Jeremy Renner says the series format was "one of the biggest factors" that made him say yes to Hawkeye. (Photo: PR Handout) In the Disney+ series Hawkeye, actor Jeremy Renner reprises the titular role that he has played in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2011’s Thor. In the show, Renner’s Clint Barton partners up with Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop to face enemies from his past. Renner said that the format was “one of the biggest factors” that made him say yes to the series. While Hawkeye is one of the OG Avengers, we still do not know much about him as a person, other than the fact that he has a family. This is something that the show, which premiered with two episodes last week, promises to change.
While speaking to Indianexpress.com, Renner said, “The pitch was of a very intimate, human and relatable story. He’s not even in his costume. He’s with his family in New York, and it has this Christmas spirit to it. And it allows for a more natural transition into understanding a character that we think we know – but really, we don’t.”
Hawkeye is one of the few MCU superheroes who does not have any special physical ability like Thor or Hulk. Nor does he have loads of money to spend on futuristic tech, like Iron Man and Black Panther. He has to rely on his ability as an archer to fight enemies. This makes him the only “relatable” Avenger, the only one who is truly human.
Renner also said that Hawkeye, the show, puts the character “into a world where we can really understand him.” He added, “And then, with the new characters like Kate Bishop, we get to explore the human side of it. Look, don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of action. There’s a lot of amazing things and tonnes of surprises. But it only matters if you care about the people. And we get to spend six hours here. You just normally couldn’t do in a big giant two hour film, you know?”
Steinfeld spoke to us about the radical transition from starring in a period drama series like Apple TV+’s Dickinson to Hawkeye, a big-budget modern-day Marvel adventure. She said that she was “overwhelmed” by the thought of how different the two worlds were going to be because she had spent so much time as Emily Dickinson.
But it helped that Hawkeye was so accessible. “You know, while it [Hawkeye] is part of this huge universe, you still feel a part of this small little family right within the show. So, with Dickinson coming to an end, I was excited to be able to step into this and start something new,” she said.
Hawkeye is streaming in India on Disney+ Hotstar.
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