That major Marvel character finally makes their return in Hawkeye

Look away now if you don’t want to see spoilers for Hawkeye episode five…

…because after weeks of wondering, we’ve finally seen the official MCU return of Kingpin! Yes, Vincent D’Onofrio’s acclaimed turn as the crime lord did not end with the Netflix Daredevil series, with his character now officially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Previously in the series we’ve seen him hinted at as the "big man" behind the Tracksuit mafia and other criminal groups, and as Maya’s (Alaqua Cox ) "uncle" – but the latest episode laid all the cards on the table, revealing Kingpin as both the boss of the Tracksuit mafia and (possibly) the figure behind the conspiracy in Hawkeye more generally.

A few more hints in this episode presaged his return – a couple more references to the 'Big Man', the name of the Tracksuits’ business front being 'Fat Man Auto Sales' – before Yelena (Pugh) dropped the bombshell to Kate (Hailee Steinfeld) that her mother Eleanor (Vera Farmiga) was the woman who hired her to kill Clint.

But the real smoking gun for Kate’s mother’s villainy? A picture of her with D’Onofrio, wearing Wilson Fisk’s signature white suit.

"Well, that’s the guy I’ve been worried about this whole time," Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) tells his protégé.

“Kingpin.”

Presumably, we’ll get to see D’Onofrio in live-action (rather than just, you know, in a grainy long-distance photo) in the Hawkeye series finale, and after that, who knows? Following a recent confirmation that D’Onofrio’s Netflix co-star Charlie Cox (aka super-powered lawyer Matt Murdock) would continue as the MCU’s Daredevil, it could be that we’re in for a Murdock/Fisk rematch in some upcoming project.

We might even see a few more of the doomed TV Defenders make a comeback. Anything’s possible – especially at Christmas.

Still, for now fans will just be happy that for once, all their Marvel theories came true. It’s finally time to banish the pain of that Mephisto non-event from WandaVision, once and for all.

Read more about Hawkeye:

• Hawkeye star says he’s hoping to be a part of the Echo spin-off
• How many episodes of Hawkeye will there be?
• Hawkeye directors tease more surprise actor cameos in future episodes
• Hawkeye could lead to more MCU appearances for Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop

Hawkeye releases new episodes on Disney Plus on Wednesdays – sign up now for £7.99 per month or £79.90 for a full year. Know a Marvel fan? Don't miss our round-up of Marvel gifts.

For more, check out our dedicated Sci-Fi page or our full TV Guide.

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