‘Hawkeye’: Vincent D’Onofrio on Kingpin’s Return & What Happened in the Finale

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Hawkeye, Season 1, Episode 6, “So This Is Christmas?”]

The Hawkeye season finale made way for one big character’s arrival as Vincent D’Onofrio reprised his role as Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin.

The “big guy” in charge and “uncle” to Alaqua Cox‘s Maya Lopez, a.k.a. Echo, made his presence known as he threw around his weight both physically and metaphorically. As his ties to Maya and Kate Bishop’s (Hailee Steinfeld) mother, Eleanor (Vera Farmiga) became more clear, so did the lethal threat that Kingpin poses in the universe.

Eager to do away with Eleanor after she threatens to blackmail Fisk and his organizations should he not allow her to leave her role within the criminal rings, Kingpin put his Tracksuit Mafia to the task of eliminating the threat. Despite D’Onofrio’s previous involvement in Netflix’s since-canceled Daredevil series which hadn’t been part of the main MCU timeline seen in Hawkeye, the actor wants to make it clear that “he’s the same,” person he played before.  “I think he’s physically stronger,” the performer admits.

(Credit: Disney+/Marvel Studios)

“He can take more physical abuse, but I think that he’s emotionally the same person,” D’Onofrio continued to share with TV Insider. “I’m approaching him in the same exact way that I did in Daredevil,” he adds. “And it was clear with the writers and the producers and directors that this was the same person. So that was a thrill for me, because I loved the way that I’m able to portray him and how I invented him and what makes him tick and all that stuff. That’s one of the most exciting aspects of playing it again.”

As for whether he’ll actually return for more fun in the MCU after the finale is an even bigger question. Kingpin was last seen on the opposite end of Maya’s gun as she was hellbent on exacting revenge for her father’s death. While the camera panned away, two flashes and corresponding bangs indicate the shooting of that gun.

Considering the man managed to survive an arrow shot to the chest, being hit by a car, and explosive trick arrows, it’s hard to believe that Kingpin would be taken down by a few bullets. “I don’t know what’s going to happen,” D’Onofrio admits. “I only hope that I’m going to continue to play Fisk, because I really like playing Fisk. I had hopes after Daredevil and [while] that never really happened, I continued to support the fans and I still do.”

(Credit: Disney+/Marvel Studios)

D’Onofrio recalls, “when I was doing the research for Daredevil. I think I read almost every run of any particular comic that [Kingpin] was in, and the one that stood out to me was the Maya and Fisk relationship. It would be a fun thing to explore. So I’m only hoping that that actually happens.”

It’s certainly a possibility considering Disney+ and Marvel have already confirmed plans for an Echo spinoff series starring Hawkeye‘s Alaqua Cox. Should D’Onofrio continue his role in the MCU, there’s certainly a chance he’ll cross paths once again with lawyer and hero Matt Murdock, a.k.a. Daredevil.

Portrayed by Charlie Cox, Marvel boss Kevin Feige has already confirmed that the British actor would reprise the fan-favorite role in any MCU project utilizing the character. And D’Onofrio really likes the idea of a reunion. “He’s so much fun,” muses the actor. “Charlie and I are friends and it would be such a great thing to be on the set with him again. I only can hope that that happens.”

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Before any possible reunions can be made though, viewers will have to wait and see how things turn out between Kingpin and Maya. “I think he does love her,” D’Onofrio says, referring to Wilson Fisk’s affection for the girl. “And I think that she does love him.”

“When you’re dealing with a character like Fisk, their moral foundation is different than ours, their way of life, and they still love and hate and do everything that we do,” the actor explains. “They just have a different moral foundation. So what we think is good and bad and right and wrong, they don’t. They look at it differently. So they’re capable of anything.”

In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed that we’ll see D’Onofrio grace our screens again soon and take solace in the fact that according to the comics, Kingpin is likelier to walk away from this situation alive.

Hawkeye, Streaming now, Disney+