Summary
Hawkeye’s future in theMCUlooks uncertain following comments made by Jeremy Renner, but he could still be perfect for one movie role in particular. Jeremy Renner has portrayed Hawkeye since 2011’sThor, founding the Avengers in their self-titled first cinematic outing alongside such heroes as Thor and Hulk. Despite the obvious gulf in their power,Hawkeye’s MCU timelinehas seen him maintain a central role in most Avengers movies, proving that he brings far more to the table than expert marksmanship and trick arrows.
Since helping bring down Thanos inAvengers: Endgameafter shirking his Ronin mantle, Hawkeye attempted to take a step back from his heroics. Nevertheless,Hawkeyesees him reluctantly pick up his bow as Kate Bishop unwittingly embroils him in street-level shenanigans with Kingpin and the Tracksuit Mafia. The series ended with Hawkeye passing the torch toMCU’s Kate Bishop, but also proved that he would pick up his bow if the situation demanded it. While some aspects of this setup have become more complicated in recent history, the premise still works to lay out a specific future for the hero.
Every Future MCU Project Clint Barton’s Hawkeye Could Return In
Clint Barton’s Hawkeye still has a place in the MCU, and here are the future movies and shows that could help bring the Marvel archer back.
Jeremy Renner’s Acting Comments Change What Hawkeye’s Future Looks Like
In January 2023, Jeremy Renner was involved in an accident with a snow plow and suffered blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries. After a year of recovery, he returned to acting in January 2024 for the showMayor of Kingstown,but recently shared on theSmartlesspodcast that he was “terrified” about returning to the role (viaVariety). The full quote can be read below:
“Because I’m to do, like, f****** fiction? I’m still trying to live in reality, I’m trying to live. So it was a hard line for me to cross. It was a big stretch. It was very, very challenging for me mentally to get over that hump…I still struggle with it sometimes to, like, I don’t take it super seriously. I’m in a character that I can do very well and I know the show very well, so it was easy for me to kind of slide back into it. But if it was a very challenging role, I couldn’t have taken it. Not challenging in the sense that — because the show’s challenging, but it’s if I had to go play Dahmer or something, something so far from me.”
Renner did not share his thoughts on returning to the role of Hawkeye. On the one hand, after having played the role 7 times in the MCU, Hawkeye fits the same description of “a character that [he] can do very well,” and one that he will be exceptionally familiar with. On the other hand,the role is physically demanding and far from easy to embody most of the time, let alone in the wake of a serious injury. This may suggest that Renner isn’t ready to reprise his Hawkeye role - but there’s one way he could still return.
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Renner’s Acting Comments Make Hawkeye More Perfect For Young Avengers
As he demonstrated inHawkeye, Clint Barton is now in the perfect position to take on the role of mentor.Hawkeyeshows the eponymous hero dealing with the long-term effects of his adventures (specifically, damaged hearing), which encourages him to take a backseat before Bishop emerges. Now that Kate Bishop has proved herself to be an incredibly worthy successor and a suitable replacement for his role in a superhero lineup,it makes sense for Clint to take up more of a mentor or advisor role, especially as she’s been characterized as a more impulsive character likely in need of guidance.
White Vision
Paul Bettany
This lines up perfectly withthe oncoming Young Avengersinitiative.The Marvels’post-creditsscene showed that Kate Bishop was the first to be recruited by who appeared to be the Young Avengers founder, Kamala Khan, suggesting that she will play a central role in their formation. Her close relationship with Clint Barton already links the seasoned Avenger to the team, making his progression into their mentor far easier. While Hawkeye isn’t of an age to fit the “wise old mentor” trope, his decades of experience extending to the very start of the Avengers brings many benefits.
Making Hawkeye A Young Avengers Mentor Would Justify The MCU Team Name
One of the most convincing justifications for having Hawkeye mentor the Young Avengers is the name itself. By bringing him into the fold at its foundation,the team can justify its name without it feeling derivative as an original Avenger is quite literally on their team, in a manner of speaking. It also helps to strengthen the link between the two teams by having a founding Avenger establish a team of younger superheroes that, for the most part, imitate the originals.
When the MCU intends to debut the Young Avengers remains unclear. It has now been 5 years since any version of the Avengers assembled on the big screen, and 2026’sAvengers: The Kang Dynastyis ostensibly their next outing. While it appears Sam Wilson’s Captain America may be the hero to assemble the adult team, it seems unlikely that a retired Hawkeye will be in the lineup. Instead, it might fall toHawkeyeto help assemble this younger team, and provide Jeremy Renner with an opportunity to play the character a little differently.
Hawkeye
Cast
Still reeling from the fallout of Avengers: Endgame, Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) is drawn back into an urgent mission as the ghosts of his past threaten to destabilize his peaceful family life. Thrust into a new dynamic with young upstart Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), the original Avenger must escape a hit, uncover the secret of Kingpin’s return, and get home in time for Christmas.
