Clint “Hawkeye” Barton has been a key member of the Avengers since, well, The Avengers, but his role in the biggest Marvel movie yet, Avengers: Infinity War, is uncertain.
Marvel’s recent marketing might have you thinking that Hawkeye isn’t in Avengers: Infinity War; that he’s still at home celebrating a civilian life with his family. I’m here to remind you that Hawkeye is essential to the Avengers, and most importantly, Tony Stark having someone to rib. Peter Parker can take Hawkeye’s place for just about everything in the Avengers, but he just can’t be bullied the same way.
It seems pretty unlikely that Hawkeye isn’t going to make an appearance in Avengers: Infinity War. It’s more likely that Harry Potter will suddenly swoop in from a Quiddich match and help the Avengers defeat Thanos than that Hawkeye would not make an appearance in Infinity War. Still, the lack of promotional materials around his character, and not one appearance from the hero in any of the trailers released thus far, is strange.
It has Hawkeye fans (they exist) worried that their favorite Legolas cosplayer (I joke) may not make it into the film’s final cut at all. That’s why we’re investigating this serious matter, putting rumors to bed once and for all.
Avengers: Infinity War was announced in 2014 as Avengers: Infinity War — Part 1. Joe and Anthony Russo were announced as the directors, and the majority of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s cast were expected to return for the installment. That same year, actor Jeremy Renner gave an interview to The Daily Beast while promoting his new film, Kill the Messenger, and spoke about his future role in the Avengers films. Renner said:
I think most actors will sign on to do, like… Captain America 1-3 and then The Avengers 1-3, and then you’re done. For me, I signed on to The Avengers 1-3 and then Hawk-Eye, in case they want to do a Hawk-Eye spin-off.
The third Avengers film is indeed Avengers: Infinity War, following The Avengers in 2012 and Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2015. By Renner’s own admission, Hawkeye is in the movie, but people are still wondering how big of a role he plays. It’s strange that we haven’t seen him in a trailer for the film, leading people to question whether Hawkeye will be on screen for longer than a couple of minutes.
Renner certainly sounded hopeful in this 2016 interview he gave to HeyUGuys while talking about Arrival, as reported by CinemaBlend. Renner said:
I know the talks are what it’s about sounded fantastic. The Russo brothers have got some really great ideas and they’re following certain parts of Infinity War. And there’s some really exciting stuff for a lot of the characters, especially with... what they’re thinking about doing with Hawkeye especially I’m pretty excited about.
That may be a little calming to hear, Hawkeye fans. Renner even teased his role further in an interview with The Content Factory, reported by ScreenRant, that seemed to suggest Hawkeye wouldn’t just play an important role in the third movie, but he’d also be returning for Avengers 4. Renner said:
I am excited to be doing Avengers 3 and 4 next year and I know it is going to be a giant cast… There are a lot of amazing cast members in that world and they are all converging, so who knows what is going to happen. I can’t tell you or I might get hurt! Those decisions are above our pay grade, but we are just blessed and happy to be a part of the Marvel family. You just go to work when you are called and you know it is going to be great.
While that seemed to hint at some kind of recurring role — he’ll be back for the fourth and ScreenRant theorizes he’ll be taking on a new identity because of what happens in Infinity War — it doesn’t particularly help fans understand what Hawkeye will be doing on screen. Luckily, a newish interview between Collider and the Russo Brothers gets a little more into the details.
Hawkeye will definitely be in a “special spot” in Infinity War, according to Anthony Russo, that comes from his reaction to the events of Civil War. Joe Russo expanded, saying:
Coming out of Civil War, he’s in the same position that Cap and Falcon are at the end of that movie. And Ant-Man. And coming into this movie you know … the characters on Cap’s side coming out of the Civil War, some made certain decisions and others made other decisions that led to different paths in them dealing with oversight in this movie in a different way. So Hawkeye’s on his own journey in this movie.
And for those still not convinced, here’s a video of Renner on the set of Infinity War, saying goodbye as the film wrapped.
Avengers: Infinity War will be released on April 27 — and yes, Hawkeye will be in it.