Hawkeye (2021 - )
Hawkeye (Episodes 1 and 2)
- 4/5 Cameras 🎥🎥🎥🎥
- Created by: Jonathan Igla
- Starring: Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, and Vera Farmiga
- Where to find it: Disney +
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| No Copyright Infringement Intended To be brutally honest, when Marvel Studios began announcing their
slate of Disney + shows, Hawkeye probably wasn’t high on most people’s
anticipation lists. The main reason for this is the underutilisation and lack
of character development Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton has received in the MCU
thus far but add Hailee Steinfeld and a heavy influence from one of Marvel’s best-received
comics to the mix, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for a hit show. As previously mentioned, the 6 episode series, Hawkeye, is loosely
adapted from Matt Fraction and David Aja’s critically acclaimed 2012 comic run
of the same name, with its influence being felt almost immediately in the show’s
HBO style opening credits. Set two years after the events of Avengers: Endgame,
Hawkeye follows former Avenger Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) as he teams up with
fellow archer Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) to confront his past and attempt to
get home in time for Christmas. At the beginning of episode 1, entitled ‘Never Meet Your
Heroes’, we find Clint (Jeremy Renner) in New York City a week before Christmas
with his family. The former Avenger, grappling with a sense of imposter syndrome,
has been invited to watch a Broadway show about his teammate Captain America, with
the scene that follows seemingly setting the tone of the show. Clint watches
the show’s actors perform a ridiculous musical number re-enacting the infamous
Battle of New York, but instead of laughing or enjoying the performance, he’s
overcome with grief at the sight of his deceased best friend Natasha Romanoff’s
on-stage counterpart. On the surface, Hawkeye may seem like a fun little show,
but I suspect it isn’t going to shy away from darker subject areas. Episode 1 also introduces us to Kate Bishop (Hailee
Steinfeld) a character who’s long been a firm favourite with fans of the comics.
Hailee Steinfeld’s casting as Kate may well be one of the best decisions Marvel
has ever made, with Steinfeld embodying the character’s witty nature and charm
even better than expected and making it impossible not to immediately love her.
If the first two episodes are precedent from the rest of the series, then it’s
very clear that this is Kate Bishop’s show. I also found it refreshing that when
we first meet a 22-year-old Kate, she’s already a highly skilled archer and
fighter, with shots of numerous awards and trophies giving audiences an insight
into her determined nature. One factor that makes Matt Fraction and David Aja’s comic
run so iconic is the chemistry between Clint and Kate, with Clint acting as an
unwilling mentor to an overly enthusiastic and quick-tongued Kate. Luckily, the
show wastes no time in putting our two main characters on screen together, with
their first interaction happening at the end of the first episode, and thankfully
their relationship translates perfectly from paper to screen. Steinfeld’s
Bishop and her ‘can do’ attitude balances perfectly with Clint’s (Jeremy Renner)
cynicism, and ultimately leads to Clint being the most enjoyable he’s been
since his MCU introduction. I will say, however, that in the first two episodes
Vera Farmiga is underused as Eleanor Bishop, but I’m sure that will change as
the series progresses. With a slew of releases in 2021, most of which have had some
sort of multiversal connection, Marvel has decided to take it back to basics
with Hawkeye, opting to instead give the show a more self-contained and grounded
feel. The show takes place in New York, and has relatively low stakes, choosing
to focus on underground crime organisations, and is all the better for it. By
staying true to its comic roots, Hawkeye’s street-level story and action allow audiences
to really get to know its characters, whilst also giving them a well-needed
breather from the increasingly complicated MCU. It’s also worth a mention that
the criminal group, The Tracksuit Mafia, seen in both episodes, are pulled
straight out of the comics and are just as funny on screen as they are on
paper. Some may think that choosing to set the show around Christmas was an
unexpected move, but thankfully it’s a move that pays off. Having the series
set in the festive season gives Hawkeye a warm and inviting feel right from the
get-go, although it also does lend itself to an onslaught of Die Hard comparisons. Hawkeye started the year relatively low on my list of anticipated projects, but by the end of episode 2, I’m starting to think it might just
become one of my favourite releases of the year. Will it surpass Wandavision? I’m
unsure. One thing I am sure of, however, is that Kate Bishop is the best
addition the MCU has had in years (Now give me a Young Avengers show). |
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