Why Kate Bishop Must Have Survived Thanos' Snap

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Hawkeye episodes 1 & 2.

Although Hawkeye doesn't explicitly confirm it, Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) must have survived Thanos' Snap in Avengers: Infinity War. Kate Bishop is one of many Avengers replacements in Phase 4 of the MCU, and she's looking to learn from and eventually take the place of Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner). Marvel introducing so many new MCU characters in Phase 4 opens up some exciting storytelling possibilities, but also raises some big questions, including which ones might have survived Thanos' Snap, and which were erased from existence and returned during the Blip.

So far, Marvel has remained rather tight-lipped on that matter, although it's certainly plausible that someone such as Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) could have been a victim of the Snap. Hawkeye itself features some known victims and now returnees, with Clint's wife, Laura (Linda Cardellini), and their three kids, Lila, Cooper, and Nathaniel (Ava Russo, Ben Sakamoto, and Cade Woodward, respectively) all back. Similarly, the actions committed by Clint while living as Ronin in their absence weigh heavily upon the Disney+ show, and there's even graffiti supporting the notion that Thanos was right in Infinity War.

The events of Hawkeye episodes 1 and 2 don't outright mention what happened to Kate during Infinity War and subsequently Avengers: Endgame, offering no commentary on whether or not she was snapped. But given how old Kate is in Hawkeye - stating her age as 22 - then it means she must have survived Thanos' Snap, because otherwise her age simply doesn't add up. Kate is first shown in 2012 at the Battle of New York from The Avengers, and Hawkeye's timeline places its main story in Christmas 2024. That would mean Kate was 10-years-old when the Chitauri invaded, which fits with what's shown on screen and how old she appears to be. If Kate were a victim of Thanos' Snap, then that would've happened when she was around 16, and then factoring in the five-year time jump and people returning in the Blip, she'd be around 17-years-old in Hawkeye if she had been snapped.

Clint himself does initially guess that Kate's age is 18-years-old, which is in the right ballpark for her having been a victim of Thanos' Snap in Infinity War but, unless she's lying about being 22 (and given she has no reason to, and is also shown drinking) then she must have survived. This is the more compelling choice for Kate's age and story in Hawkeye, because it means she lived through the five-year time jump between Infinity War and Endgame, and so would likely have seen reports of Ronin at the time they were happening. That makes her decision to take on the guise, even briefly, a weightier choice because she knows what it represents (at least to a degree), and also sets up some conflict between her and Clint when she learns Hawkeye was Ronin (a truth that will presumably be revealed eventually).

Kate surviving Thanos' Snap also fits with just how skilled she is in Hawkeye. Although she herself notes she's been training in various forms of weapons combat since she was five-years-old, she is incredibly accomplished as an archer, which would indicate she continued training during those five years (and the time since), allowing her to be even more developed than she presumably was at the time of the Snap. Kate Bishop's age, experience, and outlook immediately make her one of the best new characters in the MCU's Phase 4, and having her survive Thanos' Snap leaves the door open for further dives into her past if necessary, all while Hawkeye sets up her much brighter future.

Next: Who Is At The End Of Hawkeye Episode 2 - Marvel's Kingpin Link Explained

Hawkeye releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.