Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye is set to star in his own Marvel Cinematic Universe series on Disney+, and it looks to tell the story of the Avenger's skilled archer in a post-Blip New York City as he meets up with Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop to put an end to a criminal enterprise. The series is set to have a two-episode premiere on November 24, and we've created this guide to help get you ready for the latest entry in the MCU.
Join us as we share everything you need to know for Hawkeye's streaming debut on Disney+, including the full cast, all the images and trailers released so far, and details of its production from those who are bringing it to life.
Marvel’s Hawkeye Release Date
The first two episodes of Marvel’s Hawkeye will premiere on Disney+ on November 24, 2021. New episodes will be released each Wednesday until the final episode airs on December 22, 2021.
How Can I Watch Marvel’s Hawkeye?
Marvel’s Hawkeye will be available exclusively on Disney+ for all subscribers.
How Many Episodes Are in the First Season of Marvel’s Hawkeye?
The first season of Marvel’s Hawkeye will consist of six episodes.
- Episode 1: November 24, 2021
- Episode 2: November 24, 2021
- Episode 3: December 1, 2021
- Episode 4: December 8, 2021
- Episode 5: December 15, 2021
- Episode 6: December 22, 2021
What Is Marvel’s Hawkeye About and How Does It Fit Into the MCU?
Marvel’s Hawkeye takes place after Avengers: Endgame in a post-Blip New York City that sees Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye trying to get home in time for Christmas. Unfortunately, a “threat from his past shows up” and derails all his plans. This all leads him to team up with Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop to put a stop to a criminal enterprise.
Will Hawkeye Get a Second Season?
There has been no official word of a second season for Marvel’s Hawkeye. We know that Loki and Marvel’s What If…? will be getting second seasons, but WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier appear to be done (for now).
Marvel’s Hawkeye Cast, Actors, and Crew
Jeremy Renner, who first appeared as Clint Barton / Hawkeye in a brief cameo role in 2011’s Thor, is once again picking up the bow as the lead in Disney+’s Hawkeye series. Joining him as a newcomer to the MCU is Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop, who just so happens to be Hawkeye’s biggest fan. Marvel’s Hawkeye will also see the return of Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova and will explore the fallout from Black Widow’s end credits scene.
Another big new addition to the cast and the MCU is Alaqua Cox, who is set to play Maya Lopez before she stars in a spin-off series called Echo. Lopez is a deaf Native American character who has the ability to perfectly copy anyone’s fighting style, much like Taskmaster.
Fra Fee is playing Kazimierz “Kazi” Kazimierczak, a character from the comics who is known as the Clown and is a Polish assassin-for-hire who is often utilized by powerful mob bosses. The Clown plays a big role in the Hawkeye comic by Matt Fraction and David Aja that this show takes inspiration from, so he may wind up being a key element of the series.
Tony Dalton will take on the role of Jack “Swordsman” Duquesne, a character who was Barton’s mentor and father figure in the comics. Jack taught Barton how to fight with a sword, while Trick Shot showed him the ways of the bow.
Perhaps most importantly, Jolt the golden retriever dog will star as Lucky the Pizza Dog, a wonderful and perfect dog who… well… loves pizza! Can you blame him?
Check out the brand new character posters for Marvel Studios’ #Hawkeye and start streaming the first two episodes November 24 on @DisneyPlus. #PizzaDog pic.twitter.com/kLG1fLyOoz
— Hawkeye (@hawkeyeofficial) November 17, 2021
Cast List:
- Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye
- Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop
- Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova
- Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez / Echo
- Vera Farmiga as Eleanor Bishop
- Tony Dalton as Jack “Swordsman” Duquesne
- Zahn McClarnon as William Lopez
- Brian d’Arcy James as Derek Bishop
- Linda Cardellini as Laura Barton
- Aleks Paunovic as Ivan
- Fra Fee as Kazimierz “Kazi” Kazimierczak
- Ava Russo as Lila Barton
- Piotr Adamczyk as Tomas
- Clayton English as Grills
- Cade Woodward as Nathaniel Barton
Hawkeye's showrunner is Mad Men and Bridgerton's Jonathan Igla, and he is also serving as head writer and executive producer. On the directing front, Troop Zero's Amber Finlayson and Katie Ellwood – who are better known by their pen names Bert and Bertie – will be joined by Staten Island Summer's Rhys Thomas, who will also serve as an executive producer.
Other executive producers include Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Trinh Tran, Brad Winderbaum, and Alex Lalonde.
Will Marvel’s Hawkeye Deal With the Fallout of Barton’s Time as Ronin?
