Clint Barton's past actions seen in Avengers: Endgame will continue to haunt him in Hawkeye, says one of the Disney+ show's directors.
In the opening act of Endgame, many of the Avengers have lost their sense of self, perhaps none more than Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye. Among Clint Barton's many heartbreaking actions after losing his family to the Blip was a tenure as masked vigilante Ronin. As Ronin, Clint hunted down criminals and murdered them in the streets, dealing out a cold sense of justice that matched his new cold-hearted demeanor. Though he eventually retired the persona, Clint's sins still weigh heavy on his soul. Speaking to Gamesradar, Bert (one half of the directing duo Bert & Bertie) discussed how Renner himself inspired this darker subject matter.
Though only seen for part of Endgame, Barton's time as Ronin lasted multiple years in the source material as he searched for meaning in a broken world. After more than a decade of playing a fairly light-hearted rendition of Hawkeye, Renner was excited to delve into another side of Clint's comic book history. "He wanted the darkness," said Bert. "He wanted to go there. And there are moments that the Ronin Clint resurfaces. It's very important to have those depths that you can explore, so that he can come out of it."
Joining Barton on his journey of self-discovery is Kate Bishop, played by Hailee Steinfeld. The first trailer for Hawkeye shows Bishop wearing her own version of the Ronin costume, while Renner narrates, "When I wore this suit, I made a whole lot of enemies." The footage also showed Bishop would encounter her fair share of trouble in the Ronin guise, prompting Barton to stop her from being assaulted by a group of criminals.
While both Barton and Bishop will have worn Ronin's mask by the end of Hawkeye, the series could also introduce a key part of the mantle's history through a new character. Alaqua Cox will play Maya Lopez, aka Echo, who was the first person to become Ronin in the comics. Like Cox herself, Echo was born deaf -- she chose to train herself in martial arts in order to defend herself, eventually joining the Avengers as Ronin. The character will also see a bigger spotlight after Hawkeye in an Echo-centric Disney+ series, with Renner and Steinfeld rumored to appear.
In Hawkeye, Clint Barton steps into the role of mentor when he comes across upstart archer Kate Bishop. The pair must learn to get along quickly, as they face a murderer's row of threats including the Tracksuit Draculas, an assassin known as the Clown and the ghosts of their pasts, all while racing to get Clint home in time for Christmas. The show debuts on Disney+ with a two-episode season premiere on Nov. 24.
Source: Gamesradar