So Wait, Does The MCU's Kingpin Have Superpowers?

In the finale of the Disney+ series "Hawkeye," Marvel fans were finally treated to seeing Vincent D'Onofrio back in the role of the Kingpin, Wilson Fisk. Sure, we saw him in a teeny, grainy cellphone video last week, but that was only a tiny taste of all of the broad-shouldered goodness delivered in the finale. 

While it was great to see D'Onofrio in the bright white jacket once more, his fight sequence with Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) made him seem almost invulnerable. That's a little strange, since Kingpin is known for being powerful in spite of not having superpowers. So does the big guy have inhuman abilities in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or is his strength all-natural?

Spoilers for the season finale of "Hawkeye" after the cut.

Not Indestructible, But Pretty Close

So how the heck does Fisk survive getting shot with an arrow, hit by a car, and blown up with explosives? While Kingpin has never had superhuman powers in the comics or adaptations, he has always been incredibly tough. In "The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Daredevil 2004," it's revealed that despite his enormous size, there's almost no fat on Fisk's body. This dense muscle provides protection from certain injuries, including Kate's arrow. The arrow only pierces him superficially, and he's able to break the shaft off and walk away. (It also looks like the arrow got him right in the sternum, or chest-plate, which is one of the body's denser bones.) 

As far as getting hit by the car and being blown up? Fisk's size and strength lend him extra durability that borders on superhuman without actually being some kind of magical or scientifically-engineered power. The man is just completely ripped, and his peak physical condition allows him to withstand blows that would crush a smaller, less swole individual. 

Hinting At Kingpin's Durability

You can knock Wilson Fisk down, but he's gonna get back up again. That's almost always been the case, in comics and D'Onofrio's previous Netflix incarnation, but he's never been quite this indestructible. Perhaps the folks at Marvel wanted to show audiences just how durable he is in anticipation of the later scene where Maya (Alaqua Cox) gets revenge for her father's death. She aims a gun at Fisk's forehead and the camera drifts away before we see the muzzle flash and hear the shot. 

There are plenty of reasons to keep Fisk around in the MCU, and there's comics precedent for his surviving a gunshot to the dome. Maybe showing Kingpin get knocked around and seem nearly invincible will make his surviving a point-blank gunshot a little easier to swallow. After all, he is only a man and hasn't been doused with anything radioactive or given a super-suit. 

Whatever the explanation for Fisk's invulnerability, it makes him a formidable foe for Marvel's TV heroes. I can't wait to see more.  

"Hawkeye" season 1 is now streaming on Disney+.

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