Following a brief but intriguing cameo, Kate Bishop star Hailee Steinfeld returned to the MCU in a way fans couldn't have anticipated.
Since her 2021 debut in Hawkeye on Disney+, fans have seen little of Hailee Steinfeld's heroine, with the only exception being The Marvels' post-credits cameo (and Iman Vellani's Nick Fury impression).
But that all changed with Marvel Studios' latest Disney+ series which allowed the award-winning actress a chance to portray Kate Bishop in a whole new way.
Hailee Steinfeld's Wild MCU Return as Kate Bishop
For the first time since Hawkeye's finale, audiences witnessed Hailee Steinfeld's return to Disney+ as Kate Bishop; but this time, via animation.
Titled "What If...1872?," Episode 6 of What If...? Season 3 featured a team-up of two relatively new MCU heroes: Steinfeld's Kate Bishop and Simu Liu's Shang-Chi (check out What If...? Season 3's surprising cast list, which includes Mysterio and X-Men's Storm, here).
However, as the title suggests, this Multiversal story is set in the past, specifically in 1872. So instead of Bishop running around New York City armed with a bow and arrow, she was riding on horseback through the Old West and illustrating her marksmanship with a revolver.
But even so, she's still managing to sport the Hawkeye trademark color palette of purple and black.
In this Season 3 story, Bishop is hunting down the Hood for having killed her family while Shang-Chi is searching for his sister, Xu Xialing, who went to America years ago.
They soon find a young boy, Kwai Jun-Fan, who claims the Hood took Chinese immigrants captive on a train where they have been brainwashed through the efforts of Sonny Burch.
After both Shang-Chi and Bishop are taken captive by the Hood, they discover the mysterious threat is actually Xialing as she killed the original Hood and took on his powers.
Steinfeld's Bishop ultimately kills Xialing, but only with some help from the Watcher who helps Jun-Fan free the prisoners, preventing Kate from being brainwashed by Sonny Burch herself.
Kate Bishop and Shang-Chi decide to stay partners and ride off into a classic Western sunset to pursue another adventure. But the Watcher is punished for his interference, leading to Multiversal implications.
When Will Kate Bishop Return to the Live-Action MCU?
While What If...? Season 3 was Kate Bishop's first animated role, Hailee Steinfeld is no stranger to voice-acting animated Marvel characters.
In addition to playing Kate Bishop in the MCU, Steinfeld is also the voice of Into the Spider-Verse's Gwen Stacy whose story will continue in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.
So while What If...? allowed the actress to play Kate in a different yet familiar way, fans want to know when Steinfeld will fully reprise her Hawkeye heroine in live-action.
Since Marvel Studios utilized Steinfeld in a big-screen tease for the Young Avengers, it seems like Kate Bishop's presence in that still-mysterious project is a given.
And, in addition to evidence suggesting Hawkeye Season 2 may be in the works, it's possible that Kate will appear in one of Marvel Studios' upcoming ensemble films, such as Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars.
But as fans await confirmation, they should note that Steinfeld's next MCU gig may also involve animation before she returns in live-action.
Kate Bishop is one of the stars of Marvel Animation's 2025 Disney+ series Marvel Zombies, which also stars Iman Vellani's Ms. Marvel and Simu Liu's Shang-Chi.
In retrospect, Steinfeld's Season 3 What If...? role may be a preview of what both Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation have planned for Kate Bishop's MCU future.
All episodes of What If...? are available to stream on Disney+.
