WARNING: The following contains spoilers for the first two episodes of Hawkeye, now streaming on Disney+.
A new rumor has fans worried that Clint Barton and Kate Bishop's next two Hawkeye adventures will be their shortest to date.
Fans started questioning the runtime of the new series when self-described "insider" Amit Chaudhari posted on Twitter, "#Hawkeye Episode 3 + 4 = 80 Mins." If true, the third and fourth episodes of Hawkeye would mark the shortest entries in Disney+'s Marvel Cinematic Universe series catalog since WandaVision's "Breaking the Fourth Wall."Â The shorter episodes would also mark a substantial shift from Hawkeye's first two installments, which clocked in at 47 minutes and 49 minutes, respectively.
Should the brief run times prove to be accurate, the first four episodes of Hawkeye will total a mere 176 minutes, making it the shortest MCU series to date. In comparison, the entire WandaVision series ran for a total of 350 minutes, followed by Loki's 312-minute-long first season. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier landed in third place, clocking in at 300 minutes. In order to avoid disappointing Hawkeye fans, the final two episodes of the series would need to have a combined length of more than two hours -- or run the risk of being stuck in last place.
Though Marvel Studios has yet to reveal any official plot details for Hawkeye's future endeavors, the premiere episode featured multiple scenes inside a high-end hotel last seen on Netflix's Daredevil, which has many fans convinced the Kingpin will make his MCU debut in Hawkeye. The continued conflict between Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) and her would-be stepfather Jack Duquesne (Tony Dalton) also has viewers wondering if the character will take up the mantle of The Swordsman, as he does in the comics.
Additionally, the second episode of Hawkeye saw Barton and Bishop winding up in the custody of the Tracksuit Mafia. While the gang sought answers about the mysterious Ronin, a mantle worn by Barton during the events of Avengers: Endgame, Barton and Bishop refused to provide the information. The gang was ultimately forced to call in assistance from a woman named Echo (Alaqua Cox).
Fans will recall that previously-released trailers for Hawkeye showed Echo fighting alongside the Tracksuit Mafia and against both Barton and Bishop, implying she'll be a major thorn in the pair's side. It was also announced in early November that Cox will reprise the role of Maya Lopez/Echo in an upcoming self-titled Disney+ series.
Starring Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld, new episodes of Hawkeye debut Wednesdays on Disney+ through Dec. 22.
Source: Twitter