As the saying goes, you never know what you have until it's gone. After the end of Avengers: Infinity War, with the snap of his fingers, Thanos activated the Infinity Gauntlet and made half of the universe's population disappear. Over the past 10 years, we've been watching such characters as Bucky, Vision, Scarlet Witch and Black Panther have their lives play out and evolve. Once they disappeared as dust in the wind, audiences were truly left with multiple profoundly sad moments as they watched some of their favorite characters vanish without any trace. To make things even worse, there was no Hawkeye in the film! Some pointed out early on that Hawkeye was not present in the trailers leading up to the movie, but people reassured themselves that he would definitely make an appearance... but the archer was nowhere to be found!

Clint Barton will definitely be present in Avengers 4, but the question is in what capacity? In the comics, besides being the world's greatest archer, he also took on the mantle of the character known as Ronin. Bows and arrows were traded in for swords, and Hawkeye's purple uniform was replaced with black and gold ninja garb. So in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, who are we cheering to see on the big screen when the sequel comes out April 2019? Do we want to see Hawkeye fight alongside his teammates, or do we want a fresh take on a familiar character? Do we want to see Hawkeye create the West Coast Avengers, or do we want to see Ronin introduce Moon Knight and Blade into the MCU? Read on to see both sides of the argument!

20 HAWKEYE: BOW AND ARROW VS. INFINITY GAUNTLET

Fans of the 2009 film Avatar remember how hard they rooted for the Na'vi on their native planet of Pandora against the evil soldiers from Earth. Despite all of the technology at the disposal of Earth's Resources Development Administration, they still eventually lost to the bows and arrows of the Na'vi. Speaking of bows and arrows...

Tony Stark, even with his most advanced armor, couldn't take down Thanos. Doctor Strange, with all of his magic, couldn't stop Thanos. Wouldn't it be awesome that the Infinity Gauntlet, the most powerful weapon in the universe, gets taken down by Hawkeye and a well-shot arrow from his bow? Perhaps an arrow dislodges an Infinity Stone from Thanos's gauntlet?

19 RONIN: MAKING CLINT BARTON RELEVANT

In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Clint Barton offered an inspirational speech to the Scarlet Witch, which made her go out and fight the Ultron robots flying around Sokovia (which was also flying in the air). In his talk, he took a shot at himself, saying he was just a guy with a bow and arrow against a bunch of robots. Do fans love Clint or do they love Hawkeye?

It's getting harder and harder to justify a guy using a bow and arrow on the same team as the God of Thunder and a man wearing an advanced suit of armor. Having Clint become Ronin, a hero who fights as a martial artist with swords, can have him do more with a fresh start in time for Phase 4.

18 HAWKEYE: HELP REBUILD SHIELD

In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, it was revealed that S.H.I.E.L.D. was actually under the control of the evil group HYDRA, which meant that the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division had to be disbanded. The television show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. showed how the agency reformed after the first Captain America sequel.

Audiences learned that Maria Hill and Nick Fury turned to dust after the Snappening, but how many other S.H.I.E.L.D. members also turned to ash? Hawkeye may be an Avenger, but he was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent first, and along with Black Widow, he might be needed in helping the spy organization back on its feet.

17 RONIN: PROTECTS HIS IDENTITY

At the end of Iron Man, Tony Stark looked at a crowded room filled with news reporters and let the world know that in the MCU secret identities were lame. With the exception of Spider-Man (and perhaps Ant-Man), there are really no other heroes that care whether or not you know their real identities.

In Avengers: Infinity War, audiences learned that both Scott Lang and Clint Barton retired from being superheroes to protect their families. Scott was able to continue his heroics thanks to the help of Hank Pym and Hope Van Dyne. To continue to protect his family, Clint may have to cover his pretty face with Ronin's mask.

16 HAWKEYE: ICONIC SYMBOL

Earth's Mightiest Heroes have on their roster a scientist that turns into one of the strongest beings on Earth, as well as the God of Thunder and an android possessing an Infinity Stone. What place does an archer have on the team? They may just have the most important position of all: regular guy.

We can look up to Thor and Hulk, but could we ever be them? This is why we need Hawkeye, a guy that has trained so much he has mastery over archery. He is an accessible character. This hero in purple is the most grounded hero on the team, and seeing Hawkeye return, as opposed to the scary ninja that is Ronin, allows the people they are trying to protect -- as well as the audience -- to relate better!

15 RONIN: BOWS AND ARROWS JUST DON'T CUT IT

Captain America's shield may be a symbol for American beliefs, but a shield can only do so much. We've spoken about Hawkeye being a symbol of what an ordinary man can do among super-powered beings, but is symbolism the thing that will ultimately defeat Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet?

