Hawkeye Directors Speak Out on Return of Daredevil Villain Kingpin

Daredevil fans had one of their biggest wishes granted last Wednesday, as the penultimate episode of Hawkeye Season 1 confirmed that Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin had made his way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The beloved villain didn't get any lines in the episode, or any real screen time, but a photo of Wilson Fisk with Kate Bishop's mother did the trick. Kingpin can now terrorize the heroes of the MCU, and the directors behind Hawkeye's latest episode loved getting the chance to bring D'Onofrio into the fold.

The directing duo of Bert & Bertie helmed the penultimate edition of Hawkeye, which ended on the Kingpin reveal cliffhanger. While speaking with The Hollywood Reporter about their final episode of the season, the two filmmakers talked about working with D'Onofrio and how excited they were to set up such an iconic villain.

"We were lucky enough to work with him and to share time and space with him," said Bert. "He is the most remarkable actor, the way he holds space. That was a treat. That was one of our favorite days on set."

"It means so much. Not just logistically for the world. But just the level of intense sociopathic, evilness, which is the real stake," added Bertie. "There have been stakes building throughout Hawkeye. It starts off very fun and games and the Tracksuits and the introduction of Maya Lopez and there's Yelena and it just keeps getting more intense. It's wonderful being part of this show that starts as one thing and it just escalates until these tones merge, so we can go from laughing your heart out to gripping the edge of your seat."

Eleanor, Kate's mother, is working directly with Kingpin, though the extent of their relationship isn't fully known. What is known, however, is that Clint has some kind of history with Fisk, and he's been doing everything he can to keep the villain from obtaining information about his family. It seems as though there is a substantial role for Fisk ahead in the Hawkeye season finale this week, and potentially an even bigger role moving forward in the MCU. For street-level character like Kate and Yelena, Fisk could be their Thanos.

What did you think about Kingpin's long-awaited debut in the MCU? Which other Daredevil characters would you like to see make the jump? Let us know in the comments!