As Marvel leaves the Infinity Saga behind and enters the next chapter of its cinematic universe, the original six Avengers are being removed from the ensemble one by one. Avengers: Endgame saw the deaths of Tony Stark and Natasha Romanoff and the time-hopping retirement of Captain America. The fusing of the Hulk’s two sides ended his character arc and Thor is about to pass his powers on to Jane Foster.
In this spirit, Disney+’s upcoming Hawkeye series will see Clint Barton training a new protégé, Kate Bishop, to take over his mantle and join Earth’s mightiest heroes when the next Thanos-sized baddie rears their head. There are plenty of reasons to look forward to Kate’s MCU introduction.
She’s A Better Hawkeye Than Clint
Clint Barton has sort of been the laughing stock of the MCU, because moviegoers couldn’t understand why a team with a super-soldier, a god, and a musclebound monster would need some regular dude with a bow and arrow.
While Clint often proved himself to be more useful than people thought, Kate Bishop is a better Hawkeye than him. She’s proficient in more forms of combat, she leads her own superhero team – she’s bigger than Clint ever was.
Hailee Steinfeld Is A Terrific Actor
Hailee Steinfeld has been cast to play Kate Bishop opposite Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton in Hawkeye, which is a very promising sign because she’s a terrific actor. With her breakout performance in the Coens’ True Grit remake, she managed to steal the spotlight from such seasoned movie stars as Jeff Bridges, Josh Brolin, and Matt Damon at the age of 13.
Steinfeld has since given stellar leading performances in The Edge of Seventeen, the Transformers prequel Bumblebee, and Dickinson, effortlessly carrying each project with charisma, likeability, and impressive emotional range. The role of Kate Bishop is in very safe hands.
Hawkeye’s Head Writer Worked On Mad Men
Jonathan Igla, who has been hired to work on Hawkeye as the head writer, previously worked on Mad Men, one of the greatest TV series of all time, with credits on such acclaimed episodes as “The Doorway” and “Person to Person.”
Igla’s experiences on Mad Men – and other revered series like Masters of Sex – will surely have prepared him to make Hawkeye stand out in the age of prestige TV.
Her Supporting Cast Is Filled With Interesting Characters
The supporting cast of Hawkeye is filled with interesting characters being played by brilliant actors. Kate’s mother Eleanor will be portrayed by Vera Farmiga, while Better Call Saul fan-favorite Tony Dalton will play Clint’s old mentor.
Plus, Florence Pugh will make a guest appearance as Yelena Belova, the Red Room-trained spy she’ll be playing in Black Widow whenever it’s able to hit theaters.
Being Trained By A Legacy Hero Is New To The MCU
Following in the grand tradition of Obi-Wan Kenobi, most of Marvel’s heroes have mentors who die halfway through their origin story, like Yinsen or Dr. Erskine or the Ancient One. Plus, some MCU heroes have mentored other MCU heroes; Tony Stark took Peter Parker under his wing.
But prior to Kate Bishop’s training by Clint Barton in Hawkeye, no legacy heroes have specifically trained their successors in the MCU. This will give Hawkeye a unique dynamic.
Hawkeye Will Directly Follow On From Avengers: Endgame
Clint Barton’s character arc took a dark turn in Avengers: Endgame as he adopted the “Ronin” moniker and became an international assassin killing his way through crime syndicates to cope with his family’s dusting.
It’s been confirmed that Hawkeye will directly follow on from the events of Endgame, exploring Clint’s stint as Ronin and the guilt that lingers from it.
She’ll Be Joined By Lucky The Pizza Dog
Leaked photos from the set of Hawkeye have revealed that Clint Barton and Kate Bishop will be joined by Lucky the Pizza Dog, their canine companion from the comics.
Originally a mafia attack dog named Arrow, Lucky was quickly renamed after being adopted by Clint and was a trusty sidekick to both Clint and Kate in no time.
The Directors Have A Background In Comedy
Marvel has hired directing team Bert & Bertie and Documentary Now! co-creator Rhys Thomas to helm episodes of Hawkeye. Bert & Bertie are best-known for directing episodes of the Jim Carrey series Kidding and the Amazon comedy Troop Zero.
Thomas, on the other hand, has directed shorts for Saturday Night Live, the movie Staten Island Summer, and the mockumentary episode of Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Based on the comedic backgrounds of these directors, some fans are speculating that Hawkeye will have a funny, lighthearted tone.
Her Best Friend Is Joining The MCU, Too
One of the most likable aspects of Kate Bishop’s character in the comics is her B.F.F.-ship with America Chavez, also known by her superhero alias Miss America. Chavez is set to join the MCU in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, played by Xochitl Gomez.
Chavez was the first Latin-American LGBTQ character to lead a solo Marvel Comics series. Her friendship with Kate is one of the most wholesome in the Marvel universe; it’ll be a joy to see that friendship unfold on-screen.
She’s One Of The Leaders Of The Young Avengers
With Cassie Lang becoming Stature, Kang the Conqueror taking over as the MCU’s big bad, and Ironheart, Ms. Marvel, and America Chavez all making their on-screen debuts, Marvel is pretty transparently building toward the Young Avengers being assembled.
In the comics, Kate Bishop is one of the leaders of the Young Avengers and her introduction near the beginning of Phase Four suggests that’ll be carried over into the MCU.