Caution: spoilers ahead for Hawkeye episode 6
Did Hawkeye save the biggest Marvel Easter eggs until last, or was nothing but a lump of coal under Marvel's tree this Christmas? Over 6 episodes, Hawkeye has delivered yuletide cheer, impressive trick shots and hotly-anticipated MCU encounters in plentiful supply. After the Ronin costume resurfaced thanks to prodigious archer and number 1 Hawkeye super-fan Kate Bishop, Clint Barton was forced to spend the festive season in New York City cleaning up his murderous alter ego's mess. Things escalated quickly, and the off-duty Avenger soon uncovered a criminal conspiracy headed up by none other than Kingpin.
Hawkeye episode 6 ("So This Is Christmas?") brings the Disney+ series to a dramatic conclusion, pitting the Barton and Bishop dream team against Kingpin and the Tracksuit Mafia, while Yelena Belova seeks to complete her mission of assassinating the bow-wielding Avenger. Though Hawkeye ends on a high with Kate joining the Bartons for a family Christmas, several character fates remain open-ended. Is Kingpin still alive? Where does Yelena go? And most importantly, did Jack Duquesne join the LARPing society?
Hawkeye season 1 has certainly delivered in the Marvel reference stakes, featuring great callbacks to Ant-Man, Hawkeye's time in the Avengers, and Black Widow's tragic death on Vormir, but there's one last round of Easter eggnog left to drink...
Hawkeye Gives Kingpin His Traditional Weapon
As Marvel fans will no doubt be aware by now, Hawkeye marks the official debut of Wilson Fisk - a.k.a. Kingpin - in the MCU, played by Vincent D'Onofrio. The actor previously portrayed Fisk in Netflix's sort-of-MCU-at-first-but-then-completely-separate Daredevil series, but one notable omission from that version was Kingpin's comic book weapon - a diamond-topped cane. The opening shots of Hawkeye's final episode reveal the cane is now returned to Kingpin's side once again.
Hawkeye's "Dragons Of Despair" Is A D&D Shout-Out
One of the posters in Grills' apartment is for "Dragons of Despair." This title is most likely a nod toward the 1984 Dungeons & Dragons campaign of the same name, but while D&D and LARPing go together like Kate Bishop and sarcasm, the poster design looks separate from its role-playing namesake.
Kingpin's Exotic Shirt Is A Marvel Comic Design
Vincent D'Onofrio changes out of his traditional white and black attire for something a little more Hawaiian. Meeting with Echo and Kazi, Kingpin dons a red shirt underneath his cream suit jacket, adorned with a striking white flower design. This look is ripped straight from the front cover of Mark Waid and James Robinson's 2014 Amazing Spider-Man: Family Business comic.
Why Do Disney+'s MCU Shows Keep Referencing Goldman Sachs?
Not strictly an MCU Easter egg, but a strange quirk that connects Hawkeye to Loki nonetheless. When Tom Hiddleston's God of Mischief first found himself hauled into TVA headquarters, he met another captive who threatened the time police with, "My dad is on the board of Goldman Sachs!" One investment bank mention in a superhero franchise is odd enough, but Hawkeye goes for the double when Kingpin complains, "The Bishop woman... she thinks she can quit her job as if she works for Goldman Sachs." Simple coincidence, maybe? But Goldman Sachs does share a long association with the Walt Disney Company, including an advisory role in the acquisition of Marvel.
Hawkeye's Pym Arrows Match Ant-Man's Color-Coded Disks
In Hawkeye episode 3, Clint Barton fired a Pym-branded trick arrow that caused Kate Bishop's regular arrow to go super-size. In episode 6, Kate gets a turn, this time using a Pym arrow to shrink an oncoming Trust-A-Bro van. In an amazing example of attention to detail, the Pym logo on episode 3's arrow was blue, whereas episode 6's is red. This corresponds to the Pym particle disks Ant-Man throws in the MCU - the blue ones make stuff bigger, the reds make it smaller.
