Hawkeye fans predict Kingpin will appear in episode 5

And so after the episode, we asked RadioTimes.com readers whether they thought Kingpin would make an appearance in the next instalment.

Of those who responded, roughly 63% reckoned that he will feature in the next episode – the penultimate chapter of the season – so it will certainly be interesting to see if that prediction proves to be accurate.

Kingpin, aka Wilson Fisk, is a crime boss who was portrayed by Vincent D’Onofrio in Netflix’s Daredevil – and if he were to appear, it would mark his first appearance in the MCU outside of the Netflix shows.

Many of the rumours about his return stem from a connection to Alaqua Cox’s Maya Lopez, aka deaf martial artist Echo, who was introduced in the third episode of the series.

In the comics, Echo and Kingpin have long had a connection – she was essentially his adopted daughter – and so coupled with several intriguing quotes, including one referring to "Uncle" – an appearance does seem relatively likely.

Meanwhile, during a flashback, we saw a large, suited man affectionately brush younger Maya’s cheek during her martial arts classes – with many fans believing this to be D’Onofrio reprising his role.

The next episode arrives on Wednesday 15th December, so there's a week to wait to see if the prediction proves to be accurate...

Read more:

• Hawkeye review: More of a stocking-filler than a real Christmas gift
• When is Hawkeye set in the MCU?
• Who is Marvel’s Swordsman? Hawkeye introduces Jack Duquesne
• Who is Ronin? Hawkeye alter-ego explained
• Is Yelena Belova in Hawkeye? Black Widow character’s future explained
• Meet the Hawkeye dog – Lucky the Pizza Dog

Hawkeye releases new episodes weekly every Wednesday on Disney Plus. You can sign up to Disney+ for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year now.

Check out our Movies and Sci-Fi pages for more news and features, or our TV Guide for more to watch. And, of course, join us again next week for another episode of Hawkeye!