Vincent D’Onofrio’s portrayal of Wilson Fisk was one of the defining features that made Netflix’s Daredevil a great show and a fan-favorite. He brought so much depth to the role and stood out from other comic book villain interpretations. As such, when it was rumored that Fisk would be entering the MCU, fans everywhere were hopeful that D’Onofrio would be returning to the role. When Hawkeye’s fifth episode came, their prayers were answered.

What’s more, his return wasn’t a new interpretation of the character. The actor himself noted that he would not return to the character he popularized unless it was the same man that he played in the Netflix series. This and the appearance of Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock in tSpider-Man: No Way Home officially canonized their show. Despite this, fans quickly noted a distinct difference in D’Onofrio’s portrayal from Daredevil. The man is a lot stronger than they remember. The actor had plenty to say about the danger that Kingpin poses. Kingpin has always been a dangerous man both in the comics and on TV, so much so that D’Onofrio believes he could even beat Thanos. But is that true? Is the MCU’s Kingpin really that strong?

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Kingpin’s Strength in the MCU

     Photo Credit - Marvel Studios

Whether he could take the Mad Titan is a matter of the imagination as there is no accounting from the comics of the two ever facing off in any fashion. However, with the multiverse expanding, who knows? As far as his strength in Hawkeye is concerned, fans’ worries may be a bit misplaced. Sure, Fisk was never seen ripping off car doors in Daredevil, but that does not at all suggest that he never could. D’Onofrio himself has defended Fisk’s strength in Hawkeye by pointing out that the crime boss was pretty mighty in his original outing. Furthermore, he recently referenced Fisk’s power in the very first season of Daredevil.

If this isn’t enough to ease fans’ minds, then they should look back at episode 13 in season 3 of Daredevil when Fisk’s strength was on display in his epic triple threat match against the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen and Bullseye. Fisk put a pretty sizable hole in a brick wall trying to punch one of the other two combatants. Moreover, he picks up Bullseye and rams him into a wall like he’s nothing. Taking all this into account, if anyone’s resistance should be discussed and admired, it’s Matt Murdock’s. The blind lawyer has fought Fisk three times and lived to fight another day when Fisk cracks bricks like they’re eggs.

Fisk’s Power in the Comics

     Photo Credit - Marvel Television, ABC Studios, DeKnight Productions, Goddard Textiles

To further accentuate just how powerful the man is, let’s look at the source material to get some answers for why Fisk is so strong. First off, he is pure muscle. Let’s assume that D’Onofrio’s portrayal and characterization are 100% faithful to the comics. If this is the case, then the entire mass of his body is pure muscle, with only 3% being fat. This has also given him a considerable durability boost, contributing to his ability to walk away from an explosion and be hit by a car. That, and he also has access to protective clothing that can stop bullets. Fisk is comparable to Batman in that he is at peak physical strength. The man has stood toe-to-toe with some of Marvel’s strongest characters and won. He’s beaten Captain America in a fight, so it’s no wonder D’Onofrio thinks he could defeat Thanos. If this makes you wonder why Daredevil, a man with no superhuman durability, would be able to hold his own, there’s an answer for that as well.

Fisk is also a master at multiple forms of martial arts, particularly sumo wrestling, hapkido, and judo. As proof, Matt Murdock, who has mastered numerous fighting styles, was able to fight Fisk on nearly equal footing, whereas The Punisher lost quickly to Fisk. This is due to Frank Castle being significantly less trained in martial arts and mainly winning fights with guns, incredible pain tolerance, and sheer will. When you look at his fight with Daredevil in the second episode of Daredevil season 2, Frank was taking more than he was landing, and one also needs to consider that Matt was fighting with a concussion. Matt can take Fisk, but Frank Castle can’t. All this info from the comics and the TV series proves why Fisk was so strong in Hawkeye.