Hawkeye has finally hit its target, and the first two episodes of the series are now streaming on Disney+. The reviews for the show have been mostly positive, and fans seem to be enjoying it so far as well.
In the opening episodes, there’s a quick moment between Kate and Clint where she asks him if going to his safe house—which she assumes is Avengers Tower. Barton, however, makes it clear that “Tony [Stark] sold that a few years ago.”
While this isn’t necessarily news to fans (as it was first confirmed in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming that Stark sold the Tower in the aftermath of the events of Captain America: Civil War), it does show that Marvel continues to tease the future of the skyscraper.
Which lends the question: who are the new tenants?
Norman Osborn (Oscorp)
Let’s start with one of the most obvious choices: Oscorp. Back when Spider-Man: Far From Home was released, the fact that Avengers Tower was either sold or under some sort of construction work was pointedly teased during Spidey’s swinging montage at the end of the film.
The whole saga of the Avengers Tower getting dismantled started in Spider-Man: Homecoming, with the movement of Stark tech being the target of Vulture’s heist in the last act.
So, with the sale of the Avengers Tower being pretty centralized around the web-slinger, it would make sense that the new owners would have a connection with Spider-Man. There is no better option than Norman Osborn and his corporation.
First off, Norman taking over a skyscraper that once served as the headquarters for the Avengers would be a huge power move and a way for him to assert dominance. There’s a new player in town, and having one of the most prominent buildings in New York City is a great way to make it known.
With Spider-Man: No Way Home, the idea of Norman Osborne is being introduced with the return of Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin. For the first time in the MCU, the name will be spoken––and it's a name that Tom Holland’s Peter will now know.
So, when the MCU does get their own Osborn, Peter will be very cautious of his arrival.
If the former Avengers Tower is set to become the Oscorp Building, it will likely be the birthplace of years upon years of threats for the webhead to face after (probably) saving the Multiverse.
Val and her Dark Avengers
Now another option comes in the form of Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Val. The character was first seen in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and most recently, in Black Widow.
She’s a shadowy figure, one who is recruiting people from across the MCU. There’s John Walker’s US Agent, Yelena, and Zemo so far––and that’s likely only a portion of the number she plans on picking up. She was recently spotted on the set of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where she’s likely continuing her recruitment streak.
But why would she want Avengers Tower?
Well, for the same reason that the Avengers used the space. Val will have this new team, and she will need a place to run them out of.
It seems that the character is setting up a hybrid of the Thunderbolts and the Dark Avengers from the comics. Fans should be bracing themselves for another Avengers team, but this time with questionable figures who are pawns of an even more dubious agenda.
What also backs up this theory is that Val would simply get a kick out of taking over the once heroic space and running her operation out of it.
It would prove to be great connective tissue for the MCU and give Val even more excuse to show her face.
Reed Richards (Baxter Building)
Another strong possibility is none other than the former Avengers Tower becoming the Baxter Building. The famous headquarters for the Fantastic Four, their skyscraper would be utilized similarly––with plenty of room for scientific research and breakthroughs given Reed Richards’ intellect.
The group is known for its many adventures and the knack for discovering new worlds and dimensions. In fact, in the comics, Reed builds a portal that can go to places such as The Negative Zone. It seems like a smart thing to have in NYC from a storytelling perspective––it can be a catalyst to big crossover events in the future, seeing as lots of Marvel’s heroes are either NYC based or close to it.
The Fantastic Four’s arrival in the MCU has been known for a while now, even though the film’s release date hasn’t been formally announced. But they are on their way, and it's never too early for Marvel to have started planting the seeds of their arrival.
The Baxter Building is just as iconic as the Avengers Tower and even Oscorp, so chances of the Fantastic Four being its new owners are relatively high.
That’s also not mentioning how Marvel’s first family is likely due to become one of the main staples of the MCU going forward, so having their headquarters based in NYC seems like a no-brainer.
It would be pretty illogical to bring in the team and not have the Baxter Building part of the MCU––though there are plenty of other spaces in the city for it to inhabit.
SWORD
WandaVision introduced the next SHIELD to the world: SWORD. Created at some point during the blip, the organization created Vision’s new body, and proved troublesome for Wanda’s Westview.
