Hawkeye Hints Clint Barton Has No Avengers Future In The MCU

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Hawkeye episode 4.

Beyond his current mission in Hawkeye, Clint Barton no longer has any Avengers story left. Jeremy Renner returns to the MCU with his first headlining project, despite numerous major appearances across the franchise since his debut in Kenneth Branagh's Thor. In Hawkeye, Clint steps into a mentor role for Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) as they deal primarily with Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) and the Tracksuit Mafia. However, what lies beyond the show for the Avengers' resident marksman is currently unknown.

Clint's arc in Hawkeye stems from his time as Ronin on the heels of Thanos' (Josh Brolin) snap in Avengers: Infinity War. Avengers: Endgame opened with the revelation that the Bartons were also dusted from the Decimation. For five years, he functioned as a masterless samurai going after organized crime groups around the world. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) convinced him to leave his vigilante life when the idea of the time heist came up. Since then, Clint hasn't revisited his stint as Ronin, until Kate was forced to put on the suit in Hawkeye episode 1, effectively resurrecting the character.

Now that his criminal past is haunting him, Clint needs to ensure that his Ronin identity remains a secret so he could come home and live a quiet life with his family. In addition to that, he also needs to ensure that Kate is no longer tied to the vigilante to keep her safe from his past enemies. This includes Yelena Belova who is made to believe that he was the sole reason for Natasha Romanoff's death. With two more episodes left for Hawkeye, the show needs to address a string of loose plot holes. But in the event that Clint survives the series, he may not have any more Avengers stories left in him. As seen in the project, particularly in Hawkeye episode 4, Clint isn't as physically capable as he once was. Recuperating takes a lot more time, hinting that his time as an on-the-ground superhero is running out. So unless Marvel Studios finds a way to utilize him beyond being a super spy, it may have to retire the character.

The good thing is, this doesn't necessarily mean that Clint will have to die. While Marvel Studios needs to show him atoning for his sins during his time as Ronin, death isn't the only punishment for him. After all, he also saved the world on multiple occasions as an Avenger. One could argue that it's actually the easier option since this means that the franchise no longer has to deal with the character's complicated story as a hero who made some really bad choices. If anything, the MCU has already done this with Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), albeit in a much better way since there's gradual redemption for him throughout the Infinity Saga until he died in Avengers: Endgame. Instead, Clint should be properly held accountable for his mistakes as Ronin; and then, in the future, Marvel Studios could bring him back to continue his redemption arc by being of service for a good cause. That could be focusing on training his Avengers contemporaries and becoming their mentor; essentially, it entails expanding his current role with Kate.

In the meantime, Marvel Studios need to first make sure that Hawkeye pays off every single ongoing plotline in the show. That includes the tease for a certain "uncle" which many believe to be Kingpin's debut in the MCU. There also needs some kind of resolution with Yelena's misguided grudge against Clint. From there, they can decide how to continue utilizing Clint without subjecting him to more physical missions moving forward.

More: Marvel Just Gave Hawkeye The Darkest MCU Avengers Moment

Hawkeye airs every Wednesday on Disney+.