Will it be the archaic weapons of a man dressed in purple that takes down the Mad Titan, or will it be a warrior dressed in black that uses stealth and cunning as a weapon? To remove the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos, would it be easier to do it with an arrow or with a sword?

14 HAWKEYE: MAKE UP FOR LOST SCREENTIME

When the trailers for Avengers: Infinity War came out, people were asking: where are Hawkeye and Ant-Man? The answer became more clear in the sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp, but it's doubtful that we'll be seeing a Hawkeye solo film anytime soon, so we went completely without Clint Barton in the second Avengers sequel.

Assuming he survived Thanos snapping his fingers and removing half of all the life in the universe, we're hoping in Avengers 4 that there's enough Hawkeye to make up for his absence in Infinity War. He single-handedly shut down a S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier in the first Avengers and almost got shot in Age of Ultron. Avengers 4 is your time to shine, Hawkeye!

13 RONIN: EVOLVES CLINT BARTON

What makes the MCU so special? The heroes feel real because they grow and change, just like real life people do. Bucky started out as Cap's sidekick, but then evolved into the complex character known as the Winter Soldier. J.A.R.V.I.S. began as Tony Stark's personal Alexa and (literally) grew to became a member of the Avengers with a super-powered girlfriend.

So why is Clint still "stuck" with his bow and arrows? How does Clint evolve as Hawkeye? Simple: by becoming someone else. Clint doesn't have any more to learn from shooting his bow and taking on the Ronin persona allows him to to become a different kind of hero.

12 HAWKEYE: TEAMMATES NEED HIM

Thor, Iron Man and Hulk are some of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but when they're on the Avengers, it's the idea that none of them is as smart or better than anyone else -- they are all simply integral to the team. When they work together, their resources, talents, powers and intellects combine to form a collective that is truly a sight to behold.

So perhaps it's not Hawkeye's arrows that are needed, but Hawkeye himself. Hawkeye is the man that dared fight alongside Iron Man and Thor, and was considered by his teammates as an equal. He was assigned to take out Black Widow but instead saved her. He also inspired Scarlet Witch to fight on. His teammates need Hawkeye and the spirit he brings with him!

11 RONIN: HELPS FILL VOID OF FIGHTERS

In Avengers: Infinity War, the MCU lost a lot of great heroes, but specifically a lot of great fighters. One of the very first people to disappear was the Winter Soldier, Captain America's former partner that almost beat Cap in hand-to-hand combat. Black Panther also disappeared, as well as Drax. All of the great MCU fighters are disappearing!

In the comics, Ronin is one of the best fighters around. Considering all of the people that have disappeared, what do we need more: someone that is an amazing martial artist that can fight against Thanos and his army, or someone that can fire arrows? The Avengers need Ronin and his uniquely-catered abilities! Put down the bow, pick up a sword!

10 HAWKEYE: NEEDED TO CREATE WEST COAST AVENGERS

Although the Avengers are Earth's Mightiest Heroes, they can't be in two places at once, which is why, in Marvel Comics, you have additional variations of the team, such as the Uncanny Avengers, Secret Avengers even the Great Lakes Avengers. However, you'll need Hawkeye if you want the West Coast Avengers.

The West Coast Avengers first appeared in 1984 and was led and founded by Hawkeye! This is kind of a no-brainer, because Marvel is always looking to extend its cinematic franchise. Opening a West Coast division of the Avengers with Hawkeye as its leader could be one of the mystery projects being launched in Phase 4!

9 RONIN: INTRODUCTION TO MOON KNIGHT

Thanks to Netflix, audiences have been able to see "street-level" superheroes in action. If you want to fight Ultron, call on Iron Man and Hulk. If you've got thugs in your neighborhood, call upon The Punisher, Luke Cage and Daredevil, just to name a few. When can we finally add Moon Knight to the roster? We can get one step closer with Ronin!

In the Ultimates Universe, Ronin was an identity that Moon Knight adopted in order to infiltrate the Kingpin's criminal organization. If Hank Pym can pass on the mantle of Ant-Man to Scott Lang, why can't Clint pass the Ronin mantle onto Marc Spector? Moon Knight is one of those great, untapped Marvel properties that is in desperate need of screen time!

8 HAWKEYE: FINALLY, A SOLO MOVIE

The 2017 film Justice League gave audiences the team first, then created spinoff movies such as the Aquaman movie coming out in December 2018 and the Flash movie coming out in 2020. Marvel did the reverse, releasing solo films then tying the team together with the 2012 film The Avengers.

