This week, we wrapped up the first (and only?) season of the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe series from Disney Plus - Hawkeye. We wanted to take a look at the series as a whole, now that its 6 episode season has all been released.
The Premise
The series is about Cint Barnes (aka Hawkeye) as he visits NY with his kids before Christmas. His family vacation takes a detour when he sees someone wearing his old Ronin costume on the news. Clint took on the persona of Ronin after Thanos killed half the people on earth (his entire family among them) as a way to cope with his grief.
The vigilante Ronin killed an untold number of criminals during the time when half the world was gone. He retired Ronin and went back to being Hawkeye as the Avengers figured out a way to reverse the Snap. Only a few people ever knew Ronin’s real identity and Clint needs to keep the secret, since there are many people who might hunt down Clint and his family if the secret was known.
His hunt for the costume leads him to meet Kate Bishop, a young archer who unknowingly put on the Ronin suit. The two form a partnership (despite Clint’s hesitance) as the mystery spirals, weaving in a Black Widow assassin (Natasha’s sister, Yelena), a deaf woman with unique fighting ability (Maya, aka Echo), and the fact that Kate’s mother is a criminal working for the Kingpin. By the end, the two have formed a great team and taken down all the bad guys, while resolving various conflicts along the way.
How Does it Stack up Against the other MCU Series?
Disney Plus has released four MCU series in 2021 (WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, What If?, and Hawkeye) and each has received positive reviews from critics and fans alike. Comparing them is a bit tricky. 2 push some serious boundaries of reality (WandaVision, What If? and Loki) while the other two are more grounded.
All have moments of humor, mixed with serious issues facing the characters. Hawkeye does separate itself as the clearest origin story series, as Kate Bishop will take on the role of Hawkeye either immediately or down the road, based on the comics. WandaVision also introduced us to Monica Rambeau’s Photon character, but she was a side character to the story.
Kate and Clint were the two main characters in Hawkeye. From a tone standpoint, WandaVision was fairly unique, given its reality-bending premise. Loki was also a trip, with multiple Loki variants showing up. Falcon/Soldier introduced us to American Agent and officially passed the mantle of Captain America to the Falcon.
If I had to rank them, I think I would put WandaVision first, followed by Loki, Hawkeye, Falcon/Soldier, and What If?. I liked them all, but if you have to rank, that’s the way I would do it.
Moving the MCU Story Forward
Every MCU series has played a part in moving the larger story forward for the entire film and series franchise. WandaVision gave us an inner look at magic and saw Wanda changing reality to suit her wishes. As we now officially know, this will lead into the next Dr. Strange film in 2022, as Wanda will play a key role in the film.
Loki fully introduced the Multiverse to the MCU and gave a reason why the Multiverse had begun to emerge again, which plays right into that Dr. Strange movie, along with Spider-Man: No Way Home. What If? also gave us a deeper look into the Multiverse and based on the new trailer for Dr. Strange, it might just be that a storyline from the animated show is going to make it into the live-action MCU (Dark Dr. Strange).
So, these three shows have major implications for the entire Multiverse concept which we know will be a primary part of the next phase of the MCU. Falcon/Soldier and Hawkeye don’t go down the road of making major impacts on the entire MCU. Yes, Sam Wilson (aka Falcon) is now the next Captain America, who we will see in future films and possibly series.
We also get to see what could be the early origins of a Thunderbolts-like team of slightly less than perfect heroes (with American Agent and Yelena as two possible members). Kate Bishop as the next Hawkeye could lead to a Young Avengers film or series at some point, also featuring Yelena and others. But, those two don’t have quite the same impact as all the Multiverse storylines.
Hawkey Meet Hawkeye
Hawkeye has always been the likely least powerful and least interesting member of the Avengers. So, giving him time to step into the spotlight is an interesting choice. But, it turns out that he is a far more interesting character than many fans (this one included) might have thought. We see more of his human side, but he also holds his own fighting off an unending number of Tracksuit Mafia members. It was a surprising treat to get to know this character better.
Meanwhile, we also get to know Kate Bishop and watch their relationship. The onscreen chemistry between the two actors and characters is extremely fun to watch. It’s funny, like any buddy comedy, but also has some heartfelt moments. We also get an understanding of why Clint would warm up to her and eventually accept her as his partner.
While I haven’t seen anything official, with Kate Bishop stepping into the Hawkeye persona at some point, it seems like this may be the last time we see Clint Barnes in an MCU movie or series.
What’s the Verdict?
If you like the MCU, it’s a no doubt must-watch. The show is very funny, with the least serious tone of any of the Disney Plus shows. I can’t say I was ever too concerned about the consequences of what might happen to the characters. But, as a holiday show (it takes place right up through Christmas Day) it was actually a really enjoyable way to wind down the year. Right now, this show takes its place right up with the rest of the Disney Plus series as a well-made, entertaining show, We can’t wait to see the upcoming shows that Disney and the MCU have in store for us in 2022!
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