Hawkeye Still Fails To Answer Endgame's Biggest Ronin Mystery

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Hawkeye.

Hawkeye still hasn't answered a big Avengers: Endgame question: why did Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) become Ronin in the first place? The fifth and latest Marvel Studios Disney+ series has already reached its narrative mid-point, releasing three episodes out of six. It has established Clint Barton's new adventure, including his burgeoning mentor relationship with Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld). But it has yet to fully delve into what motivated him to be Ronin after Thanos' (Josh Brolin) snap in Avengers: Infinity War.

Due to his involvement with Team Cap in Captain America: Civil War, Hawkeye struck a deal with the government to be on house arrest instead of going on the run like the Secret Avengers so he wouldn't be separated from his family. This was also the reason why he sat out the first fight against Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. But after the Blip affected all of his kids and wife, the Avengers' resident marksman went underground during the next five years, assuming the persona of Ronin — a masterless samurai. He went after crime organizations around the world, ruthlessly killing their members. It wasn't until the idea of the time heist came about that he was recruited back into the team, resulting in him ditching his criminal past altogether.

Now, years later since he retired his Ronin identity, it has come back to haunt him. The events of Hawkeye were kicked off after Bishop put on the suit, inadvertently resurrecting the ruthless assassin. Feeling some sense of responsibility for his contemporary, Barton set out to clear Bishop's name after his old foes started coming after her. But things didn't go all too well, with Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) and the Tracksuit Mafia now on their tails. The show goes deeper into the Avenger's current mission, but it's still not been revealed why Clint decided to become Ronin. It's presumed that it was his way to cope with the loss of his family. But, it's unclear how exactly being a merciless assassin helped with his grieving process. This is especially mind-boggling when it's taken into account that Clint spent so long being a hero — first as Nick Fury's (Samuel L. Jackson) trusted SHIELD agent, and then an Avenger.

Avengers Endgame Hawkeye Trains Daughter

Barton assuming the role as Ronin in Avengers: Endgame was exciting for many of his fans. For the first time since he debuted in the MCU, it seemed like he had a proper arc that wasn't in the service of the movie's bigger narrative. But, it ultimately was a disappointment since there was barely any time spent with him in his new persona. The film was understandably pressed with time, but Barton's Ronin plotline got so hyped up that many thought it would be significant to Avengers: Endgame's storyline. Once Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) recruited him to be part of the time heist, the Ronin narrative was effectively dropped, never to be revisited until Hawkeye. Given this, it's imperative that the Disney+ show fills in the information gaps that the Infinity Saga-capper left, including the backstory of how and why exactly Clint Barton became Ronin.

There are three more episodes of Hawkeye left, offering Marvel Studios enough time to address this pressing query from Avengers: Endgame. Perhaps it comes at a point where Barton has to come clean about his Ronin connection to Bishop. Otherwise, he might also be forced to explain himself to Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) in an effort to convince her that he didn't kill Black Widow.

More: Why Hawkeye Says Black Widow Killed Ronin In Endgame

Hawkeye airs every Wednesday on Disney+.