Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) could turn out to be the real hero of the MCU’s Thunderbolts movie. Hawkeye has been a supporting character in four Marvel movies, but has never been the protagonist of his own film. However, he’ll be leading his own self-titled, eight-episode Disney+ series, where he’ll be sharing the Hawkeye mantle with Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld).

If and when Barton appears again after the show ends remains to be seen. Looking at Marvel’s current slate for Phase 4, there isn’t an obvious place for his character in the near future. That being said, there may be a movie in Marvel’s Phase 5 plan where he would be a fitting addition. Among the new projects said to enter production at Marvel Studios sometime in 2023 is a Thunderbolts movie. In the comics, the Thunderbolts are traditionally a team of super-powered villains and anti-heroes who take part in secret missions for the government. Over the years, their roster has boasted a combination of A-list and obscure characters from Marvel’s library, including Venom, Radioactive Man, Paladin, Juggernaut, Red Hulk, and more.

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Based on what’s known about the Marvel Comics version of the team, a common assumption about a potential Thunderbolts movie is that its central character would be an anti-hero, but that may not be the case. Instead, the focus could be on Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye. Hawkeye isn’t a criminal, but there is comic book precedence for him to lead the Thunderbolts that could translate well to the MCU. After Baron Zemo was ousted from the group in the 1990s, Hawkeye took over and struggled to turn this group of former villains into real heroes. During this time, Hawkeye received most of the spotlight in the Thunderbolts comic. It’s possible that the MCU could move in a similar direction with Barton and its own take on the Thunderbolts in the MCU.

Hawkeye fighting with the Thunderbolts in Marvel Comics.

A Thunderbolts movie with Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye as the star could draw inspiration from his time with the team in Marvel Comics. As someone who got his start as a villain and had his life turned around by training under Captain America, Hawkeye was fully invested in trying to keep the Thunderbolts on the right path and being a mentor figure for them. The MCU’s Hawkeye doesn’t have the same background, but he did go down a morally grey path after Avengers: Infinity War when he became Ronin and began a killing spree against Japanese gangsters. Knowing that he’s made some mistakes of his own, Hawkeye could emphasize with the Thunderbolts and develop an interest in their futures.

Of the six original MCU Avengers, Hawkeye is the only one who has never led his own movie at this point. But Marvel’s decision to give him his own series suggests that it has a certain degree of trust in his ability to headline his own project. Some think that because of Kate Bishop’s impending introduction, Hawkeye is Marvel’s way of retiring Clint Barton, but instead, it’s possible that Marvel is using the show to lay the groundwork for Hawkeye to finally get his own team in Phase 5’s Thunderbolts movie.

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