Jeremy Renner has confirmed that Hawkeye will be adding a key element from the character's comic appearances.
While promoting his upcoming Paramount+ series Mayor of Kingstown on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Jeremy Renner answered some of Jimmy's questions about Hawkeye. After Jimmy asked about incorporating Pizza Dog into Hawkeye, he pointed out that it looked like Clint Barton was sporting a hearing aid. Renner clarified that Hawkeye will be hard of hearing in the show, something that harkens back to his comic book roots.
In the original Hawkeye miniseries by Mark Gruenwald and Brett Breeding from 1983, Clint had his hearing damaged in a battle against the villainous Crossfire. As a result, he wore a hearing aid for the next decade while in the pages of Avengers, West Coast Avengers and other titles. However, this impairment vanished without explanation in the wake of Heroes Reborn. Years later, Clint would again suffer partial hearing loss in the acclaimed Hawkeye run by Matt Fraction and David Aja, which is the primary source for the new Disney+ series. Renner reinforced this in his appearance on Kimmel, stating "we used the comics a lot as a basis for the look and the format of the show."
Hawkeye is set to arrive on Disney+ with a two-episode premiere on Nov. 24. It follows Renner as Clint Barton, who teams up with an aspiring archer named Kate Bishop, played by Hailee Steinfeld. Together, the two will face off against the ghosts of Clint's past as the former Avenger tries to get back to his family in time for Christmas.
In addition to Steinfeld's Bishop, Alaqua Cox will be joining Hawkeye as a new vigilante. Cox will be playing Maya Lopez, A.K.A. Echo. Like Cox herself, Echo was born deaf, and choose to train herself in martial arts in order to defend herself. The inclusion of Echo and how her character deals with her disability will likely play an important part in the show, given Renner's comments. The character is also set to be getting a bigger spotlight after Hawkeye in an Echo-centric Disney+ series.
One character who remains a mystery ahead of Hawkeye is Yelena Belova, the younger sister of Natasha Romanoff introduced in Black Widow. Played by Florence Pugh, the post-credits scene from Black Widow teased that Yelena will be looking for revenge against the Avenging Archer for his role in Natasha's untimely demise.
Source: YouTube