While the group is seen as antagonistic in the Disney+ series, it hasn’t necessarily gone the SHIELD route yet; they can recover. They might actually be able to live up to their name and mantra to be an actual protective organization for planet Earth.
To do so, they need to take some significant steps forward. Maybe something such as building a space station. But what if they went a step further?
In the comics, SWORD is known for having built a space elevator––yes, a literary elevator from the surface of Earth to a space station. This would be a fantastic addition to the MCU, especially since the stories are starting to delve deeper into the cosmic corners of the universe.
Much like how there’s now a giant Celestial breaching Earth’s crust, having a massive elevator into space would be another cool visual staple in the MCU. That being in NYC would provide a new iconic flair to the city.
The station to go up from Earth could be the building that once was Avengers Tower—though likely modified quite heavily. It’s an unlikely fate for the building, but it’s hard to admit it wouldn’t be a fun twist.
Roxxon
Easily one of the least exciting possibilities, but still very much possible, is Roxxon. Yes, the oil company has been seen throughout the MCU since Iron Man and most recently had a part to play in an early episode of Loki.
So, why would their acquisition of Avengers Tower be of any benefit to the wider MCU storytelling? Well, besides already being established, it could lead to the introduction of Dario Agger.
Dario Agger is an interesting character, with even more intriguing connections to Thor—more specifically, Jane Foster, who's set to make her debut as the God of Thunder in next year’s Thor: Love and Thunder.
Agger is a Greek businessman and the CEO of Roxxon Energy. The twist? Well, he’s a Minotaur—a circumstance brought about thanks to the selling of his soul. At one point he even planned to conquer the Ten Realms of Asgard.
Needless to say, setting the stage for such a colorful character could be an interesting move for the MCU.
AIM
Recently, it was rumored that Jim Carrey has already been cast as MODOK in the MCU. The big villain is usually associated with the mega-corporation AIM––yes, the same one from Iron Man 3, though don’t be surprised if it gets a complete overhaul.
The same rumor suggests that his arrival is set to play out throughout several projects, giving the impression that Marvel hopes for him, and his evil company, to play a big part in future stories.
AIM has even been a big part of other Marvel media, having been set up as a world-dominating force in Square Enix’s Avengers. So the company is already on the wider radar.
With Hydra having been gone for a while, having a new evil corporation to cause the MCU grief could be a good choice by Marvel. Giving AIM a second chance after their lackluster debut could prove fruitful.
What better place to start anew than the giant skyscraper in NYC that was once Avengers Tower; it already has a lab space setup.
The Midnight Sons
Now, this is another long shot, but what if the building is set to be taken over by what will become the Midnight Sons?
For those that don’t know, in the comics, the team is generally made up of the more supernatural-based heroes taking on bigger threats in their wheelhouse––such as demons, ghosts, etc., just on a massive scale. It’s the supernatural Avengers.
The first hint of this team-up occurring was in Eternals. Its final post-credits scene showed Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman about to touch the legendary Ebony Blade before Mahershala Ali’s Blade stops him with a vague warning.
The sequence gives the impression that the vampire hunter is building a team similar to what Nick Fury did for the original Avengers and what Val may currently be doing behind the scenes.
The one problem with this theory is that Blade’s activity doesn’t seem New York-based from the looks of it. Whitman is in London at the time of his Ebony Blade reunion, and Blade is from the same city in the comics. Another potential member of the team, Moon Knight, also looks to be more international.
Fans will likely have to wait until Blade’s eventual release to figure out how likely this whole scenario is.
Will The Real Tenant Please Stand Up?
Sadly, the answer to this now-age-old question probably won't be answered by the time Hawkeye finishes its run. One would have to hope that, in at least a year or two, this big mystery will finally be resolved.
That said, with all of those Kingpin rumors, could Vincent D'Onofrio's villain have been the one to take up residency in the skyscraper during the Blip? That could also be a fun direction, and it would give fans an answer to the mystery sooner rather than later; two birds with one stone.
Whoever the new tenant is, hopefully, Marvel will take full advantage of it to make for the best stories going forward. Fingers crossed that it doesn't simply end up as a forgotten landmark, never to be brought up again.
Hawkeye is now airing weekly on Disney+.
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