Hawkeye: Every Unanswered Question & Mystery In Episodes 1 & 2

Warning: Contains spoilers for Hawkeye episodes 1 & 2.

The MCU’s Phase 4 has been expanding on the stories of some of its most overlooked characters and now it is Clint Barton’s turn with Hawkeye. The first two episodes introduce Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) and show Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) being pulled back in by the legacy of his time as Ronin. The premiere episodes of the Disney+ TV series set up a lot of mystery and ask a lot of questions that have been left unanswered so far.

Kate Bishop first saw Clint Barton in action as Hawkeye in 2012 during the Battle of New York and after her father’s death she worked to be more like him. In the present day, her mother is preparing to remarry and Kate Bishop ends up acquiring the Ronin outfit during a black market auction before finding the rich uncle of her step-father-to-be murdered. As Clint Barton seeks to protect Kate Bishop from the target painted on her by the Ronin persona, he gets himself caught by the Tracksuit Mafia who are led by an unnamed woman.

The series itself has a lot of questions it needs to answer based on what has already been established in the MCU. For instance, there remains a mystery around how Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) will play into Hawkeye with her mission against Clint Barton. Similarly, it's unclear whether Hawkeye will kill off Clint Barton or see him retire quietly from the MCU. Furthermore, Kate Bishop’s introduction has potentially serious consequences for the wider MCU. While all of these questions will need to be answered throughout the season, here are the biggest unanswered questions from the first two episodes of Disney+’s Hawkeye.

What Is Jack Duquesne Hiding From Kate And Eleanor?

In Hawkeye episode 1 “Never Meet Your Heroes,” Kate Bishop learns that her mother, Eleanor (Vera Farmiga), is engaged to marry Jack Duquesne (Tony Dalton). While Kate seems unhappy about this, it goes deeper than simply being uncomfortable with the idea of her mother remarrying. She doesn’t trust him or his uncle, Armand III (Simon Callow), and pursues them to a black-market auction. In episode 2, “Hide and Seek,” Kate challenges Jack Duquesne to a fencing match and appears to catch him in a lie, if only about how good he is at fencing.

A lot of this makes more sense when considering that in the Marvel comics Hawkeye’s Jack Duquesne is also known as Swordsman. In the comics, one storyline shows that he is responsible for mentoring Clint Barton and helping him to become Hawkeye. It seems unlikely that this origin story for Hawkeye will be retconned into the MCU, and Jack Duquesne has been cast in a villainous light so far. Ultimately, Jack Duquesne seems to have a bigger plan he is hiding that goes beyond simply stealing the Ronin sword for his collection and Hawkeye will have to answer what that is later in the series.

Who Killed Armand III?

Armand's corpse bleeds out on his carpet in his living room as his maid stands by the door in Hawkeye.

In Hawkeye episode 1, Kate Bishop finds the body of Armand III. Immediately all signs point to the murder having been committed by the man’s nephew, Jack Duquesne. The two had recently been arguing, Jack had made a quip about inheriting Armand’s money soon, Armand was killed with a sword, and in episode 2 Jack offers Kate one of Armand’s personalized candies that she saw at his house. However, there is so much evidence pointing towards Jack Duquesne that it seems unlikely that he is the true murderer and that there is likely something more complex at play.

Armand is established as having several heirs as Kate is introduced to Armand VII so it seems unlikely that Jack killing Armand III would result in him, as his nephew, inheriting his fortune. There are plenty of reasons why Jack might have had Armand’s candy, so that is hardly conclusive. Additionally, Armand appears to have been an abrasive character who made enemies easily having been seen arguing with Kate Bishop’s mother at the party as well. While Jack might have been behind the murder, there are plenty of other suspects, and the true killer is likely to be crucial to the plot of Hawkeye.

Is Kate’s Father Really Dead In Hawkeye?

Derek talks to a young Kate in her room in Hawkeye.

The death of Kate’s father comes early in Hawkeye and shortly after he and his wife have been arguing about needing to sell the penthouse for money. Despite a funeral, the body is never seen by the audience. Given that the family’s money problems seem to go away after his death and they are able to fully repair the penthouse, it seems possible that his death was faked as part of an opportunistic scheme based around the Battle of New York. While this might be a long shot, it is an open door that is left by the end of the first two episodes of Hawkeye.

What Part Will Echo Play In Hawkeye?

In the final moments of Hawkeye episode 2, the leader of the Tracksuit Mafia is shown on screen. The woman is unnamed; however, due to casting announcements and other clues, it is clear that this woman is Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox), also known as Echo. In the Marvel comics, Echo was taken in by Kingpin but eventually broke free from him and became the original Ronin. The MCU’s take on the character is clearly a little different and it is currently unclear whether she will be a villain or a hero. While she is currently cast as a villain within Hawkeye, she will presumably become a hero (or at least an anti-hero) as she has already been confirmed to be receiving her own series, Echo, in the future. How Hawkeye will explore this character and the nature of her connection to the Tracksuit Mafia and the criminal underworld ends up becoming one of the biggest questions from the end of the Hawkeye premiere.

What’s Behind The “Thanos Was Right” Graffiti?

When Clint Barton goes to the restroom during the musical in Hawkeye episode 1, he sees that someone has written “Thanos Was Right” on the urinal. This has an emotional impact on Clint, but it raises a larger question about the post-blip world. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier began to explore the fallout from the return of half of the world’s population and some groups who were happier during the blip. This graffiti suggests that Hawkeye might further explore this element, but it is unclear whether this is a small group that feels this way or a larger, growing movement, and if the latter then what their end goal might become.

Why Did The Tracksuit Mafia Steal A Watch?

When the Tracksuit Mafia conduct their heist on the black market auction in Hawkeye episode 1, they are heard to say that their main target is a watch and everything else is secondary. Ultimately, they manage to get the watch they were after as well as several other things, but it is not explained why they value this timepiece so highly. This auction contained items that were being sold for over $2 million and notable weaponry and equipment such as that of Ronin. So what would make a watch a key target amongst such illustrious objects?

Hawkeye will presumably return to answer this question in due time, but the leading possibility would seem to be that it was a watch that belonged to Tony Stark and might have similar powers to EDITH from Spider-Man: Far From Home. Unless this watch was unconnected to previous MCU characters, the only other reasonable candidate would be Doctor Strange who was shown to collect watches before his accident and is connected to the Time Stone; however, there is no reason his watch would have been at the Avengers compound or would be of such intrinsic value to the Tracksuit Mafia.

More: Hawkeye: Whose Avengers Watch Is Stolen In Episode 1

Hawkeye releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.