Hawkeye's Air Bag & Ice Arrows Are Familiar Weapons
As outlandish as stuffing an airbag inside an arrowhead may seem, Clint Barton has used this very weapon during his Marvel comic adventures - for example in 2010's Secret Avengers to break his fall whilst arguing with Captain America. Kate is also seen making homemade labels for "freeze" arrows, and fans of Marvel's purple archer may remember these from the Avengers Assemble animated TV series.
Tony Stark's MCU Presence Lives On
Previously, Hawkeye warned a disappointed Kate Bishop that trick arrows were a thing of the past, and with Tony Stark - the Avengers' main benefactor and weapons engineer - sadly deceased, it was easy to understand why. Turns out Clint was lying a little bit, and actually carries a case full of Stark-branded arrowheads, keeping Robert Downey Jr. ingrained within the MCU.
Kate Bishop Remembers The Battle Of New York
Remembering her motivation for wanting to become a superhero, Kate Bishop mentions how "aliens invaded" when she was a young girl, referencing the Chitauri from 2012's The Avengers and the Battle of New York. She recalls Hawkeye's leaping shot from the top of a skyscraper, and mentions superheroes who "fly and shoot lasers out their hands." Kate seems to be talking about Iron Man here, but her speech loses sight of how Tony Stark also lacks superpowers, and those lasers came from his genius rather than his hands.
Clint & Kate's Gala Infiltration Comes From Hawkeye's Comics
Hawkeye season 1's finale sees Clint Barton and Kate Bishop dress in their finest ballroom regalia and infiltrate a fancy gala undercover, looking to investigate and protect Kate's mother following her involvement with Kingpin. This entire setup (like much of Disney+'s Hawkeye show) is directly inspired by Matt Fraction's 2012 Marvel comic run. In that story, the archery amigos crash a hotel opening wearing similarly glamorous attire. Though their target was completely different back then, one of several Marvel villains among the comic attendees was Kingpin.
Hawkeye Performs His Trademark Bow Flick
Every Avenger has a signature move, and Hawkeye is perhaps best known for his aforementioned leap-and-turn arrow shots. We've glimpsed that maneuver several times during Clint Barton's Disney+ adventures, but in episode 6 he whips out another familiar trick - the bow flick. Holding a folded bow, a single swoosh of the wrist pops his weapon open and ready to use. Jeremy Renner has deployed the same move in The Avengers and throughout later MCU appearances.
Jack Duquesne Becomes Swordsman... Sort Of
Everyone thought Jack Duquesne would take after his comic book counterpart and become the antagonist known as Swordsman in Hawkeye. Turns out he was just a well-meaning stepdad trying to impress the Bishops while harboring an innocent love of fencing. Regardless, Hawkeye does allow Jack one brief moment as Marvel's Swordsman, helping Kate dispatch some hapless members of the Tracksuit Mafia. Luckily, he packed a saber alongside his invitation, phone and keys.
MCU Hawkeye Finally Gets A Comic-Accurate Costume
Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton hasn't typically shared the fashion sense of Marvel's comic book Hawkeye, and as Kate Bishop points out, that's part of his branding problem. Determined to land her mentor wider recognition, Kate commissioned the LARPers to make Hawkeye some new gear, which Clint wears under his tuxedo during the final battle against Kingpin's Tracksuit Mafia. Though not identical, the new costume bears a strong resemblance to Hawkeye's more modern comic book attire - especially the Fraction series the MCU has drawn so much inspiration from.
Hawkeye Needs To "Ask Scott"
After Kate Bishop shoots the Trust-A-Bro truck with a Pym shrinking arrow, she wonders what'll happen to the tiny, squeaky-voiced gangsters inside. Having never encountered such a scenario before in the MCU (the only people who got shrunk had the means to un-shrink), Clint says he'll need to "ask Scott," directly referencing Paul Rudd's Ant-Man.
