Hawkeye Episode 3 confirms a huge rumor about a Netflix-Marvel crossover
Guess who’s pulling all the strings.
Did Hawkeye just do what we think it did?! Episode 2 ended with a huge villain reveal, finally giving Marvel fans a glimpse at Maya Lopez (aka, Echo). In Episode 3, we learned more about her upbringing as a Deaf child raised by her father in a world that doesn’t understand her. By the end of the episode, a mysterious figure only referred to as “Uncle” had been mentioned a number of times, but the only glimpse of the character was a hand pinching Maya’s cheek after a karate match.
So who could this “Uncle” be considering he’s the true villain of the entire show? To comics fans, there’s only one real explanation: Kingpin is back! Here’s everything you need to know.
Echo and Kingpin
Echo’s backstory was originally fleshed out in Daredevil Vol 2. #10, published in June 1999. That’s right, Echois first and foremost a Daredevil character. She was even a love interest for Matt Murdock, briefly.
In her Marvel Cinematic Universe backstory, we see how she coped with being young and Deaf, and how she channeled her energy into the arts — including martial arts. While in Hawkeye, her dad was present until she was a young adult, in the comics he passed away when she was a small girl.
Echo was essentially raised by none other than Wilson Fisk (aka, Kingpin), who told her Daredevil murdered her father, making her incensed on getting revenge at all casts. In reality, Kingpin was behind the hit on Maya’s dad.
Echo reflects on her father’s passing in Daredevil Vol. 2 #10, published in 1999.
Considering this comics history, there’s only one person who could be close to Maya’s father throughout her life: Kingpin. This would align with the number of leaks suggesting Vincent D’Onofrio’s character from the Netflix series would be introduced to the MCU, as well as the possibility Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock would appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
If Kingpin is in fact the “Uncle” Episode 3 alludes to, Kate and Clint are about to get into a lot more trouble than some tracksuit bros tying them to mechanical ponies. As a mob boss, Wilson Fisk has fingers in all sorts of pies and probably is the head of the mysterious “Sloan Ltd.” referenced in Bishop Security’s file on Kazi.
The only glimpse of Kingpin we got was a hand from offscreen.
If Echo’s inclusion wasn’t enough of a signal Daredevil was going to be brought into the Marvel fold, this episode confirms it. Echo is not merely a character borrowed from the Daredevil universe in order to give Clint someone to relate to regarding his hearing loss. She’s not a fluke, she’s a warning sign.
Even though she was raised by her dad, unlike in the comics, it’s clear Maya has a close relationship with her “uncle,” even if they aren’t blood relatives. What could he possibly want with Avengers artifacts? What could he want with Ronin? Does he have something to do with Kate’s possible murderous soon-to-be stepfather? Hopefully, we’ll get answers to all these questions in the next three weeks.
Hawkeye is now streaming on Disney+.
