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Sarah here, teaching English around the world. Living life and seeing things.
The Chaotic Duo Unites
Hawkeye is the best Avenger, and this is a hill I’m willing to die on. He is an Avenger that’s been left on the sidelines for too long. We haven’t been able to see the full potential or character of Clint Barton for so long – but that all changes with this series, and we get two Hawkeyes for the price of one!
A fitting start to the show, we learn about Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld)’s history and how she came to admire the worlds greatest archer. We also see how she gets herself into a crazy situation where she’s mixed up with her favourite hero. There are some differences to Kate’s backstory from the comics, but this wouldn’t be Marvel if this wasn’t the case. In Hawkeye, such changes are necessary for the story to take place and progress.
From left to right: Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) in Marvel Studios’ ‘Hawkeye’, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Mary Cybulski. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Cool Story, Bro!
Even from the opening credits, you can tell how heavily this series will rely on Matt Fraction’s comic book run – a critically acclaimed series for Hawkeye. The graphics seem to be pulled directly from the comics and are so fun. Although the show is very clean and bright like every Marvel production, this will definitely be a more down-to-earth show than what we’ve seen from Marvel and Disney+ so far. Still, it will be full of humour and the quick quips that are so much a part of these characters.
Along with the visuals of the show, we see some of our favourite characters from the comics. Our introduction to the Tracksuit Mafia is brief but perfect. In the first episode of Hawkeye, we only have small glimpse at them, but when we see more of them in the second episode, they are everything they should be. They look exactly like their comic counterparts, and act the same too; they are only dangerous because of their numbers, but not the sharpest tools in the shed. The humour and action is perfectly balanced and neither takes over the other.
And we can’t forget every fan’s favourite- we are blessed with the presence of Pizza Dog, who I am sure will become everyone’s favourite character if he isn’t already.
Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) in Marvel Studios’ HAWKEYE, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Kate Bishop – World’s Greatest Archer (Maybe)
When I first saw the casting for Kate Bishop, I was a little bit sceptical. Both Hawkeyes have long been my favourite, and here was an actor I was unsure about. However, when I saw Hailee Steinfeld on screen, I was instantly put at ease. She captures Kate Bishop so well, and has all of her humour and charisma. She’s the rich kid with a good heart, but she knows how to get herself into a little bit of trouble, as well as being able to get herself out of it – usually.
The character is a skilled archer and martial artist, able to hold her own in a tricky situation. These are just some of the things we love about Kate. But we also see pretty early on how she might not make the best decisions – another thing we love about her.
The first episode of Hawkeye is mostly about Kate, and gives us a great introduction to the character, as well as showing us exactly what she is capable of. A little naïve and lost in this new world, but able to keep up. Hailee Steinfeld does a really good job with bringing Kate Bishop to life. She’s a solid character who will be able to hold up against some of the best, and I’m super excited to see where Marvel takes her next.
Clint Barton – Just Wants to Have a Quiet Christmas
One of my favourite things about Hawkeye so far is that we finally have a hard of hearing Hawkeye.
There are some references throughout the series, including the Bartons using sign language, and the references to Clint’s hearing aids. These were such small but important moments, and it made me so happy to see this included. To finally have something that is such an integral part of the character and so simple, I’m happy they’ve finally included this.
We don’t really get to see much of Clint Barton in this first episode, other than to set up how much of a family man he is, as well as the obviously doomed promise of the “best Barton Christmas ever!” However, the second episode of Hawkeye focuses more on Clint, and his struggle to fix this whole mess. We already know a little about Clint Barton so it’s good that we get thrown straight into his story, but we also get to explore the character in more detail. We see more about his family life and his struggle to adjust to life after the Avengers. While we don’t get much new information, I’m excited to see what we get in the future.
From left to right: Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) and Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) in Marvel Studios’ HAWKEYE, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Chuck Zlotnick. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
A Great Start
Along with our two Hawkeye protagonists, we’re introduced to a fantastic cast of characters who, at this time, we are still waiting to see what their roles are. One of my favourite introductions is at the end of Episode 2. Although it is very brief, I think it sets up the next episode perfectly and is a fantastic way to bring this character into the show.
A great first two episodes introduce the characters and set the tone perfectly. Although we don’t get too much action, we are given just enough to keep us hooked and show off the skills our characters have. And, now that the backstory and initial setup is out of the way, I’m looking forward to more action and more jokes in future episodes.
Hawkeye stars Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Alaqua Cox, Vera Fermiga and Tony Dalton, and is directed by Rhys Thomas. The first two episodes of Hawkeye will be available on Disney+ on November 24th, 2021.
Sarah here, teaching English around the world. Living life and seeing things.
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