This article contains spoilers for Hawkeye episode 6 and Spider-Man: No Way Home.
A subtle detail in same MCU "Sacred Timeline" as (most of) the movies and Disney+ TV shows.
The debate has become a lot more interesting of late, with Marvel Studios choosing to incorporate actors from the Marvel Netflix world - notably Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin and Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock, who appear in Hawkeye and Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin didn't get that treatment - leaving him wide open to interpretation. But, on closer examination, one subtle detail strongly suggests the Daredevil Marvel Netflix show was indeed considered canon by Hawkeye's production team.
The key lies in Kingpin's costume design. In Daredevil, Wilson Fisk wore the same pair of cufflinks every day - one he had inherited from his father, which he wore to remind himself of his father's true nature. Strikingly, Hawkeye's portrayal of the Kingpin wore exactly the same pair of cufflinks, a subtle and smart continuity nod that indicates this is indeed Daredevil and Hawkeye's Kingpin are the same character.
The inclusion of these cufflinks is particularly striking given there have recently been indications Marvel Studios don't consider the old Marvel Television shows to be canon. But, in truth, it's long been clear Marvel care a lot less about canonicity and continuity than the fans do; it's quite possible there simply isn't a rule at all, with each production team encouraged to take whatever approach they wish. That would explain why WandaVision ignored Marvel Television's previous iterations of the Darkhold. There simply isn't a hard and fast rule, with producers and showrunners doing whatever they feel fits best with their story.
Notice that the continuity binding Daredevil to Hawkeye is subtle, though. In truth, that's the best approach for any Marvel TV show hoping to draw in new viewers and appeal to a wider audience than the decidedly R-rated Marvel Netflix shows; it means nobody who watches Hawkeye feels they have to go to a rival streaming service to understand the story they've just watched. But it also means Marvel certainly isn't committed to anything, giving future production teams room to maneuver if they want to take a different approach as Daredevil and Kingpin become more firmly embedded in the MCU. Hawkeye's details strongly imply Daredevil should be considered canon in the MCU - but they don't officially state it, meaning that could change should Marvel's next team wish it to.
