Warning: This article contains spoilers for Hawkeye.
With the six-episode run of Hawkeye now officially in the books, it’s by now common knowledge that Vincent D’Onofrio’s appearance as Kingpin was a highlight of the show, but the close of that character’s arc in the series finale is leaving plenty of fans wondering what’s next.
Warning: Spoilers to follow.
It would be one epic troll job on the part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe if they brought back Kingpin, debuted him via a lo-res grainy cellphone photo, placed him front and center for the entirety of the final episode as a reminder of how incredible he is in the role, and then killed him off.
The last we saw of Wilson Fisk, he was being confronted by Alaqua Cox’s Maya Lopez, having been rumbled as the culprit behind her father’s death. We heard a gunshot ring out, but we never saw a body, which is key when it comes to any long-running franchise that dumps a beloved favorite without painting it specifically in black-and-white.
Fingers crossed that there’s much more Kingpin in our future, even if D’Onofrio isn’t saying anything. Speaking to Deadline, the star admitted that he’s hoping to stick around the MCU for some time to come.
“I hope he didn’t die. I’m with the fans, I want to keep playing this part. My hope is that we continue.”
Hawkeye may or may not be returning for additional seasons, Echo stars shooting early next year, Charlie Cox is on the way back as Daredevil, and there’s plenty of New York City stories still to come. That provides plenty of opportunities for the crime boss to make his presence felt, because as he said in Hawkeye, that city belongs to him.