is a man who craves power, and he’ll do whatever it takes to achieve it. “It’s clear, I think, from the scene with Vera and the scene with Maya, all the scenes with Maya, that his mind is set on being the king so that’s what he’s gonna be.”
Of course, we can’t talk about Kingpin’s appearance in Hawkeye without mentioning how it all ends. Beware SPOILERS ahead.
Did the Kingpin die at the end of Hawkeye?
In the final moments of the Hawkeye finale, Maya shoots Fisk at close range, although we pan away from the actual impact. We’re led to believe he’s killed, but we all know Marvel Studios wouldn’t let one of their best characters die that easily. The fact that we don’t see a body adds another layer of doubt.
When asked about the “death” scene, D’onofrio played it coy:
"Only a few of the Marvel characters have lost their power, whether it be monetary or magical or superhero powers, but most of them get them back. That’s the general canon of the MCU, of the comics, of Marvel Comics, so you can’t expect an answer less than that from somebody who plays one of the characters."
Something similar happens in the comics: Fisk is shot in the face, although instead of being killed, he is blinded, something he now has in common with his nemesis Daredevil. It seems like the MCU might go down this route.
Vincent D’onofrio put on 20 pounds to play Kingpin in Hawkeye
Vincent D’onofrio’s portrayal of Wilson Fisk is one of the most comic-accurate performances in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. He nails everything from his intensity to his attire. D’onofrio’s imposing presence goes a long away, too. It turns out that the actor goes to extra mile when it comes to playing New York’s brutal crime boss. He even put on around “15 to 20” pounds for his return.
“In a couple of shots, there were . But we tried a couple of different looks and the one we came down to was some extra shoulders, and extra chest, and extra girth around the middle,” D’onofrio told ComicBook.com. “But I did , I always go up about somewhere between 15 and 20 pounds when I play Fisk. Because he needs that round face…I have to put on additional weight to get some weight , to fill out my cheeks a little bit more, and then the rest .”
That said, at 62 years old, he won’t let himself gain too much weight due to health reasons. “I can’t put on that much weight anymore because of my age, it’s too hard to take off and it’s just not healthy anymore. Back when I was young, I could go up and down fairly frequently.”
All six episodes of Hawkeye are currently streaming on Disney+.
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