Kingpin's Cufflink Ending Pays Tribute To Daredevil
Kate Bishop defeats Kingpin by using Hawkeye's coin trick to ignite an incendiary arrow directly under the villain's feet. Rather than a Christmas decoration or loose change, however, she flings one of Wilson Fisk's cufflinks, stolen from his sleeve during the scrap. In Daredevil, Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin wore these cufflinks as a reminder of his late father, and it's surely no coincidence that they play such a pivotal role in his Hawkeye downfall. Also note how Kingpin collapses surrounded by stuffed toy sharks - a nod toward his gangster career path?
The Black Widow Whistle Returns In Hawkeye
2021's Black Widow movie explored the sisterly bond between Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova. Growing up together, the pair developed a signature call-and-response whistle, and Hawkeye uses this comforting tune to stop Yelena beating him to death. Clint Barton's knowledge of the whistle proves how close he and Natasha must've been, forcing his assassin to back down in floods of tears.
Maya & Kingpin's Confrontation Echoes The Comic Books
After Hawkeye told Echo that Kingpin was the man responsible for her father's death, she encounters a wounded Fisk in a darkened alley, seemingly shooting him in the face off-screen. The gunpoint confrontation is a direct parallel of Echo and Kingpin's comic dispute from David Mack and David Ross' 1998 Daredevil #15. The scene plays out near-identically, with Maya holding Kingpin at gunpoint after learning he ordered her father's murder, then pulling the trigger off-panel.
The Barton Family Farm Returns In Hawkeye
As many predicted, Hawkeye concludes with Kate Bishop joining the Bartons for Christmas at their family ranch. This location has appeared previously in Avengers: Age of Ultron when Clint's friends from work needed refuge, and during the opening sequence of Avengers: Endgame when the farm suddenly became a lot less crowded.
Hawkeye Finally Calls Pizza Dog "Lucky"
Clearly the most important MCU cast addition in Hawkeye is Pizza Dog, though comic book fans will know the canine better as "Lucky." Until now, Hawkeye has avoided giving the character his full and proper title, with Kate sticking to "Pizza Dog" despite multiple attempts to come up with something better. When she and Clint arrive at the Barton house on Christmas day, however, Hawkeye finally christens their new pet "Lucky."
Laura's Watch Confirms Her Mockingbird Past
The mystery watch Clint Barton was desperately trying to reclaim from Echo invited much speculation, but Hawkeye's finale reveals the truth. The watch belonged to Clint's wife, Laura Barton, and is decorated with SHIELD's logo alongside the number 19. This Easter egg confirms Laura Barton was actually SHIELD's Agent 19 - otherwise known as Mockingbird. Clint married his fellow superhero in Marvel's comic books, and though that character was called Bobbi Morse, we can now safely assume "Laura" is just her cover. Exactly what this means for Agents of SHIELD's Mockingbird, we'll probably never know.
Lady Hawk Honors Kate's Comic Book Nickname
Trying to come up with a superhero name is hard - just ask Doctor Strange. Kate Bishop tries "Lady Hawk" on for size, but get quickly shot down by Clint Barton. Amusingly, Lady Hawkeye was the moniker Kate briefly went by when she and Clint were both active in the Marvel comics. Hawkeye ends with Renner's line, "I have an idea..." and this is almost certainly intended to imply Kate will inherit the "Hawkeye" mantle fully - just as she does in the comic books.
Hawkeye's Avengers: Endgame Target
Ending Hawkeye on a lingering shot of an archery target is a wholly appropriate way to bow out, but this is no ordinary practice board. Hawkeye's closing shot (musical post-credits excluded) shows the target Clint Barton was using to teach his daughter archery when she disappeared in Avengers: Endgame, visually indicating how burning the Ronin costume has finally laid those painful memories to rest.
Key Release Dates
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Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness
Release Date:2022-05-06 -
Thor: Love and Thunder
Release Date:2022-07-08 -
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Release Date:2022-11-11 -
captain marvel 2
Release Date:2023-07-28 -
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Release Date:2023-05-05 -
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Release Date:2023-02-17
