Mysterio Parallel May Spoil Hawkeye's Real Villain

Warning: SPOILERS for Hawkeye episode 4.

Disney+'s Hawkeye includes an interesting Mysterio parallel, and it may spoil the true villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe series. In Hawkeye episode 4, Eleanor Bishop (Vera Farmiga) finally discovers what her daughter has been up to behind her back. After her fiancé, Jack Duquesne (Tony Dalton), discovers Kate (Hailee Steinfeld) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) snooping around the house, the four of them sit down and talk. "So Kate is helping you with an Avengers-level threat?" Eleanor asks Hawkeye. "Well, not exactly," he responds. However, Hawkeye does confirm he is working with Kate on a case, and Eleanor isn't too pleased, reminding him that not all Avengers make it out alive.

Though Hawkeye might not deal with an "Avengers-level threat," a villain is still looming in the series. Throughout the show, Hawkeye has teased a mysterious figure that's at the top of the Tracksuit Mafia, and this villain is even above the group's commander, Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox). Hawkeye episode 4 continues to tease the villain, with Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton/Hawkeye learning Jack Duquesne is laundering money for a mysterious "big guy." Though the series hasn't revealed the mysterious character, Hawkeye continues to drop hints that the villain has a connection to Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin.

However, Hawkeye may be hiding another villain in plain sight. In the episode, Eleanor Bishop asks Hawkeye about an "Avengers-level threat," and the line ties back to another MCU film. In Spider-Man: Far From Home, Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio, who turns out to be the movie's villain, delivers a similar line. He wants to face off with a fake "Avengers-level threat" to convince people that he's the new hero they should support. Eleanor's line is an intriguing parallel to Mysterio's role in Spider-Man: Far From Home, which may hint that she's the secret villain of the series.

Even before the Mysterio connection, something fishy was happening with Eleanor. The Mysterio line is telling. It shows that, like Mysterio, Eleanor is well aware of what constitutes an Avengers-level threat. The character has raised several other red flags in the series as well. For instance, she argued with Armand Duquesne III (Simon Callow) shortly before he winds up dead in the series. Before his death, Armand claims he has "powerful friends too," and Eleanor wouldn't want to mess with them. The quote hints that Eleanor also has powerful friends, and Armand knows they're dangerous. In addition, Eleanor Bishop has a criminal history in Marvel's comics, even orchestrating attacks against her own daughter, so an evil turn in the series isn't out of the question.

Marvel is well aware of the Easter eggs it includes. MCU shows and films regularly include callbacks and references to former projects. For instance, Hawkeye episode 4 had several references to Natasha Romanoff's (Scarlett Johansson) death in Avengers: Endgame, revealing how Hawkeye continues to struggle with the event. With that in mind, the Mysterio line likely isn't an accident. There's almost certainly a dark side to Eleanor Bishop's character, and Hawkeye may soon reveal its illusion.

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Hawkeye releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.