In a year when Marvel’s long-form TV series have outshone their cinematic offerings, we have their last Disney Plus offering for 2021 in Hawkeye. Alongside Black Widow, Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye has been sadly sidelined throughout the MCU for the big name characters who all had their own stand-alone films. Finally, Renner gets the standalone project his character deserves. Hawkeye is Marvel at its best; an action caper with great comedic moments all while having darker, more human moments simmering beneath the surface. 

 

Marvel Studios’ “Hawkeye” is an original new series set in post-blip New York City where former Avenger Clint Barton aka Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) has a seemingly simple mission: get back to his family for Christmas. But when a threat from his past shows up, Hawkeye reluctantly teams up with Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), a 22-year-old skilled archer and his biggest fan, to unravel a criminal conspiracy. 

 

Let’s admit it from the outset. Hawkeye is kinda seen as the most boring Avenger. Aside from some pretty impressive skills with a bow and arrow, there’s nothing that ‘super’ about him. And the show gets that perception and plays with it in all the right ways in the opening two episodes. While this is often played for laughs, which are pretty funny, there are some truly, darker human moments here too. 

 

Hawkeye is severely damaged from his time with the Avengers, both psychologically and physically. He’s also suffering from imposter syndrome, feeling not quite ‘super’ enough in his ability or character to be considered any kind of hero. 

 

Kate Bishop on the other hand wants nothing more than to be a hero even though she too has no super ability. She idolises Hawkeye and is also pretty handy with a bow like him too. But she often runs before she can walk which leads her into trouble which results in some great action sequences and hilarious comedic moments. 

 

I can’t remember an actor adding so much energy and brightness to the MCU since Hayley Steinfield’s Bishop. She is a breath of fresh air, a great partner in crime to Renner’s grumpy and damaged Hawkeye, and quite possibly the best woman superhero in the MCU. 

 

Hawkeye is Marvel at its best; an action caper with great comedic moments all while having darker, more human moments simmering beneath the surface.