With the launch of Disney+'s MCU were finally able to learn more about the most often-quiet Avenger, Clint Barton. Though the archer has had some important character moments in the movies, he never received the same amount of screen time as his other teammates.
At the end of the show, a much more complete version of the character had emerged, using key details from the comics and the groundwork of Clint's earlier movie appearances in order to cement his status as an excellent hero.
It Honors His Friendship With Natasha
Throughout their time onscreen together, Clint and Natasha proved themselves to be some of the best friends in the MCU. They had years of experience working together and were always ready to act selflessly in order to help the other out, no matter what it cost.
After Natasha's death in Avengers: Endgame, the Hawkeye series showed how the loss had impacted Clint, from his reaction to an actor pretending to be her in Rogers: The Musical, to visiting the site of their first Avengers battle and talking to her, to his interactions with Yelena. Though Natasha is gone, the show holds onto the pair's connection and proves how much she affected Clint's life.
Introducing His Hearing Loss
A huge aspect of the character that was missing from earlier outings of Clint in the MCU was his hearing loss. In the comics, Clint is deafened in a confrontation with Tracksuit Mafia member Kazi, but the show introduces that Clint has become hard-of-hearing after years of enduring combat with close-range explosions.
In any instance, the fact that the show includes this facet of Clint's character is huge, not only for the sake of vitally important representation but because plot-wise it also gives him another connection to the character of Maya, which leads to some of the most compelling scenes between the two of them.
Elaborating On His Marriage To Laura
The surprise reveal of Clint's wife Laura and their family in Avengers: Age Of Ultron was one of that movie's most unexpected moments, and Hawkeye allows for far more interaction between the pair, giving viewers more insight into their relationship.
Although questions about the pair remain, the finale episode confirmed that Laura had been an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. using the title Agent 19, referring to the comic book character Mockingbird that married Clint and also used the same moniker. This explains a lot about their relationship, including where they likely met, and that Clint talks to Laura about his work because she understands that world.
Trick Arrows Show His Lighter Side
Clint's capabilities with a bow and arrow have been well-established since his MCU debut in Thor, but Hawkeye diversifies his talents with the introduction of far more trick arrows into his repertoire, helping both the versatility of his fighting technique and showing a more playful part of the character.
With arrows that range from using Pym particles to releasing volumes of purple putty, Clint's battle sequences in the show now more accurately reflect his character's creativity, whilst also adding a lightness to his personality that dominates the comic books but has been up until now rarely shown onscreen.
His Dynamic With Kate
At the heart of Hawkeye is Clint's relationship with his fan-turned-partner and protégée Kate Bishop. The archer duo may start off with conflicting ideas about how best to handle the tricky situations they find themselves in, but they quickly settle into a great friendship.
Clint's position as a mentor allows him to on the years of expertise he has, as both an Avenger and a spy, giving viewers a glimpse into more of his past, whilst Kate's disarming charm also leads to Clint further opening up to her. Additionally, Kate's fighting prowess compliments Clint's in a way that makes their partnership feel mutually beneficial.
Exploration Of Ronin
When Clint was shown using the Ronin costume and name in Avengers: Endgame, it was only for a brief time, showing how the Blip had changed him and hinting at the damage he'd done under that alter ego, but not delving into the details.
Hawkeye shows that not only did the Ronin mission take Clint across the globe, but it also had him taking on missions far closer to home, unearthing some of Kingpin's schemes in New York City and dealing with the repercussions. Filling in these details made Clint's time as Ronin feel far more grounded, and showed his ruthlessness during that era.
His Value To The Avengers
When set against the superpowers of some of his Avengers teammates, Clint's skillset can seem a little underwhelming, but Hawkeye showed time and again why having a non-powered hero on the team is so crucial.
In fact, the setup for the whole show relies upon it, as a young Kate Bishop sees Clint fighting heroically against the Chitauri and believes that she can be a hero too. Clint's status as the everyman alongside gods and billionaires proves that heroism is just as much about actions as it is about money or status, a lesson that might just make him the best Avenger in the MCU.
The New Costume
All of the Avengers have had their fair share of costumes over the years in the MCU, but Clint has consistently been outfitted in ultimately plain tactical suits that do little to make him recognizable to onlookers during combat.
Within the story of the show, Kate Bishop has noticed this and goes out of her way to get Clint a new costume, revealed in Hawkeye's final episode and becoming one of the best costumes in the Disney+ show, sharing similarities with a comic book look but standing out on its own merits too. Ultimately, this choice couples with Clint's journey to view himself as a valuable superhero to great effect.
He's A Street Level Hero
Acting as a counterpart to the street-level villains featured in the MCU, Clint is shown taking on far more localized threats in Hawkeye than he faced as both an Avenger and a spy, showing his determination to help better communities no matter their size.
Further setting him apart from other of the Avengers, Clint's concern with regards to smaller criminal organizations shows that he understands what impact such villains can have over their domain and those who live within it and that they are no less worth fighting against.
A Caring Personality
Clint has been shown to have a caring personality in the MCU prior to Hawkeye, from his love for his family to his connection and motivation of Natasha as well as Wanda and Pietro Maximoff, but this nature of his is reinforced in the show, from how he cares for Kate to his determination to his family for Christmas.
Whether it's through his desire to keep Kate safe in battle or reassuring his kids throughout his time in New York, Clint's words and actions are consistently motivated by his care for others. His dedication to righting his past wrongs so that they won't impact his family in the future informs his every decision across the season, making him a hero that's easy to root for.