Heavy metal pollution of the aquatic environment has become a global concern in recent decades, and conventional methods for heavy metal removal, like coagulation, precipitation, and membrane filtration, have their limitations. In this mini-review, we discuss four aspects of heavy metal removal by membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI): i) the role of electrode materials; ii) role of ion-exchange membrane; iii) operating conditions; and iv) water chemistry. Based on this discussion, we determine MCDI to have good potential for heavy metal removal in water. Future MCDI studies should focus on synthesizing ionselective electrode to promote the removal of specific ionic species; developing multifunctional electrodes for the simultaneous removal of different heavy metals; performing pilot-scale studies instead of bench-scale ones; applying MCDI to raw water or real-life water samples and controlling MCDI with different current modes.