WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Hawkeye Episode 3, "Echoes," which aired Wednesday on Disney+.

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, many fans have found Bucky Barnes' story quite sympathetic after he was brainwashed and turned into the Winter Soldier by Hydra. As the TV series with Falcon would then show, Bucky still remained haunted by his past; although, he was eager to atone by helping the U.S. government against the Flag Smashers and other threats in the wake of Thanos once he got deprogrammed fully. But come Hawkeye, viewers quickly discover Clint Barton's redemption song is way better than Bucky's.

Now, what really hurt Bucky's journey was that it didn't feel like it got the dedicated time it deserved. Audiences didn't see much of him and Steve hashing out Bucky's redemption in the movies, while his adventures with Sam Wilson was more about Falcon taking up the shield than a second chance for Bucky.

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bucky in the chair MCU

In other words, Bucky became a side-story that lacked breathing space, as he was always intermingling with a Captain America. His agency wasn't at the forefront; it was always the legacy and destiny of the shield and in that sense, apart from some flashbacks and his trauma, the comeback was relegated to a secondary narrative.

Clint, however, is working for his redemption and still keeping secrets, even as an Avenger. In fact, his SHIELD past is still murky, as fans see him as a member of Earth's Mightiest Heroes who fought the Chitauri, the Mad Titan's forces, the Ultron bots and so on. He's essentially a celebrity, so while he covers his bloody past up as Ronin, he's got a lot more to lose.

Bucky may have been a war hero, but he's never been in the public spotlight like this, thus Clint, especially after learning of Bucky's past, should want to come out and admit he murdered as Ronin during the Blip to protect the symbol of heroism. Instead, he continues with the lie of omission, hiding it from Kate Bishop and his kids. His wife may know some of the details, but how much she knows is a mystery,  which now needles down into something more emotional -- the trust of his family rather than the nation.

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Hawkeye Family Iron Man Funeral

It's more intense and cerebral because Clint could lose that which matters most. Bucky's inner-circle was small and already knew, but Clint has lied to friends, colleagues, a protege and many close to him at one point. What'll also sting, apart from the public backlash, is how Natasha would feel over all of this after her sacrifice.

Black Widow wouldn't want him suffering like this, especially as she wiped the red out of her ledger. Ultimately, seeing Hawkeye struggling in his journey to restore faith in what she wanted him to be resonates more, especially as audience can't predict how his kids will react as they look up to him more than any civilian.

See how Clint Barton's redemption song is better than Winter Soldier's as new episodes of Hawkeye air Wednesdays on Disney+.

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