Hawkeye leaves MCU fans quivering in argumentation

Hunger Games isn’t the only place to find archer appreciation, even though Hawkeye himself plays second fiddle to a Katniss Everdeen cosplayer. Hawkeye was the last Marvel production released in 2021, and the latest chronologically, taking place during the holiday season of 2024. Tying its release date to just before the start of holiday break made it the perfect combination of action and characterization to binge while bundled with some hot cocoa. 

The show centers on the titular character Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner, Avengers: Endgame) trying to make it home for Christmas with his family, alongside the newly introduced (to the Marvel Cinematic Universe) Bishop clan. Comprised of Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld, Dickinson), a senior in college with a knack for shooting arrows and fencing, and her mother Eleanor Bishop (Vera Farmiga, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It), the CEO of Bishop Security.

Hawkeye has been an MCU staple for 10 years, first introduced in The Avengers (2012), and since featured in three other Marvel films. His most recent, Avengers: Endgame, brought the character’s screen time up to a whopping 50 minutes, just as much as some less important characters have had in a single movie. But now, when he finally gets his own show and a chance for proper development, Kate takes center stage! A very controversial character, Hawkeye is widely viewed as a rather boring character without any nuance. They tried to give him a more complex storyline in Avengers: Endgame by showing his time as Ronin in between Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War. In Avengers: Infinity War, half of all living things in the universe were wiped out, including Clint’s entire family. To “deal” with his trauma and the intense grief he was experiencing, he became an assassin, using the alias Ronin, which came back to haunt him in Hawkeye when Kate got hold of the suit he used as a disguise. Without knowing the suit’s history, she wore it during a fight, alerting enemies of Ronin that he was “back.” The rest of Hawkeye is spent cleaning up the damage done and also continues Yelena Belova’s (Florence Pugh, Little Women) storyline from the end credits scene of Black Widow.

Hawkeye also includes a comically accurate inclusion of Clint’s deafness and features other deaf characters and the use of American Sign Language, lip-reading, and hearing aids. It’s nice to see the MCU making an effort to show characters with disabilities. Also in the comics, Yelena is canonically asexual, which was shown in the show through her discomfort caused by her friends joking about her opportunities for sexual relationships while in New York with her sister Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson, Sing 2).

Right after this occurred, Yelena vanished due to the Blip, only to return with the news of Natasha’s death. This is where the end credit scene falls into the timeline, with Yelena visiting her grave and a familiar face making an appearance. She receives the assignment to kill Clint, with Yelena under the impression that he was the reason Natasha was killed, not knowing the full story. This is actually a bit of fiction imitating fact as Natasha’s death in Avengers: Endgame has caused major discourse among Marvel fans regarding who should have sacrificed themselves, and with whom the fault lies.

Marvel seems to be spending more time creating honest and genuine relationships between characters, something the MCU has lacked for a long time. Right from the start of the first episode, Clint’s remorse over the death of his best friend is on full display, and these moments of regret and guilt continue to pop up as the episodes continue, building up to the big emotional confrontation from Yelena. Leading up to this, Yelena tries to get information out of his fiercely loyal fan and new partner, Kate, and the two share many comedic and engaging quarrels, neither relenting from their respective objectives. Marvel made a good decision to explore this debate and the different sides and ways to look at it. Maybe this will finally end some of the dispute regarding Hawkeye’s reputation. Alas, it’s too little, too late, as he seems to be officially passing the torch to his recent trustee and fellow bow and arrow aficionado.

Kate quickly became a show favorite amongst viewers, however, with her spirited energy and sarcastic quips, juxtaposing Clint’s mellowness and reserve. Though she still has a lot to learn from the experienced Avenger, she’s not the only one growing from this friendship. The last episode of the show showed Kate finally breaking through his hard shell, sharing his pride in her and inviting her to celebrate Christmas with him and his family.

Kate shows her capabilities by single-handedly taking down a classic Spider-Man comic villain and Matt Murdock/Daredevil nemesis, Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio, Law & Order: Criminal Intent). His fate was ultimately left uncertain and with Daredevil’s (Charlie Cox, The Defenders) cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home, signs are pointing towards recurring sightings.

All of the most recent Marvel works have set up storylines for future heroes, saying goodbye to those fronting the prior phases and developing those upcoming, a trend that won’t be stopping anytime soon.

Final rating: B

by Addison Isely

Oshkosh West Index Volume 118 Issue IV

January 31st, 2022