Disney+ Hits a Bullseye With Fun New Series, ‘Hawkeye’
The Avengers are back. This time following Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, as he tries to make his way home in time for Christmas. This new Disney+ exclusive series is set in a post-blip New York City. Hawkeye, played by Jeremy Renner, almost leaves NYC with his kids without batting an eyelash, but when a threat from his past shows up again and targets someone who isn’t him, he teams up with newcomer Kate Bishop, played by Hailee Steinfeld, to uncover a criminal conspiracy no one saw coming.
Kate Bishop happens to be Hawkeye’s biggest fan and also the reason he’s dragged into this tangled web in the first place. She’s a skilled archer herself who trained to be just like him when he saved her town when she was a little girl. Hawkeye stays to help Kate unravel the mystery of what’s really happening in NYC. What Marvel does so well plays on campy and hilarious moments in ways that I think sometimes D.C. series are lacking.
In one scene, Hawkeye walks past a group of fans who he thinks are starry-eyed for him, but they’re actually gushing at a cosplayer who is playing Ms. Katniss Everdeen from Hunger Games. Kate and Hawkeye’s back-and-forth reminds us of a playful father-daughter relationship. She’s a wild child, but he’s able to help Kate really hone in on her skills even more. The series takes place right after Black Widow is gone so viewers can see Clint really grappling at times with being the best dad he can be to his kids in the beginning, and grieving as he should be. After all, Black Widow was his best friend.
I can’t wait to see more of what happens next between Hawkeye, Kate, and the Tracksuit Mafia, who really has it out for Hawkeye, and I also want to know if Jack is as shady as I think he is. My gut is saying that Jack is the worst of them all, but that her mother might be tackling some demons of her own. I am thinking that Yelena will come in the next episode to save the day, but only time will tell if my predictions are correct.
The series also features Linda Cardellini as Laura Barton; Vera Farmiga as Kate’s mother, Eleanor; Tony Dalton as Jack Duquesne; Brian d’Arcy James as Derek Bishop; Fra Free as Kazi; Tony Dalton as the Swordsman; Zahn McClarnon as William Lopez; and newcomer Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez aka Echo. Anyone who follows the comics is waiting to see where they go with these characters. Because first impressions aren’t always as they seem and viewers see glimpses of that in these first few episodes.
While Hawkeye was originally meant to be another Marvel movie, I think the right move was to make it into a series as we’re able to see Hawkeye grow as a character in a way that an audience might not be able to get out of a two- or three-hour movie. Directed by Rhys Thomas and the duo, Bert and Bertie, this new series is sure to be on everyone’s radar. New episodes of Hawkeye can be streamed every Wednesday at 12 a.m. PT/3 a.m. ET only on Disney+. The first two episodes are out now. Kick off the holiday season the right way and watch this must-see series ASAP.
Editorial Director | Writer | Tweet me @heatherriccio
