‘Hawkeye’ – ‘Never Meet Your Heroes’ – Review

A return to the live-action fun of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is always a moment to cherish, and now fans can bask in the fun and quickfire energy of Marvel Studios all-new Hawkeye series, which introduces us to a veteran superhero and his new apprentice.

Now living in a post-blip world where everything has seemed to return to normal Avenger and ace archer Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) aka Hawkeye is now retired from the superhero game and just looking to spend Christmas with his family. Although his former life is hard to forget. Hawkeye fan and mischievous college student Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) on the other hand is looking for a challenge in life and her would-be vigilante activities cause her more trouble than it’s worth. Through happenstance and a new conspiracy these two are thrown together in the streets of New York and its archers at your ready.

Director Rhys Thomas takes audiences back to New York City for a holiday spectacular with Hawkeye and Christmas is very much all around. In New York this holiday season is Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) who is trying to make the most of the holiday season with his children, while also trying to leave behind the brutal PTSD he’s had to live with as an Avenger. And it’s a hard thing to do. The last thing Renner’s Barton wants is more trouble, but this is a man who has lived on the edge his whole life. And the choices of his life have made him a lot of enemies, and many of them still hold a grudge.

I’ve long been a big fan of Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye. For me personally, he’s always been a character whose been overlooked by many in the MCU, but his role within it is of vital importance. Hawkeye is the everyman of the Avengers, while he’s a skilled soldier and veteran, he’s also the embodiment of what defines and drives the Avengers. He’s no god, super soldier or Hulk, but rather a man who through willpower and skill has made himself into a hero. And that is extremely praiseworthy. Barton is also a devoted family man and father, and this part of his life makes his work as an Avenger even more profound as you know what he’s fighting for. Now with Hawkeye, we’re going to see what really makes Barton tick and I think that’s incredibly exciting.

But Hawkeye is not just Barton’s story alone, as we’re also introduced to a brand new character who is making her debut in the MCU in the form of Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), and this girl is a very big Hawkeye fan. Best described as a trouble-making, smart alec and would-be vigilante, Kate is far more complex than she lets on, and she’s a very big Hawkeye fan. With her knack for getting into trouble, and dreams of being a superhero like her hero Hawkeye, things soon get very real for Kate and it becomes clear that being a hero is a far more complex job than she could ever have imagined.

In Hawkeye, we’re also introduced to Vera Farmiga as Kate’s mother, Eleanor Bishop, the owner of Bishop Security, and a glamourous socialite who doesn’t share Kate’s dreams of superheroes. Farmiga makes an interesting addition to the MCU and Eleanor is very much a foil for Kate’s antics. Eleanor also happens to be in a relationship with the mysterious and debonair Jack Duquesne (Tony Dalton), a charming old-money figure who has his own secret agenda at hand and whom Kate doesn’t approve of one little bit. Dalton strikes a very slick figure here as Duquesne and he’s a scene-stealer in Hawkeye for sure.

Each new Marvel Studios series on Disney+ has its own unique rhythm and this is definitely true of Hawkeye. Part Christmas movie, part buddy-comedy and part spy-thriller, Thomas and his team have certainly marked this series out as uniquely its own. While we’re only at the beginning of the series I can very much feel that we’re going to move into the high stakes territory of the spy thriller genre, and that matched with the back and forth banter of Barton and Bishop is sure to keep this show lively. Action fans will also be pleased as there’s some great ground and pound action, and I’m certain that this is only going to build from here.

Fans are also treated to a big surprise in the form of Rogers: The Musical, Broadway’s latest smash hit success, and this moment displayed in Hawkeye, and Renner’s reaction to all of it as Barton is hilariously funny to watch. Hawkeye is mixing so many genres together here, and audiences get a solid reward because of it.

Hawkeye is off to a great start thanks to Episode One, and we’re ready to see a brand new side to one of the original Avengers and his new, accidental protege who is ready to take up the good fight.

Hawkeye streams on Disney+ every Wednesday.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures