2021 was the year of brand new heroes. First, WandaVision came along and introduced the world to Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau before The Falcon and the Winter Soldier paved the way for a new Falcon in Joaquin Torres. Loki brought both Kid Loki and Sylvie into the picture, and Black Widow invited Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova along for the ride. It wasn’t until Hawkeye, however, that the biggest of the bunch landed: Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop.
The final MCU series of the year showed the new hero getting into a mess revolving around a murder mystery and Clint Barton’s former Ronin costume. The result was a fun, action-filled adventure that saw Jeremy Renner’s original Avenger team up with the newbie to save Christmas—or so to speak.
Steinfeld’s new character is a bigger deal than most because she goes on to be one of the key members of the Young Avengers, a team the MCU is no doubt building its way towards.
Now, Marvel Studios Director of Visual Development Andy Park has shared a new version of the very first concept art of the character—this time featuring Hailee Steinfeld’s likeness, something that was missing the first time around.
Steinfeld Takes The Shot
On Instagram, Marvel Studios Director of Visual Development Andy Park revealed the Hailee Steinfeld version of the first Kate Bishop concept art. That art first came in 2020 when Hawkeye was announced.
The original shows a costume that wasn’t seen in the final product but is reminiscent of her classic comic attire. However, the face is clearly not Steinfeld’s.
Park has now revealed the same art, but with the correct likeness added. In the image’s caption, Park noted that she was “the ONLY right choice for the role,” and how he "can’t wait to see her interact with other MCU characters:”
“You MIGHT have seen this concept design illustration that was shown in early promotional appearances before Hawkeye show came out BUT it DIDN’T have @haileesteinfeld’s likeness. As many of you know our Vis Dev department often works so early on these projects that it’s not known always who will be playing any particular character. So here’s that early design pass with who I think was the ONLY right choice for the role! She’s so good! I can’t wait to see her interact with other MCU characters. Imagine it!! Who would YOU wanna see her interact with???”
The Marvel visual artist included an additional variant of the art, this time with her classic shades and scarf.
He revealed that while he “love[s] the scarf… it didn’t make ``~~sense in the LA background.”
“I just had to do ONE version with her signature scarf she had in the Young Avengers comics by Kate Bishop co-creator @jimcheungart! I love the scarf look, but it didn’t make sense in the LA background I had her in, but hey, it could be a fashion choice!”
Included is a side-by-side comparison of the three pieces:
Kate Bishop Hits The Mark
Hailee Steinfeld was included in fan-casts for the role of Kate Bishop even before the world knew the character was coming to the MCU. The character just seemed perfectly written for the actress.
If the reception she received from Hawkeye is any indication, it seems that her portrayal of the famous archer has lived up to expectations. She was easily the most raved-about element of the series by those who saw it.
When it comes to interacting with other MCU characters, fans already saw her featured in several scenes with Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, and they were nothing short of fantastic. If her future interactions with other heroes are even a fraction of what viewers witnessed there, everyone will be in for a treat.
All six episodes of Hawkeye are now streaming on Disney+.
