For a long time, fans have been very curious to know what will happen to the roster of Netflix’s Marvel characters. The status of these shows and how they relate to the MCU has felt murky for a long time. But now, it looks the MCU has finally decided to move on this point. Recently, Kevin Feige shared that Netflix’s Daredevil would indeed be the MCU’s Daredevil. The Marvel head honcho confirmed they would keep Netflix’s casting. He noted that Charlie Cox would play Daredevil, should the character appear. But Feige kept the circumstances of such a return vague. But now Hawkeye has cemented the sentiment. Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin, from Netflix Marvel’s Daredevil, has joined the MCU in Hawkeye.
In episode five, fans learn that Kate’s mother, Eleanor Bishop, hired Yelena Belova to kill Clint Barton. Yelena sends Kate an image of her mother standing next to a mysterious man. That man? Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin. Vincent D’Onofrio, of course, played Kingpin in Netflix’s Daredevil. And now he also officially plays the MCU’s Kingpin. Fans suspect that Vincent D’Onofrio’s character is also Echo’s mysterious “uncle.” In the comics, Echo (or Maya Lopez) and Kingpin had a close relationship, giving credence to the theory.
Episode six of Hawkeye will likely reveal more about D’Onofrio’s Kingpin in the MCU. However, his presence resounds beyond just one show. With the promise of Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock in the MCU and now Vincent D’Onofrio’s arrival as Kingpin… it feels like Netflix’s Daredevil has truly joined the MCU. Does this mean other Daredevil characters will appear? That much seems likely.
However, the Netflix Marvel world goes beyond just one show. Have all of Netflix’s Marvel shows now become MCU canon? Well, it feels too early to tell. But the door certainly has swung wide open. This will definitely come as a big relief for fans of these shows and their casts.
