With Black Panther in our rear view and Avengers: Infinity War moved up to next month, we are about to enter the thick of the promotion for Marvel's biggest movie ever. Infinity War brings together all the characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to do battle with Thanos, and the trailers have been full of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. But one character conspicuously absent has been Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye. The original member of the Avengers hasn't been featured in any of the trailers or marketing thus far, leading us to wonder, what's the deal? Well, Jeremy Renner has taken it upon himself to promote his character in the film, as you'll see below.
It is important to note that this Entertainment Weekly cover, posted to Jeremy Renner's Instagram, is not real. It is just fan art. That said, it still looks quite badass, and perhaps this is Jeremy Renner's way of assuring concerned fans that Clint Barton will indeed be present for Marvel's biggest battle. Hawkeye, like many of the Avengers glimpsed in the Infinity War trailers thus far, is sporting a new look, with a fresh haircut that looks well suited to aerodynamic efficiency for fighting invading aliens. You'll also notice that on the end of Hawkeye's arrow perches Ant-Man, who has also been absent from this film's marketing. I'm sure that Jeremy Renner is well aware that fans are wondering what is going on with his character in Infinity War, so this is a fun way to let them know he's RSVP-ing to the event, even if he can't provide any further details.
As to why Hawkeye has been absent from the marketing, that is an interesting question. He is not the only character we haven't seen. Ant-Man is also missing, but we saw him in the trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp. As an original Avenger and the superpower-less family man at the heart of the team, Hawkeye's absence is the most noticeable. I am sure that the folks at Marvel know that his absence has been noted. We know he is in the film and likely went back to his family after Civil War, so they must be holding him back for a reason. The brilliant artist behind the fake Entertainment Weekly cover, BossLogic, also did another illustration on his Instagram featuring the character of Ronin and speculated that this change in alias is why we haven't seen Hawkeye yet. Ronin is a masterless samurai identity that has been used by multiple Marvel characters in the comics, and it was adopted by Clint Barton in the wake of Civil War.
One of the most exciting aspects of Avengers: Infinity War is the prospect of seeing all of the characters of the Marvel heroes (minus the Netflix characters, unfortunately) on screen together battling with Thanos. While we don't yet know his fate or what he might look like in the film, at least Jeremy Renner is out there promoting his character and reminding folks that Hawkeye will be standing side by side with the other heroes in the coming conflict. Avengers: Infinity War heads into theaters on April 27.
