Since his debut in 2011's Thor, Clint Barton, a.k.a. Hawkeye, has been one of the most sidelined characters in the MCU, from being possessed by Loki for most of 2012's The Avengers to not even appearing in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War. In fact, fans were rather shocked to learn Barton had a life outside his Avengers family in 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron.
After Joss Whedon revealed Barton's family in the second Avengers film, the aging hero has been actively seeking a way out of his dangerous profession for the better part of a decade to varying degrees of success. While obstacles like 2016's Captain America: Civil War and the Blip stood in his way, 2021's Hawkeye series finds the Avenger trying to balance his family life with his past in a post-retirement life.
10 Nick Fury Hid Clint's Family From The World
"We would have called ahead, but we were too busy having no idea you existed." Tony Stark's response to learning about Barton's family is exactly how fans felt upon the revelation that the MCU's Hawkeye lived a completely different life than that of his Avengers family. According to Barton, it was his decision to keep it a secret.
Clint started a family prior to his involvement with S.H.I.E.L.D. and signed on as an agent under the stipulation that Director Nick Fury keep the existence of his family off the books. Consequently, no traces of the Barton family would've been found when Iron Man hacked into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s servers or when HYDRA organized a coup from the inside.
9 Black Widow Is The Family's Honorary Aunt
Besides Fury, the only other person who knew of Clint's family was his dear friend Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow. Given their storied history together, in both the comics and in the MCU, it makes sense that Clint would've disclosed his alternate life to his fellow Avenger and longtime friend.
In fact, Age of Ultron reveals that Clint's family is already well acquainted with Natasha by the time the other Avengers learn of the family, with a young Lila Barton asking if "Auntie Nat" was visiting them as well. Given Romanoff's close relationship to the Bartons, her death in Avengers: Endgame undoubtedly hangs heavy over the heads of the tight-knit family.
8 Family Moves Farmhouses After Age Of Ultron
Speaking of the MCU's magnum opus, fans discover in the opening minutes of Endgame that the Barton family has moved farmhouses since the end of Age of Ultron. This decision likely came about from a mixture of factors, but likely also came about due to the family's need to accommodate the latest addition to their family.
However, like the first homestead, fans aren't entirely sure where the Barton family is hiding out in the rural U.S. Midwest. Fortunately, fans have pieced together that the Bartons have remained in Missouri based on some evidence from 2021's Hawkeye as they continue to try and enjoy life away from the public eye.
7 Nathan Is Named After Black Widow & Pietro
Perhaps the most fascinating tidbit of Clint's family lore is the birth of his third son: Nathan Pietro Barton. It's revealed in Age of Ultron the Bartons were originally expecting a daughter with a plan to name her "Natasha" after Black Widow. However, the name consequently was adapted to "Nathan" upon discovering Laura was going to have a boy.
Nathan's middle name is more on-the-nose, so to speak, and only came about following the events of Age of Ultron. A rather straightforward reference to the MCU's Quicksilver, Pietro Maximoff pays the ultimate price when he gives his life to save Hawkeye and a young boy in the Battle of Sokovia. Nathan, then, is named in memory of the fallen hero.
6 Civil War Reveals Clint's Family To Authorities
While Clint is determined to retire following the events of Age of Ultron, the Avenger quickly finds himself drawn into another conflict when the Sokovia Accords come into play, splitting Earth's Mightiest Heroes on their next course of action. What ensues is a fight between the heroes that results in the international arrests of half the Avengers, Barton among them.
After Steve Rogers breaks his fellow Avengers out of the Raft, Clint is forced to go public (to the authorities, at least) about the existence of his family in order to be reunited with them. In exchange for reuniting with them, the Avenger is placed on house arrest for two years due to his violation of the Sokovia Accords during Civil War.
5 Clint's Comic Father Was An Abusive Alcoholic
When Clint and Natasha visit Vormir during Endgame, they are greeted by Red Skull, who reveals that Clint's mother's name is Edith Barton, like it is in the comics. Although it's not confirmed how Clint's mother died in the MCU, it's apparent that she's been dead for a while by the time fans first encounter Hawkeye in 2011's Thor.
If MCU Clint's familial backstory is accurate to the comics, then this would mean that his father—Harold Barton—would've been responsible for both his and Edith's deaths. Running a butcher shop in Iowa, Harold was an alcoholic known to be physically and verbally abusive towards his family, eventually leading to a fatal car crash that orphans his two sons.
4 Lila Trained As A Hawkeye Before Kate Bishop
Fans of Matt Fraction's iconic 2012 Hawkeye comic book run are already familiar with the young vigilante known as Kate Bishop, an aspiring archer, and major Hawkeye fangirl. The 2021 Disney+ series of the same name has adapted many elements from this series, and most importantly canonizes Kate as the MCU's next Hawkeye-in-training.
However, many fans pointed to Endgame's foreshadowing as a suggestion that Clint might be passing on the Avenger's mantle sometime soon. The opening scene of the 2019 film sees Clint training his daughter, Lila, in the ways of the bow. Based on the accuracy of her shots, it was fair to theorize that the young Barton could one day follow in her father's footsteps.
3 Clint Finally Retired To Be With His Family
Clint's retirement plans have become something of a joke in the MCU as Hawkeye continues to find himself dragged back into conflict after conflict. Hawkeye, however, really sees the Avenger enjoying a "real" retirement for the first time following the events of Endgame and reuniting with his family.
Unfortunately, his past as Ronin seems to catch up to him in the series and sets him on a collision course with groups and characters like the Tracksuit Mafia and Yelena Belova. This time Clint doesn't have the help of the Avengers though, having instead to rely on the help of newcomer Kate Bishop.
2 Clint Is Publicly Spending Time With His Kids
Clint's family has been Hawkeye's greatest secret since their introduction in 2015. In fact, Barton has gone to great lengths to hide their identities from the world, even securing anonymity from Nick Fury. Hawkeye seems to throw Clint's discreetness out the window as the Avenger publicly traverses the streets of New York City with his children.
However, going public with his family may very well be putting a target on the backs of the people Hawkeye cares about, especially with his ties to Ronin. And, given that members of the mob like Maya Lopez and assassins like Belova are set on killing Clint, it makes sense that the Avenger involves himself in Kate's affairs for the sake and safety of his family.
1 Nathan Is Learning American Sign Language
One of the most welcome additions to the Disney+ series Hawkeye is the prominence of sign language as a form of communication. Not only is one of the major antagonists—Maya Lopez—deaf in the series, but it quickly becomes clear that an aging Clint has also become hard of hearing as well, forcing him to begin learning sign language to communicate.
Fortunately, the Avenger is not alone in this endeavor as his young son, Nathan, has also taken up American Sign Language in order to communicate with his father whenever Clint takes his hearing aids out. While brief, the beautiful moment emphasizes the lengths and efforts the Bartons go through to support their father and his Avenging profession.