Who's Who In the New MCU Series?
After years in the background, Clint Barton is stepping into the spotlight. In Hawkeye, the Avenger will be headlining his own show on Disney+. Loosely based on the Matt Fraction, David Aja, and Annie Wu comic book run from 2012-2015, the spin-off sees Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) teaming up with new archer Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) to confront enemies from his time as the anti-hero Ronin.
The holiday and festive-themed show will be the fifth Marvel Cinematic Universe show on Disney+. The characters and even the promotional posters have heavily lifted from the comic book Hawkeye run.
If you’re wondering who all the characters are, this quick guide is meant for you.
Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner)
Jeremy Renner will be reprising his role as the man with the bow and arrow. The Avengers’ resident archer, Clint Barton/Hawkeye has a simple mission on Hawkeye—to get back home to his family in time for the holidays. We’re unsure whose naughty list Clint landed on, because there are villains on his tail, and a family reunion seems next to impossible.
There’s no arguing that Clint has been underwritten in the MCU; he spent his first big appearance in The Avengers under the thrall of Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and was even missing from all of Avengers: Infinity War. A show like Hawkeye is the vehicle needed to develop the character and allow Renner to flex his Oscar-nominated acting chops. Renner has said that many of Clint’s relationships in the MCU have been paternal in nature, and it seems he’ll be taking on a similar role in Kate Bishop’s life on Hawkeye.
Renner also confirmed that the character will be suffering hearing loss, a key aspect of his comic book character that hadn’t been adapted for the MCU.
Renner’s career already spans over two decades, and his resume is packed with big-hitters like The Hurt Locker, the Mission: Impossible franchise, American Hustle, and the recently releasedMayor of Kingstown.
Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld)
After her breakout role in True Grit, Steinfeld has been a mainstay on the screen, be it big or small. From winning hearts in Bumblebee and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse to slaying her role as literary icon Emily Dickinson on Dickinson, Steinfeld was a fan-favorite casting for the character of Kate Bishop. In the comics, Kate is a socialite who became disillusioned by her family’s wealth and idolized Hawkeye for being a superhero with no powers. She trained in combat and had since become part of the Young Avengers.
We don’t know much about the MCU version of Kate Bishop—aside from the fact that she has killer skills and an equally sharp personality. Also, Kate may be the only way Clint is able to return to his family again.
Lucky the Pizza Dog (Jolt)
Content warning: Animal abuse
The two Hawkeye heroes may be the stars of the show, but fans are most excited for the debut of Lucky, the pizza-loving dog. In the comics, poor Lucky originally belonged to Ivan Banionis—his name was Arrow—who was abusive to the dog. When Lucky tried to save Hawkeye from being shot by one of Ivan’s goons, Ivan beat up Lucky and threw him into oncoming traffic. Clint was able to save him, but Lucky lost an eye. After the rescue, Clint adopted Lucky and he became close with both Clint and Kate. Jolt is bringing the fan-favorite Lucky on screen and she looks like she’s leaped straight off the page. Jolt was apparently a consummate professional on-set and Marvel knows her appeal because she has been a significant part of the show’s marketing.
Eleanor Bishop (Vera Farmiga)
Vera Farmiga is a well-known name, irrespective of which genre of films one watches. She’s appeared in everything from her Oscar-nominated turn in Up in the Air to her role as real-life paranormal investigator Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring franchise.
In Hawkeye, he plays Eleanor Bishop—Kate’s mother. In the comics, Eleanor was the generous parent, working in soup kitchens and helping society despite her wealth. Then she died while Kate was young, only to reappear later on ordering Madame Masque to take down her own daughter! Eleanor isn’t completely evil, however, which makes her even more unpredictable. Will she be revealed as Madame Masque herself?
Kazi (Fra Fee)
Actor Fra Fee has appeared in numerous productions, starting with 2012’s Les Misérables to the recent Cinderella live-action remake. He’ll be playing a character called Kazi on Hawkeye which is most likely short for Kazimierz Kazimierczak—a Marvel comic villain known as The Clown. In the Hawkeye comics, The Clown is an assassin hired by Ivan Banionis to kill Clint; he successfully kills Clint’s neighbor. It’s obvious that Kazi will likely be a villain in the show, but it’ll be more interesting to see who is pulling his strings.
Jack Duquesne (Tony Dalton)
Tony Dalton has a formidable career on screen and in theater. The Mexican-American actor was already a hugely successful star in Mexico before his turn in Better Call Saul earned him American fans. Now he’s set to appear on Hawkeye as Jack Duquesne. Who is this character? The closest comic book character is Jacques Duquesne, aka Swordsman. In the comics, Duquesne was a performer with mastery over knives and blades, hence the moniker. He met a young Clint Barton at a carnival and became his mentor, as well as a father figure. Swordsman’s vices led him to a life of crime and he and Clint became estranged (he tried to kill Clint). Duquesne has been both a hero and a villain in the comics. Assuming Jack Duquesne is the same character, he could give viewers insight into Clint’s past in the MCU.
Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox)
Hawkeye is Alaqua Cox’s first acting role and she is a much-needed addition to the MCU. Like her comic book counterpart Maya Lopez, Alaqua is Native-American and born deaf—but Alaqua is also an amputee. In the comics, Maya Lopez’s father was a mobster who worked for Kingpin. After her father’s death, Kingpin took her in and ensured she had the best education money could buy. Maya’s superhero moniker is Echo because she can literally echo, or mimic, other people’s movements. This makes her a formidable fighter.
Cox is already scheduled to headline her own show on Disney+. Echo was among the surprise announcements on Disney Day 2021. Interestingly, Echo has a history with Daredevil, though we probably shouldn’t get our hopes up that The Devil of Hell's Kitchen will appear on Hawkeye.
William Lopez (Zahn McClarnon)
Veteran actor Zahn McClarnon is bringing more Native-American representation to the MCU. McClarnon’s resume is too extensive to list here, but he is recognizable from Westworld, Reservation Dogs, Doctor Sleep, Fargo, and Longmire. McClarnon is playing William Lopez, Maya’s father. In the comics, the character is named Willie Lincoln and he was one of the Kingpin’s henchmen before he was killed. Our guess is McClarnon’s role as William will be minor but an essential part of Maya’s journey.
Derek Bishop (Brian d’Arcy James)
Another veteran actor from stage and screen appearing on Hawkeye is Brian d’Arcy James. His resume includes Shrek the Musical, Spotlight, Smash, and 13 Reasons Why. James is starring as Derek Bishop, Kate’s wealthy father. In the comics, Derek was always distant towards his daughters, and was even estranged from his wife Eleanor. After Eleanor’s reported death, Derek immersed himself in his work—philanthropic and business—thereby driving a bigger wedge between him and Kate. The character is likely to be similar on the show.
Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova)
One of the most exciting new additions to the MCU is Florence Pugh. It takes a certain kind of skill to overshadow Scarlet Johansson, but Pugh managed that in every scene in Black Widow. The Midsommar and Little Women actor plays Yelena Belova, a former Black Widow operative and Natasha Romanoff’s sister who took down the Red Room. At the end of Black Widow, Yelena was visited by Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and ordered to eliminate the man who killed Natasha— none other than Hawkeye himself, Clint Barton. Pugh has been conspicuously missing from all promotional material but is credited in the cast list. Will she be a thorn in Hawkeye’s side or turn into an eventual ally?
Laura Barton (Linda Cardellini)
The criminally underused, yet scene-stealing Linda Cardellini returns as Clint’s adoring wife, Laura. After her breakout role on Freaks & Geek, Cardellini appeared as Velma in the live-action Scooby-Doo film, co-starred in Brokeback Mountain, and has been one-half of the on-screen duo in Netflix’s Dead to Me. Cardellini brings her trademark to Laura as a character who can be cheery through even the worst situations. Laura always looks happily resigned to living a lonely life on a farm in the middle of nowhere, while her husband disappears on dangerous missions. Despite that, Cardellini has imbued the character with joie de vivre that’s made Laura’s brief moments in the MCU memorable. Laura was among those killed in the Snap, so we wonder if she’ll be coping with that in any way on the show. Or perhaps, she’s just back to doing what she does best, waiting for that globetrotting husband of hers to return.
Lila Barton (Ava Russo)
Ava Russo’s only acting credits so far have been in Avengers: Endgame and the Hawkeye series. And if her surname sounds familiar, it’s because she’s the daughter of Endgame director, Joe Russo. Russo plays the oldest Barton child, Lila, who was training with a bow and arrow when Thanos’ Snap disintegrated her along with the rest of the family. Could she bring some of her skills to the show? Lila will be joined by her younger brothers, Cooper (Ben Sakamoto), and Nathaniel (Cade Woodward) on the show.
Ivan (Aleks Paunovic)
Aleks Paunovic has appeared in countless television shows including Battlestar Galactica, Continuum, Supernatural, and Snowpiercer. His towering 6’ 5” frame is instantly recognizable, and he’s likely to play Ivan Banionis on Hawkeye. In the comics, Ivan is Clint’s evil landlord who mistreats his renters—to the extent that Ivan sends thugs, who Clint dubs the "Tracksuit Mafia," to terrorize his tenants. Ivan is also the one who hires The Clown to kill Clint. In the MCU, Clint lives on a farm, so we’re unsure how Ivan fits into the story, but he’s going to be a pain in the Avenger’s side.
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