Yes, Marvel’s Hawkeye will address all the people Barton killed as Ronin following the events of Avengers: Infinity War. For those who don’t remember, Thanos’ snap wiped out Barton’s entire family and he went on a rampage streak that saw him going after the criminals of the world who did survive instead of his own family.
In an interview with Gamesradar, Hawkeye’s directors Bert & Bertie (Amber Finlayson and Katie Ellwood) confirmed that this part of Barton’s story will not be ignored.
Wasn't Hawkeye Supposed to Be A Movie?
During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hawkeye producer Trinh Tran confirmed that, while the Disney+ series was originally set to be a solo movie starring Jeremy Renner, there were simply too many details that needed explaining for a feature film's runtime.
“It allows us the creative flexibility to explore the characters a lot more because we have the time and space to do so,” she explained. “We decided to move Hawkeye from the feature side over to the Disney+ side for that very reason.”
“The big question was, ‘How are we going to fit all of this into a two-hour timeframe? We have an Avenger whose backstory we haven’t quite had time to explore yet,” she continued. “We also have to introduce a new character [Kate Bishop], as well as allow enough time for them to bond and create that special dynamic that everybody finds so appealing in the comics’.”
“In moving it over, it allowed us six hours, three times as much time, which really gave us the creative flexibility we needed to tell the story,” added Tran. “But challenges come with it as well. We have a process at Marvel, and we try to maintain that same process both on the feature side and the TV series side. We treat it as one process that works well for us.”
“But things happen faster on the TV end,” she said. “We have the same amount of time that we normally do on the feature end, but we have three times as much content that we have to deliver in a shorter time span.”
Who Is Kate Bishop?
In the comics, Kate Bishop was one of the several teenage heroes who stepped up to fill a void left by the death of both Hawkeye and the disbanding of the Avengers. Bishop would go on to spearhead a new team called the Young Avengers and would take on the mantle of Hawkeye.
Kate Bishop was created by writer Allan Heinberg and artist Jim Cheung and made her debut in 2005’s Young Avengers. Much like Clint Barton, Bishop has no superhuman abilities; she is simply a skilled fighter and an incredible marksman who has made a name for herself.
In Marvel’s Hawkeye, Hailee Steinfeld will become Kate Bishop and will be trained by Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton as, unlike in the comics version of Kate’s origin, he is still very much alive.
Will Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin From Daredevil Appear in Marvel’s Hawkeye?
One of the biggest rumors swirling around the production of Marvel’s Hawkeye is whether or not Vincent D’Onofrio will once again become Wilson Fisk / Kingpin for the upcoming series. D’Onofrio starred as the villain for Marvel since the first season of Netflix’s Daredevil.
One of the main reasons people believe Kingpin will make an appearance is that, in the comics, Maya Lopez / Echo was taken in by Kingpin, although she was unaware of some of the crimes of his past that directly impacted her. This put her on a path that not only included Kingpin, but also Daredevil. D’Onofrio’s arrival could be part of the foundation they are setting for the Echo series or beyond if it actually happens.
In September 2021, D’Onofrio was interviewed by ScreenRant and shared his desire to play Kingpin again, especially in the MCU. He said he was just waiting for Marvel to ask him.
“I so badly want to play that character again,” D’Onofrio said. “I love that character. I just have to wait for Marvel to ask me. I think it's very clear that I would, and the fans know that I would jump at the chance to play again. I just need to be asked.”
Now, D’Onofrio could have been lying like many actors before him when they are linked to a secret project, or he may really still be waiting. One of his latest Tweets from November 17 fueled the speculation train, as he Quote Tweeted a Hawkeye trailer and said, “This is going to be fun. I love these @Marvel series.” Was this just a show of appreciation for the upcoming series, or is he teasing his return? Well, we will know soon enough.
Marvel’s Hawkeye Comic Book Inspiration
Marvel’s Hawkeye is inspired by the Hawkeye comic series by Matt Fraction and David Aja that focuses more on Clint Barton’s troubled civilian life than his superhero one. This doesn’t mean there won’t be action, as the comic has many tense moments of him protecting his fellow apartment building tenants from gun-toting members of a Russian gang of “Tracksuit Draculas.”
In the MCU, Clint lives on a farm with his family instead of in a city, but this story will still most likely deal with the more human side of Barton and take a look at his history and how he became who he is today, including putting a bit more focus on his time as Ronin.
Will Marvel’s Hawkeye Feature Any MCU Cameos?
While there are always surprises in store for these series, we do know that alongside Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye, we will get to see more of Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, who was introduced in Black Widow.
Marvel’s Hawkeye Trailers and Behind-The-Scenes Videos
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.