Black Widow didn't have a solo movie, but she might be getting one soon. What about Hawkeye? Granted, he did make a brief appearance in the first Thor movie, but it's not like the presence Bruce Banner had in Thor: Ragnarok. Let's put Hawkeye in Avengers 4 so that way his next stop is a solo film!

7 RONIN: INTRODUCTION TO SECRET INVASION

The post-credit scene at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, revealed Nick Fury calling for help from an unlikely source: Captain Marvel. We're not sure where she is, but we do know that her film coming out in March 2019 will feature the shape-shifting Skrulls. That means we need Ronin now more than ever.

In the 2008 Marvel crossover series Secret Invasion, several characters were revealed to be alien imposters. Who was one of the heroes that helped repel the attempted Skrull invasion? Ronin! Could Ronin be key in not only stopping Thanos, but also introducing Captain Marvel to the MCU? It was Ronin, not Hawkeye, that saved the say!

6 HAWKEYE: AVENGE HIS FAMILY

If you're wondering if you made it out alive after the events of Avengers: Infinity War, you can go to this awesome website to find out your fate. You, along with the rest of the universe, have a 50-50 chance of survival. As the Joker said in The Dark Knight, chaos is fair.

What are the odds that Hawkeye's wife and children aren't a pile of ash in Clint's safehouse? The odds of them all surviving are slim, and let's not forget that the team is called the Avengers for a reason. If something did happen to his family, audiences would want to see Hawkeye avenge them!

5 RONIN: RE-INTRODUCTION TO BLADE

In 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was launched by Iron Man. The movie was fun, had great action and took the Iron Man mythos seriously. However, one of the early Marvel films that came out that people often overlook is the 1998 film Blade, starring Wesley Snipes.

The film was rated R and became a cult hit, followed by two sequels. Arguably, Blade was one of the biggest elements in Marvel's movie success, so how do we bring him back into the fold? As luck would have it, Ronin is an identity that Blade once adopted while on the Avengers. All the more reason for Clint to be Ronin in Avengers 4... so he can pass the title on to others!

4 HAWKEYE: FINAL REUNION

Is it a coincidence that at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, the original members of the Avengers that were featured in the first film back in the original 2012 film are still alive after Thanos snapped his fingers? Could it be that Avengers 4 might be the last time we see Chris Evans as Cap, Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man and Chris Hemsworth as Thor?

If this is the last time we'll ever see the original Avengers together, then it's only fitting to bring back Hawkeye to have one final universe-saving adventure with his fellow teammates. Who knows who will lift the hammer or wear the shield and armor in Avengers 5, so let's have these gentlemen have one last curtain call together!

3 RONIN: INTRODUCTION TO KATE BISHOP

The 2015 film Ant-Man brought the hilarious Paul Rudd to the MCU, but it also gave Marvel a brilliant concept: legacy heroes. Ant-Man was originally Hank Pym, but the mantle was passed to Scott Lang. The idea that a hero such as Captain America or Iron Man could be played by other people is what might give Marvel movies longevity.

Although Chris Evans may not be Captain America after Avengers 4, that doesn't mean Falcon or Bucky couldn't take on the role. In the comics, Kate Bishop becomes Hawkeye, with the blessing of Clint. By having Clint become Ronin in the MCU, you can reintroduce Hawkeye, but now as Kate Bishop!

2 HAWKEYE: NEEDED TO CREATE THE THUNDERBOLTS

Although we mentioned Hawkeye was needed in the MCU to create the West Coast Avengers, Hawkeye was also responsible in the comics for leading an important team that may be slowly set up in the MCU. Marvel took a big risk with the 2014 film Guardians of the Galaxy. Could one of the Phase 4 projects be The Thunderbolts?

In the comics, the Thunderbolts were villains disguised as heroes, then later became villains who legitimately were trying to redeem themselves. Is this why Ghost and Bill Foster were introduced in Ant-Man and the Wasp? To help set up a team that Hawkeye could lead in Phase 4?

1 RONIN: WHAT ABOUT GOLIATH?

We've been debating whether or not Clint Barton should return as Hawkeye or Ronin, but let's not forget that he's been a variety of other characters with diverse power sets. Hawkeye has his archery and Ronin has his martial arts, but when he was Goliath, he could become well over double his size, thanks to Pym Particles.

Barton's identities don't just stop at Goliath (which was briefly mentioned by Bill Foster in Ant-Man and the Wasp). He also was in the running to be Captain America after Steve Rogers was presumed deceased in the comics. By Clint becoming Ronin, he can continue with his rich comic book history of becoming other heroes!