After Vincent D’Onofrio made his triumphant return to Marvel as the notorious Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin in the finale of the Disney+ series Hawkeye, fans are left wondering what could be next for the beloved character after apparently being shot in the face by Maya Lopez, the deaf Native American criminal turned hero — AKA Echo. Fans of Marvel Comics will recall that this same fate befell Fisk in the comics, so there is comic precedent for Kingpin to survive this wound (he was blind for a short period before receiving reconstructive surgery). With the Marvel Cinematic Universe (or Multiverse) rapidly expanding, there are a variety of ways in which the deadly crime boss can have a lengthy and intriguing return.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

D’Onofrio’s performance as Kingpin in Daredevil is acclaimed by fans and critics alike. His MCU debut, albeit short, was exceptionally well-received by fans, and D’Onofrio has stated publicly that he would love to work with Marvel on any future projects that would include Wilson Fisk: “I so badly want to play that character again. I love that character. I just have to wait for Marvel to ask me. I think it’s very clear that I would, and the fans know that I would jump at the chance to play again. I just need to be asked.”

Let’s take a look at some additional avenues by which the legendary Marvel villain can make his return and what could be next for Kingpin in the MCU.

Upcoming Echo Disney+ Spinoff

In addition to re-introducing Marvel fans to Vincent D’Onofrio’s portrayal of the criminal mastermind Kingpin, the Hawkeye Disney+ Series introduces Maya Lopez, also known as Echo. The last time we see Echo and Fisk on-screen, Maya points a gun at his face, the screen cuts away, and we hear a gunshot followed by a thud. Maya’s attack is in retaliation after learning that Fisk set her father up to be killed by Hawkeye — operating under the persona of Ronin after his entire family was dusted at the beginning of Avengers: Endgame.

Fans of Marvel Comics will remember that Kingpin survives the gunshot, causing him to go blind for a short period in Daredevil Vol. 2 #15. Kingpin returns from the injury more ruthless than ever and very much back to his criminal ways. With an Echo Disney+ spinoff show looming, it is conceivable, in fact likely, that Wilson Fisk will be a significant if not the main antagonist of that series.

Hawkeye Season 2?

The MCU pitched Hawkeye as a six-part holiday-themed MCU adventure starring the world’s two greatest archers, Hawkeye (Clint Barton) and the magnificent new addition to the MCU, Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld). The show has not yet gotten the green light for a second season, but fans will no doubt yearn to see Kingpin return if it does. Wilson Fisk certainly has unfinished business with Kate, as she left him semi-conscious in a department store after nearly blowing him up, and Kate’s mother, with whom he had business deals. We will have to wait and see what the MCU has in store for this bow and arrow-wielding duo.

Daredevil’s MCU Show

     Netflix

Kevin Feige stated that if they brought Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, to the MCU, Charlie Cox would reprise the role. Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk made his on-screen debut on Netflix’s Daredevil, which has yet to be confirmed as canon to the MCU. As fans know, Matt Murdock made his appearance Spider-Man: Now Way Home the same week Vincent D’Onofrio returned as Wilson Fisk in Hawkeye. Was this just a happy coincidence, a gigantic Merry Christmas to MCU fans, or something more? We do not know. We know that Disney reacquired the rights to the Daredevil show from Netflix in November 2020 after Netflix canned the series in late 2018 despite its critically acclaimed three-season run. So, we could be getting a Daredevil Disney+ show announcement sooner than we think. Regardless, it is likely that we will see the blind vigilante in other projects, such as the upcoming Echo series. And it is a reasonable bet that wherever Daredevil is lurking, Kingpin won’t be too far behind.

Future Spider-Man Projects

     Sony Pictures

Aside from Daredevil, one of Kingpin’s biggest foes is none other than your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. They’ve gone at it in the comics plenty of times and have had some of the best fights in Marvel comic history. Marvel and Sony are planning another Spider-Man trilogy following up the brilliant Homecoming trilogy from Jon Watts. Tom Holland will be reprising his role as Peter Parker, and he will have all-new enemies to face, and who better than Kingpin to go head-to-head with the web-slinger. We did get the treat of an animated Kingpin (voiced by Liev Schreiber) in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. With a sequel set to release this year, we could potentially get Kingpin in animated form before seeing him again in live-action. Whether animated or live-action, fans would love to see Peter Parker (or Miles Morales) go head-to-head with Kingpin one more time.

Thunderbolts / Dark Avengers

     Disney

Another possible place for Kingpin to show up is in the Thunderbolts or Dark Avengers. La Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (say that name three times fast) played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, has been recruiting individuals for what looks like a team comparable to The Suicide Squad because these aren’t heroes, but they’ll get the job done. So far, de Fontaine has recruited John Walker when she rebranded him U.S. Agent at the end of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Aside from Walker, de Fontaine also appears to have Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova in her employment, as de Fontaine is the one who sends Yelena on a mission to kill Clint Barton. This comes to a head in Hawkeye when it is revealed that Eleanor Bishop, Kate Bishop’s mother, was the one who hired Yelena. Eleanor was at the time working for Kingpin; suffice it to say it appears that there is some connection between de Fontaine and Fisk. Fisk would be a perfect candidate for the leader of this team, whether they be called The Dark Avengers or Thunderbolts or Kingpin and his Minions. We would love to see a team led by or including Kingpin in some future anti-hero MCU projects.

Those are just a few of the ways in which Kingpin can return to the MCU. With more and more MCU projects in the works, the door is wide open for Vincent D’Onofrio to continue his villainous ways as Wilson Fisk in the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe.