The week Netflix's Marvel world joined the MCU: How Kingpin and Daredevil fit into the narrative

The boys are back in town! It's certainly been a big week for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which welcomed a pair of beloved Netflix characters back into the comic book fold. We don't think it's much of a spoiler at this point to say that Matt Murdock and Kingpin are no longer hovering on the fringes of the MCU — they're now a part of the mainstream narrative. More importantly, both the hero and villain respectively are played by the same actors who played them on the Daredevil TV show: Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio*

**Spoilers ahead for Hawkeye and Spider-Man: No Way Home**

Fans were overjoyed at the end of last week's penultimate episode of Hawkeye, which confirmed a massive theory: Wilson Fisk was indeed the shady crime boss pulling all of the strings behind the Tracksuit Mafia's crusade to kill the Ronin.

Of course, audiences had to wait a full week until today's season finale in order to see D'Onofrio in all of his menacing glory. The man's still got it...even if he did end up getting shot by Maya Lopez/Echo (Alaqua Cox) in the final moments. Still, it happened just out of frame, which, in Hollywood speak, means Fisk probably ain't dead. As IGN points out, this encounter a direct nod to a 1998 issue of Daredevil by David Mack and David Ross which saw Maya shooting her "uncle" at point blank range.

It doesn't kill him outright, however, but leaves the balding baddie completely blind in both eyes, which places him on a sort of equal footing with his greatest nemesis: the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. Unless this is another Ralph Boehner bait and switch, there's just no way Marvel Studios would bring back a fan favorite character only to kill him off after one single episode.

This has got to be a set-up for the Echo spinoff coming to Disney+ in the near future. It'd also be the perfect opportunity to see Daredevil back in action because while Cox's Matt Murdock is now part of the crystallized canon, his recent return didn't feature much in the way of hallways or ass-kicking. Two days after Hawkeye dropped its penultimate installment, Sony Pictures released Spider-Man: No Way Home into theaters. In addition to featuring a subtle connection to Hawkeye (did you catch the ads for Rogers: The Musical?), the long-awaited film validated yet another rumor concerning a cameo from Matt Murdock.

Granted, Charlie Cox only shows up for one short scene as Peter's legal counsel, defending the high school senior against accusations of murder. He's able to get the charges dismissed, but warns Peter about the "court of public opinion." As soon as he says this, a brick is thrown through the window, bearing a note that reads: "Mysterio was right." Fortunately, Matt isn't just good at practicing law — he's also got cat-like reflexes — and catches the brick in midair before it can do any more damage.

Aside from the Echo spinoff, Murdock might also pop up in the She-Hulk series, as Jennifer Walters (played in live-action by Tatiana Maslany) is known for representing superheroes in court. With Marvel Studios willing to give these characters and the actors who play them another chance, it's only natural to wonder who might be next: Luke Cage? Jessica Jones? Danny Rand?

Who else might be brought from the brink of Netflix oblivion?

All six episodes of Hawkeye are now streaming on Disney+. Spider-Man: No Way Home is exclusively playing in theaters.