The recent reports that Hailee Steinfeld has signed on to play Kate Bishop in the upcoming Disney+ Hawkeye series has stirred lots of excitement, and rightfully so. Kate Bishop is an incredible character in the comics and considering the abundance of legacy characters set to appear in the MCU, with Captain America (Chris Evans) passing on his shield to The Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) set to pass her title to Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) in her solo film, she is a perfect addition to the trend.
Kate Bishop was introduced in Young Avengers #1 back in 2005 and has come a long way in the comics, becoming the third character to hold the title of Hawkeye. Born into a rich Manhattanite family, Kate's first brush with the superhero life was when she began to investigate her father’s shady activities and ended up being saved by The Avengers. She was particularly impressed by Hawkeye as he was powerless, yet highly skilled, so much so that he could fight alongside Earth's Mightiest Heroes. From there on out, Clint Barton became her role model.
Another key part of her backstory is her sexual assault at a young age in Central Park, an event that she confided about to Jessica Jones, and was an inciting force in her becoming a hero and learning various fighting styles including martial arts, swordplay and most importantly, archery. Kate eventually joined the Young Avengers, a team which she was greatly dedicated to. After Captain America and Tony Stark refused to train her, she didn’t quit. She took it upon herself to create a lair and continue her hero crusade. She even took the name Hawkeye to honor her role model, all before actually meeting Clint, who eventually passed along his arrows to her.
Kate would fit perfectly into the MCU lore considering Clint (Jeremy Renner) relinquished his Hawkeye title to become Ronin. Clint expressed great guilt in Avengers: Endgame over his years spent as Ronin, so embracing Kate as a protégé and training her to take up the mantle of Hawkeye would be perfect for redeeming Clint in his own eyes, and setting up a fresh Hawkeye, one who could function with or without the Avengers, as she has in the comics. Her taking over the mantle could also make room for a live-action adaptation of the Young Avengers.
Another reason Kate is a great legacy character choice is that she would be an incredible addition to the ever-growing group of women in the MCU. Kate is a multifaceted strong female character who has let nothing get in her way, and has dedicated everything to being a hero. She’d be different from the Hawkeye the audience knows, allowing for the moniker to be taken to new heights.
It would be interesting if the show borrowed elements from the Matt Fraction and David Aja Hawkeye series (2012-2015), a critically acclaimed run that showcased Clint and Kate working together, and occasionally apart. The comic series embraced humor and deep emotion, and resonated with readers, becoming celebrated in the years since its release.
Regardless of whatever direction the show takes, though, Kate Bishop is indisputably an incredible character in the pages of Marvel Comics. Her inclusion, given current MCU events, would be seamless and very welcomed, making her the perfect legacy character to join the ranks of the MCU.