A concept artist for Marvel Studios' Hawkeye revealed a new poster that was never used for the MCU's last Disney+ show of 2021.
Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld teamed up in Fall 2021 to bring Clint Barton's first solo story to the MCU, following up on the hero's post-Avengers: Endgame, story while introducing Kate Bishop to the MCU. Much of the show took inspiration from comic artist Matt Fraction's run on Hawkeye from the mid-2010s while also giving fans an exciting new Christmas story within the Marvel narrative.
As has been the case in all MCU projects, Hawkeye used some exciting tactics with its marketing and promotional material, teasing mysterious new characters and even celebrating high-profile newcomers like the Kingpin.
But now, more than a year after the show's debut, a noted Marvel comic artist has shared new insight on one gorgeous poster that flew under the radar.
Hawkeye Comic Artist on Unused Poster
Comic artist David Aja shared a photo of an unused poster for Marvel Studios' Hawkeye on Twitter, featuring Clint Barton, Kate Bishop, and Lucky the Pizza Dog in the middle. The trio walks down a New York City street in the snow with the buildings sporting a purple hue, paying tribute to the core color on both heroes' suits that come later in the show.
While Aja noted that he was paid for his work, he noted how Disney+ didn't use it for the show's initial promotion run:
"A Hawkeye poster I did for the TV series that never saw the light. (Yes, they used the concept for a poster and yes, I was paid for it, no conspiracy, please)"
A fan pointed out that the poster was used "in a game called Topps Marvel Collect," congratulating Aja for his work, although Aja didn't feel the same joy when he replied with "No idea about that..."
Another fan shared a picture of them wearing a shirt from San Diego Comic-Con 2022 with the poster on the front, although Aja again had "no idea they used it for a T..." after he initially thought it hadn't been used at all for Hawkeye's promotion.
Artist's Mixed Feelings on Hawkeye's Promo Material
David Aja didn't have an easy time during Hawkeye's run considering Disney used a great deal of his work from the comics without properly crediting him, even leading some fans to boycott the show as a result. However, that takes nothing away from how spectacular his work looks, paying homage to New York winters while making sure the show's two superheroes and their super dog shine in the spotlight.
It's difficult to say why this poster wasn't used at any point during Hawkeye's run other than on t-shirts and MCU-adjacent games, although it surely would have gotten plenty of acclaim if the case were different. This imagery did its best to show homage to Hawkeye's roots in the comics while giving the character the solo story fans had wanted for a long time.
Now, as viewers wait for news on whether Hawkeye will get a second season, posters like this one will help remind the MCU fandom of all the success Renner and Steinfeld had in their first efforts together.
All six episodes of Hawkeye are now streaming on Disney+.
