Disney+’s Hawkeye TV show is the next installment in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and many seem excited to touch base with Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton. Of course, this time, he’ll be joined by a new hero in the form of aspiring archer Kate Bishop, played by the delightful Hailee Steinfeld. There are sure to be plenty of major developments throughout, especially when it comes to the inclusion of Florence Pugh, who returns as Black Widow’s Yelena Belova. But before we get too ahead of ourselves, there are a few things MCU fans should keep in mind going into this new MCU fare.
Clint Barton’s upcoming show takes place sometime after the events of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame and sees the veteran hero spending time with his kids in New York during the holiday season. However, Barton eventually finds himself in trouble with some faces from his past, and ultimately teams up with Hawkeye superfan Kate Bishop to take them down. And as you would expect, key developments from Clint’s MCU history will factor into what transpires. So let’s look at the things you’ll want to remember before checking out the show.
Clint Barton Is One Of The Founding Members Of The Avengers
Though Hawkeye’s MCU debut was an awkward cameo in 2011’s Thor, the character played a larger role in The Avengers the following year. The veteran S.H.I.E.L.D. agent was, unfortunately, under Loki’s control for a large portion of the team-up film. However, he more than came through during the Battle of New York. And in the process of doing so, he established that Earth’s Mightiest Heroes were a force to be reckoned with. So it goes without saying that the archer has seen a lot at this point. This makes one wonder if he’ll be considering permanent retirement by the time he appears in his new show.
Natasha Romanoff And Clint Barton Had A Long Friendship Before Becoming Avengers
Hawkeye wasn’t completely surrounded by strangers when he first joined the Avengers. He was familiar with Natasha Romanoff a.k.a. Black Widow, who he helped join S.H.I.E.L.D. years prior to the events of the Chitauri invasion. The two allies had their fair share of adventures, which included some fairly dark missions. This includes the Budapest operation, which was finally revealed in its entirety in Romanoff’s solo film this year. The spies were definitely thick as thieves, and their tight bond made what transpired in Endgame all the more tragic.
Clint Barton Has A Family That He Eventually Lost After Thanos’ Snap
Clint Barton has always preferred to keep a relatively low profile, which has made him a mystery for much of his time in the MCU. So his fellow Avengers (and some viewers) were likely surprised when Avengers: Age of Ultron revealed that he has a family. His wife, Laura, and their three kids, Lila, Cooper and Nate, reside on a farm that Nick Fury arranged for them to live on. His family has always stood by him, even during the massive battles and his house arrest following Captain America Civil War. So he was devastated when they became casualties of Thanos’ plan, and Barton would channel that despair in a very violent way.
Hawkeye Became Ronin During The Five-Year Gap Between Avengers: Infinity War And Endgame
Following Infinity War’s Snap, Clint Barton underwent a deadly transformation. He traded in his bow and arrow for a Katana and began to sport a ninja-esque costume. With this, Barton took on the title of Ronin, a murderous assassin hunting criminals who survived the Snap. Needless to say, the former hero pulled no punches when dishing out his brand of “justice.” His activities would ultimately draw the attention of his former teammates, leading Natasha Romanoff to track him down in Tokyo, where he killed local Yakuza members. While Romanoff was able to convince Clint to change his ways and help the Avengers undo Thanos’ actions, his dark deeds still stand. And it’s been revealed that in Hawkeye, his Ronin days will indeed come back to haunt him.
Natasha Romanoff Sacrificed Herself So That Clint Barton Could Retrieve The Soul Stone
Once he returned to the team, Hawkeye began helping his cohorts plan the “Time Heist,” during which the heroes travelled to different points in history to obtain the Infinity Stones. Clint and Natasha were tasked with getting the Soul Stone on Vormir. And when they arrived, they learned that one of them would have to die in order for the other to earn the stone. Barton, believing himself to be beyond redemption, was prepared to take the leap, but Romanoff, believing that her journey had led her to that moment, gained the upper hand and ultimately fell to her death. Barton did indeed earn the stone, which would help the team initiate the Blip and bring back those who were killed (including the Barton family). Nevertheless, Clint was truly devastated by Natasha’s death, as was another person who was close to the late spy.
Black Widow’s Yelena Belova Is Now Hunting Hawkeye
The Marvel Phase 4 movies have introduced some exciting new characters thus far, one of which is Natasha Romanoff’s surrogate sister, Yelena Belova. The trained assassin was last seen visiting Natasha’s grave during the post-credits scene of Black Widow. And during her visit, she was visited by her new employer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ shady Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. It was during this encounter that Val tasked Belova with killing Clint Barton, who she claims is responsible for Romanoff’s death. While her exact role in the upcoming Disney+ show has yet to be revealed, this scene seems to indicate that Barton will indeed need to watch his back.
Clint Barton certainly has had an interesting journey within the Marvel Cinematic Universe over the past decade. And while he’s had his moments to shine, it’ll be great to finally see him take center stage in his own adventure. Let’s just hope that the grizzled hero can indeed take down this new threat and safely make it home to his family for the holidays.
We’ll see what’s in store for him and Kate Bishop when Hawkeye’s first two episodes hit Disney+ on November 24th. And in the meantime, be sure to check out CinemaBlend’s list of upcoming Marvel TV shows for more on what’s coming. Also, if the MCU timeline is still a bit overwhelming for you, you can take a look at how we’ve laid out the Marvel movies in order.
