Jeremy Renner originally signed on to star in a Hawkeye movie for Marvel Studios before it became the Disney+ TV show. By the time the Avengers formed in 2012, only Black Widow and Hawkeye had yet to receive solo films. Despite fans being interested in those characters, they didn't get any solo projects during the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Scarlett Johansson is set to star in Black Widow and get the movie treatment, but Renner's leading role as Clint Barton is going to Disney+.
The Hawkeye series was announced in 2019 along with the initial Phase 4 slate, which confirmed the property to be among the first MCU Disney+ shows in development. Renner has been busy filming the six-hour series as of late, and he's frequently been shown working with Hailee Steinfeld, who will play Kate Bishop. Hawkeye's story will range from exploring his past, his time as Ronin, and a present-day mission with Kate, all while introducing several new characters to the MCU. And while Hawkeye is so far the only original Avenger who won't lead a solo movie, that wasn't always the plan.
In a recent piece by THR, the outlet revealed that the original plan was for Hawkeye to be a movie. It isn't stated when Renner signed a deal to star in a Hawkeye movie, but this was Marvel Studios' plan before Disney+ emerged. It seems that once Disney's streaming service became an option to deliver content to, Marvel shifted the movie to a TV show.
There have long been rumors of a Hawkeye movie being in the works at Marvel Studios, including some as recent as 2018. Renner has always been quite open about his interest in doing a solo movie or TV show, but it never was clear if anything would actually happen. A Hawkeye spinoff was part of Renner's original Marvel contract. But, it appears Hawkeye fell into place once Disney+ became a bigger part of Disney's future. Kevin Feige previously revealed that he was nervous about pitching Jeremy Renner on the idea of a Hawkeye TV show. But, Renner understood the decision and, obviously, was still more than happy to do the TV show.
Even though we've yet to see Hawkeye, it is easy to see why it could be better suited as a TV show. The long-form storytelling should give Hawkeye a lot more time to shine after being the least explored Avenger. Meanwhile, the introduction of Kate Bishop and Swordsman (Tony Dalton), as well as Yelena Belova's (Florence Pugh) return after Black Widow, gives Hawkeye plenty of story to tell. And while Marvel could've made it work as a movie, the series format should benefit Barton's next MCU adventure.
Source: THR