How and Why Kingpin Survives the Gunshot in the Hawkeye Finale

It was exciting to see Kingpin back in action in Hawkeye, but we’re all confused about how he survived after Maya Lopez shot him in the finale.

Maya found out that Kingpin was responsible for her father’s death and confronted him. She shot him in the face, and it seemed like Kingpin was dead. However, the shooting took place off-screen, so there was always doubt about Kingpin’s fate.

The upcoming Marvel series, Echo, confirms the return of Kingpin to the MCU as photos from the sets feature Vincent D’Onofrio reprising his role as Kingpin. The villain is alive and back in action, although his fate in the upcoming series is unknown.

Clearly, Kingpin’s death was not explicitly shown on screen as the MCU wanted to keep the prospects of his return open. This raises several queries that need to be answered in upcoming projects such as Echo and Daredevil: Born Again.

Viewers are eager to find out how Fisk escaped death in Hawkeye and the secret behind his powers.

1. How did Kingpin survive in Hawkeye?

The most plausible explanation behind Kingpin surviving the gunshot is that he was wearing bulletproof body armor. Moreover, the Hawkeye finale never confirmed that he died, so he could have escaped the gunshot or recovered from his injuries. His injuries were clearly not fatal.

In Daredevil, Kingpin is seen wearing a bulletproof body vest under his clothes. He was likely wearing the same vest in the Hawkeye finale, so the gunshot could not harm him.

The MCU is also notorious for bringing back dead characters out of nowhere, so Kingpin’s return from death is not surprising. The ending of Hawkeye never confirmed his death, so he was expected to return.

In the Marvel comics, one storyline involves Echo shooting Kingpin and blinding him in one eye. However, some footage from the upcoming series Echo shown at d24 Expo 2022 confirms that Kingpin will not be blind in the series.

The footage shows Fisk wearing an eye patch, but it is confirmed that he will not be completely blind like in the comics. The upcoming series is expected to provide more clarity about Kingpin’s fate after the shootout in the Hawkeye finale.

It’s certain that he survived the gunshot, but whether he escaped any injury altogether or recovered from his wounds is yet to be seen.

2. Is Kingpin undefeatable in the MCU?

It is a stretch to say Kingpin is invincible, but he is one of the MCU’s most powerful characters. Kingpin has immense physical strength and has survived several situations that an average human being would not be able to get out of alive.

In the Hawkeye finale, he tore off a car door with his bare hands, endured a car crash and explosive arrows, and only lost consciousness after his head collided with a pillar. These injuries would be fatal for a normal human, but Fisk got through them easily.

Now that we think of it, Kingpin surviving a gunshot does not seem unbelievable. The comics have always portrayed Fisk as one of the strongest characters, and the MCU incorporates the same. Moreover, as I mentioned above, Kingpin is known for wearing a bulletproof vest, which makes him stronger.

The upcoming series Echo will give us more details about Kingpin’s strength and confirm how he survived the gunshot in the Hawkeye finale. However, given Kingpin’s impact and strength, surviving the gunshot does not seem like a big mystery.

What will be exciting to watch is how Echo explains Kingpin’s invincible strength and how it shapes his future role in the MCU.

3. About Hawkeye

Hawkeye is an upcoming television miniseries for the Disney+ streaming service. Created by Jonathan Igla, it is based on the Marvel comic character of the same name. The show will feature Clint Barton aka. Hawkeye and newcomer Kate Bishop who will eventually become the next Hawkeye.

Cast members include Jeremy Renner who will be reprising his role as Barton, and Hailee Steinfeld will be playing Kate Bishop. Additional cast includes Vera Farmiga, Fra Fee, and Florence Pugh, who too will reprise her role from the unreleased “Black Widow”. Hawkeye is scheduled to be released in November 2021.