Hawkeye Original Costume Insult Proves How Wrong The MCU Got Him

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Hawkeye episode 3.

The insult made to Clint Barton’s classic costume in Hawkeye episode 3 shows how wrong the MCU got him when adapting the character from the comics. A scene with Clint (Jeremy Renner) and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) revealed a drawing of Hawkeye’s original purple and blue suit from the comics, complete with his iconic mask. This was the first time that the MCU has properly paid homage to his original look, which has very little in common with any of his MCU costumes.

By including the Easter egg, Hawkeye became the latest MCU Disney+ show to find a way to incorporate a classic costume belonging to one of its characters. Previous MCU shows featured the original costumes of Scarlet Witch, Vision, Quicksilver, and Loki. But some have raised issues with how Marvel chose to drop a nod to the Hawkeye suit that Marvel Comics artist Don Heck designed in 1964. Clint’s comments about the costume, such as the joke that his wife would divorce him if he wore it, were taken as unnecessary insults to his comic book counterpart. To fans of Earth’s Mightiest Marksman, Hawkeye’s criticism of a core element of the character wasn’t welcomed.

It’s worth noting that the way that Clint disrespected Hawkeye’s comic costume demonstrates just how inaccurate the MCU’s interpretation of the character is in comparison to the original. Given what’s known about the MCU’s Hawkeye, it’s not really surprising that he would hate the comic character’s outfit. As he says in the episode, “a flashy costume” doesn’t suit him or his efforts to be a “ghost.” The original Hawkeye, on the other hand, has never shared that opinion and has even defended the suit on occasion. The classic suit is more than just another example of colorful 1960s superhero costumes; it perfectly represents both his tastes and who he is as a character in Marvel Comics.

There may be a silly factor to Hawkeye’s original costume, but it’s consistent with his personality. Back in the Silver and Bronze Ages, Clint was known for his corny one-liners, constant showboating, and childish behavior that often annoyed his teammates in the West Coast Avengers. He wasn’t a SHIELD agent or someone who thought of himself as a ghost. However, this isn't the version of Hawkeye that Marvel chose to bring into the MCU. In favor of a more serious and grounded take on Hawkeye, Marvel abandoned the fun and campy sides of the character. On top of all that, it made him into a family man, which just added to the list of differences that sets the two versions of the character apart.

While it’s not too late for the MCU’s Hawkeye to don a comic-accurate costume, it’s hard to imagine him ever evolving into anything similar to Earth’s Mightiest Marksman from Marvel Comics. Hawkeye attempted to add a bit more humor to his character than there was in his previous MCU appearances but still hasn’t come close to capturing the feel of the original hero, who never minded his purple and blue costume.

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Hawkeye releases new episodes on Wednesdays on Disney+.