(WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD FOR HAWKEYE EPISODES 4 AND 5) The directing team of Amber Templemore-Finlayson and Katie Ellwood — known professionally as Bert and Bertie — called the shots on two major MCU crossovers in their Disney+ series Hawkeye.
The first one — the appearance of Florence Pugh‘s Yelena — was revealed in the series’ fourth episode, and was somewhat expected if you watched the after-credits of Black Widow.
However, Wednesday’s episode ended with a bombshell. Not only did was it revealed the “Big Guy” alluded to by Jeremy Renner‘s Clint Barton was Marvel villain Kingpin, aka Wilson Fisk, but he was portrayed by Vincent D’Onofrio. D’Onofrio played Fisk to great acclaim in the Netflix series Daredevil, which wasn’t technically isn’t part of the MCU.
“I mean, it’s such a privilege, isn’t it?” Bert enthuses to ABC Audio. “Because you listen to…the fans and you listen to the theories and then to know that you are actually bringing it to them and satisfying, kind of, things that they want so desperately!”
She called it “incredible” to bring the characters to the show and said working with Pugh a “dream.” She added, “Knowing that we were going to introduce Kingpin and finding out what he meant to the fans was extraordinary for us.”
Bertie said of D’Onofrio, “He’s such a renowned actor…and just to have him on set and kind of knowing the Fisk character…He’s so brilliantly intense. As you’ve seen in Daredevil, he’s an actor who commits 150% to every choice he makes.”
Bert comments, “It’s such a pleasure as a director because you’re a guest in this universe, and then you’re given these gifts along the way.”
Hawkeye, which also stars Hailee Steinfeld, wraps up on Wednesday on Disney+.
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