Vincent D'Onofrio continues to do the rounds to discuss his role as The Kingpin in the Hawkeye finale. While he's clearly in the dark (or just being careful not to give anything away) about his MCU future, the actor has been addressing some theories and shedding some light on this iteration of Wilson Fisk.
Talking to TV Line, D'Onofrio weighed in on where we find the Kingpin of Crime in the Disney+ series. "I think the Blip has happened, and I think his kingdom took a bit of a hit and he’s trying to get his city back," he explains before addressing the differences between Daredevil's Fisk and the MCU's. "Obviously, in the show he’s physically stronger and can take more physical abuse. But emotionally, and as far as the history that was discussed, it was done with an eye on connecting as many dots from Daredevil to Hawkeye as possible," he confirms.
"There are obviously things that we can’t connect - for instance, he’s stronger - but as far as how I played him and the history that I carry myself from and into Hawkeye, he is the same guy."
So, it is and isn't the same Kingpin. As expected, it seems Marvel Studios is treating this as the same character, but without any of that baggage from the Marvel Television series. That's why Fisk is now considerably stronger and not abiding by Daredevil's threat to keep his nose clean. Future TV shows or movies will likely reveal how much of that history remains intact.
In a separate interview with ComicBook.com, D'Onofrio was asked about theories that Kingpin is the new owner of Avengers Tower, thereby making it Fisk Tower. "I don't know," he claimed. "I heard that too. That's the first time I've heard of anything like that. I have no idea. Are you asking me if I think it would be really cool? Yeah, it'd be really cool. Totally. I would love to do that."
The site also wondered where the inspiration came from for his unique appearance in the Hawkeye finale and, as expected, it was the Spider-Man: Family Business graphic novel. "I may have told you this before, but the screensaver on my computer is that Family Business cover of him in that shirt. It has been for several years. And yeah, that is something that I brought to the table for Hawkeye."
D'Onofrio clearly has a real love of this character, so we're optimistic that he will get to play him again in the not too distant future. It's hard to say after that cliffhanger, but fans of the comic books will know that's far from where Kingpin's story ended on the page. As always, we'll keep you guys updated.