A couple of big appearances in both No Way Home and Hawkeye have fans excited, but where could those characters show up next? We take a look.
SPOILERS FOR SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME AND HAWKEYE
The past week was a massive one for fans of Netflix’s Marvel adaptations, with two major characters from the popular superhero series making appearances in Hawkeye and Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Rumors circulated for a while that Vincent D’Onofrio would be returning as Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of crime, in the Hawkeye Disney+ series. Speculation was fueled even further when a large figure, referred to as Uncle, made a brief appearance in the series third episode and had the unmistakable chuckle of D’Onofrio. Now after the conclusion of Hawkeye’s penultimate episode it is officially confirmed that Kingpin is back and in the MCU.
On the same day as the release of the fifth episode (at least in the UK) Spider-Man: No Way Home came out and with it the confirmation of a long-rumored appearance. Matt Murdock a.k.a. Daredevil himself played by Charlie Cox. While not a pivotal role, the appearance brings back a fan favorite and popular comic book character into the wider MCU.
But where will these characters show up next? It seems that the shows they previously appeared in are not necessarily canon but looking at comic book history and hints given elsewhere we can see where Marvel Studios might be going with the characters.
Echo
Maya Lopez is one of Hawkeye’s main antagonists. In the comics she takes on the superhero moniker of Echo and it has been confirmed she will be getting her very own solo series with Alaqua Cox returning for the lead role.
The character’s comic book counterpart has heavy ties to both Kingpin and Daredevil, with the former still being evident in the series. In the source material, Kingpin arranged the death of Maya’s father and blamed Daredevil. In the Hawkeye series, he instead manipulated Clint to kill her father but that does not rule out future Daredevil tie-ins.
It’s safe to say Kingpin’s brief role in Hawkeye won’t be the last we see of him and the Echo series will likely focus on Maya’s continual pursuit for revenge; now shifted from Ronin to Fisk. While Daredevil may not have direct ties to her father’s murder, perhaps Maya will seek out Kingpin’s biggest enemy to help take him down, to make a “deal with the devil” as it were.
As mentioned, the Netflix series is likely not canon, with the actors being brought back for a soft reboot of sorts, but that doesn’t mean certain elements won’t carry over. Kingpin and Daredevil having a past as enemies would be good world-building, especially when another origin story is highly unlikely.
Spider-Man 4
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has officially confirmed that the fourth installment in the MCU’s Spider-Man films is in development. Next to nothing is known about the plot of the next installment but after No Way Home’s conclusion it would seem to follow a more downtrodden comic accurate Peter Parker in an adaptation of the Symbiote Spider-Man story.
Kingpin is traditionally a Spider-Man and Daredevil villain, his debut comic book appearance was in The Amazing Spider-Man and he played a fairly major role in the 90’s animated series. Even as recently as Insomniac’s Spider-Man games he has served as a secondary antagonist.
With three seasons of the Netflix series featuring the ongoing battle between Daredevil and Kingpin, perhaps the next step would be to separate the two somewhat and tell a story with Kingpin tackling other heroes of the Marvel Universe. Just like what we are seeing in Hawkeye.
It doesn’t seem unlikely that Daredevil could also make an appearance, however, he and Spider-Man are a classic Marvel duo and have had many team-ups over the decades. Translating that friendship over to the MCU could offer a fun new dynamic to both characters and build on Charlie Cox’s appearance in No Way Home.
Daredevil Solo Project
While the fun of the MCU is often the wider connections that can be made, it’s also great to see characters get solo projects that expand on their world and flesh out their characters. Daredevil will be a new character to those unfamiliar with the Netflix Original and comic book character and even to fans of the series, there are likely to be a few changes to the version they’re familiar with.
“The Man Without Fear” is one of Marvel’s oldest characters and most consistently well-written comics. He’s incredibly popular with no end of fantastic source material and a solo adaptation feels inevitable for one of Marvel’s best. Classic villains like Bullseye could even appear, giving Wilson Bethel the chance to reprise the role in a more comic accurate outfit and vaguely pay off the Season 3 tease of his return.
Seeing the return of Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson as Karen Page and Foggy Nelson reunited with Charlie Cox would be brilliant to see. Even if the series is not necessarily canon, the return of cast members might give fans of the show the spiritual continuation they hoped for. For fans of the comics, it will be incredibly exciting to see the character helm a project in the wider MCU.
Two of Marvel Comic’s biggest street-level characters have made their way to the MCU and where we see the potential of their next appearances is an exciting prospect. Regardless you can see Vincent D’Onofrio’s return as Wilson Fisk in the upcoming Hawkeye finale.
