Like most of the other heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye, hasn’t been wearing the same costume the whole time. After a while, a fashion change is in order to keep things fresh. For his fourth MCU outing (that Thor cameo counts) in Captain America: Civil War, Hawkeye is wearing a costume that’s a closer blend of his 616 and Ultimate universe suits, and thanks to a new promo shot, we can finally see just how much more purple it will be.
Jeremy Renner posted this image on his Instagram account of Hawkeye ready for action, and thanks to decent lighting, we can see that his new costume will definitely be more purple than the previous ones, though not anything nearly as bright as his classic costume (which makes sense, if he wants to remain inconspicuous during covert missions). Although concept art from August showed that the suit would be a brighter purple, there was concern last year when a set photo of Renner and Elizabeth Olsen (a.k.a. Scarlet Witch) seemed to indicate that his suit would remain a darker shade. Fortunately, that was just a lighting issue, which tends to happen with these set photos shot on a smartphone camera.
Along with the different shade, we get a closer look at the long-sleeved, short-sleeved look the archer rocking for the May blockbuster. Renner also wrote in the caption that "promo images are coming out," so in the coming weeks, we’ll see the other players up close on that white background to carefully study their duds. Seriously, lighting can make a difference when it comes to fans picking up on minuscule details.
Despite turning in his Avengers membership at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron to spend more time with his family, Hawkeye will be drawn back into the superhero life in Captain America: Civil War. Exactly what forces out him out of the quiet farm life has to be revealed, but he’ll side with Captain America and the other heroes against registration. This will put him at odds with his best friend and former S.H.I.E.L.D. partner, Black Widow, who has opted to side with Iron Man and the other pro-registration heroes. Renner has said before that in this movie, Hawkeye just wants to get the job done so he can get back to his family, so it’s possible his involvement is more forced than voluntary. During the climactic battle, fans will also see a cool teamwork moment from the comics recreated when Hawkeye shoots an arrow that Ant-Man is riding on. Take that, Wolverine and Colossus’ Fastball Special!
Hawkeye returns to the fold when Captain America: Civil War hits theaters on May 6.
