Hawkeye's Hearing Loss Does What 3 Phases Of MCU Movies Failed To Do

Warning: this post contains spoilers for Hawkeye.

Hawkeye’s hearing loss does what three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe failed to do for his character. Clint Barton, better known by his codename Hawkeye, is the latest MCU character to headline his own show. Set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, Hawkeye sees Clint with hearing loss, the result of repeated trauma from his years as an Avenger. This particular story development for Hawkeye unexpectedly does wonders for his character.

Hawkeye turns its focus on the archer while introducing two new major characters in Kate Bishop and Maya Lopez, tying both of their stories to Clint in a substantial way. To that end, Hawkeye finds himself in a sticky situation after Kate dons his Ronin costume after a run-in with the Tracksuit Mafia at an underground auction. Her actions ultimately land them on the radar of Maya, whose father Clint killed during his time as Ronin. Maya, who is deaf, doesn’t know about Clint being the behind his lethal alter ego, but she challenges him with regards to his hearing loss and the use of his hearing aid when she confronts him.

Hawkeye draws directly from the comics with the decision to make Clint hard of hearing, though the reasons behind his hearing loss in the Disney+ show are different than those in the comics. With Clint having lost his hearing, Hawkeye explores what that means for him and his future as a superhero, as well as how it affects his relationships and actions in the wake of his past coming back to haunt him.

How MCU Phase 1-3 Ruined Hawkeye

Jeremy Renner Hawkeye Killed Black Widow

One of the pitfalls of the MCU’s first three phases is that Hawkeye was never really given enough to do or any time to shine as a superhero in his own right. Most of the core Avengers had their own solo movies and, unlike Black Widow, Hawkeye didn’t always stand apart from the rest of the team even when he was a part of the plot (like in Thor). It wasn’t until Avengers: The Age of Ultron that fans got a glimpse of Clint Barton as a person — a father and a husband to his wife Laura — outside of his job and superhero duties. Most of the time, however, Hawkeye was more of a smaller presence than a fully realized person.

His evolution towards becoming Ronin, a rogue assassin, wasn't well drawn out and ruined much of the little character development that was already established in previous MCU films. In short, Phase One through Phase Three of the MCU weren’t especially great for Hawkeye and there was a lot to his character and story that was underwritten and never fully expanded upon. For a long time, Hawkeye was simply reacting to other people’s actions or taking orders from Nick Fury for a mission as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. He rarely, if ever, did anything on his own or because it affected him directly. Thus, the MCU squandered several opportunities to elevate Hawkeye beyond his position as a second-class Avenger with his own intriguing and personal storyline. Hawkeye the series changes that for good.

Hawkeye Gave Clint Barton His Own Agency As A Superhero

Kate and Clint fire arrows on the bridge in Hawkeye

Similar to how WandaVision delved into Wanda Maximoff's grief and family history — beyond the parameters of the MCU movies, Hawkeye also gives Clint Barton further exploration as a character and agency as a superhero. For one, the series sees Hawkeye dealing with the fallout of his time as Ronin, which saw him killing who knows how many members of various criminal organizations. In Hawkeye, Clint has to clean up the mess he made and face the wrath of Maya’s vengeance-fueled plans. To that end, Hawkeye provides plenty of high stakes for Clint, be it as a family man — not being home in time for Christmas with his family for the first time since they returned in Avengers: Endgame — and as a superhero facing the repercussions of his past actions while figuring out who he wants to be.

He may have to decide whether the hero's life is still something he wants to pursue, especially after telling Kate that the life requires a lot of sacrifice. Hawkeye provides a nice change of pace as fans get to a different side to Clint than ever before. The Disney+ series posits him as a better character than how he is portrayed in previous MCU movies. Clint is gentler, seemingly more kind, and humble. He’s also, despite his protestations regarding her involvement, a good mentor to Kate. He's not just a stand-in for a "nice guy" superhero; there are more dimensions to his character in Hawkeye than previously depicted in the MCU.

Hawkeye's Hearing Loss Story Is Perfect

Maya tells Hawkeye that he relies too much on technology because his hearing aid does most of the work for him when it comes to communicating with others. However, Clint is debilitated when Maya crushes his hearing aid and he’s forced to rely on his skills and reflexes — as well as trusting Kate — to get by without sound. Not only is Hawkeye’s hearing loss story great for disability representation, which is a big deal considering the MCU’s history with representation of any kind, it’s also important because it depicts things from Clint’s perspective.

As soon as his hearing aid is smashed, much of the action is shown through Hawkeye’s experience as it's happening, with the scuffles, chaos of the fight, and voices around him drowned out and extremely muffled. It’s powerful in that it also shows how skilled Hawkeye is as a fighter, including his ability to coordinate with Kate despite losing the hearing aid he relied so heavily on before. To be sure, seeing anything distinctly from Hawkeye’s point of view has been relatively rare in the MCU, but the Disney+ series changes that and makes the storyline a personal one for Clint. He’s facing the consequences of being Ronin and the outcome of the years of physical trauma and strain that comes with being an Avenger.

In Hawkeye’s episode 3, Clint receives a phone call from his son, and can only respond thanks to Kate writing down what he’s saying. This scene amplifies how much Clint is struggling because he’s incapable of hearing without help while also being nuanced in showcasing the sorrow of not being with his family. What’s more, Hawkeye’s hearing loss will likely be a part of his rebranding as a superhero, but it may also lead to Clint’s retirement. Either way, it’s possible Clint will take Maya’s words to heart and learn to navigate his life without the help of technology (meaning he could go on to learn American Sign Language). By focusing on this aspect of his journey, Hawkeye centers on Clint during a very tumultuous period of his life while finally seeing things from his perspective for the first time since his introduction to the MCU.

New episodes of Hawkeye air Wednesdays on Disney+.

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