The Marvel Cinematic Universe has done a fantastic job of introducing new characters over the course of 14 years and has managed to make each of them feel fresh and exciting. However, they haven't done nearly as much for existing characters to show off the many identities they've used in their history. That said, there have been some other examples, such as Captain America becoming Nomad or Hulk becoming Smart Hulk. But one character who may still have one more trick in his quiver is Clint Barton.
In the MCU, Clint Barton briefly abandoned his Hawkeye persona to become Ronin, a killer who tried to fill the gap of the family he lost with a trail of dead criminals around the globe. But this identity only lasted five years, and when he got his family back from The Blip, Clint briefly returned before he showed everyone the new and improved Hawkeye with a protégé in Kate Bishop. However, Reddit user Chronon_Field pointed out that there's still one massive identity that Clint could still use -- Goliath.
When Was Clint Barton Goliath?
In the comics, the Goliath persona was initially one of the many identities used by Hank Pym. This name quickly joined other titles like Ant-Man, Giant-Man and Yellowjacket, even though Hank didn't use this title nearly as much as the others. Then, after Clint Barton, Bill Foster took the name and remained Goliath until a robotic replica of Thor killed him during Marvel Comics' Civil War event. But during the time Barton was the massive hero, the stakes weren't nearly as high.
During the early years of The Avengers, Clint was a great asset as Hawkeye. However, after being surrounded by so many superpowered individuals, it was only a matter of time before he would eventually gain abilities, even if only for a brief time. During this time, Clint had used Hank's Pym particles after he got benched from trying to apprehend the Black Widow. As Goliath, his skills came in handy on more than one occasion. However, his true passion remained with the bow, and he eventually returned to his identity as Hawkeye. And he would change his name again to the Golden Archer before becoming Ronin decades later.
How Could Hawkeye Become Goliath in the MCU?
For all intents and purposes, Clint Barton has remained retired and would likely want to stay that way. That said, the MCU has a funny way of forcing its heroes to answer the call of duty for one reason or another. In Clint's case, this could be because of a threat to his family or close friends. So, should his children, wife, Kate, Yelena or any of The Avengers need him, there's a chance he would be there. But while his aim may still be flawless, he could eventually become a liability as the threats become even more otherworldly.
To combat this, Clint could borrow some of Hank's serum in the hopes that he could give an edge to his friends that none would suspect. Since he's spent most of his life around superpowered individuals, he'd likely be a fast learner. Plus, he's already had experience shrinking through the Quantum Realm during the Time Heist and has a connection to the Pyms thanks to his shrinking and growing arrows shown in Hawkeye. As a result, should Clint even need to go above and beyond to save someone he cares for, he could do so by literally going above and beyond.