Marvel Studios wrapped up its 2021 streaming run with Disney+'s Hawkeye, a series centered around Jeremy Renner's titular, original Avenger alongside newcomer archer Kate Bishop, played by Hailee Steinfeld. The six-episode-long show not only set up Steinfeld for the long run as the MCU's next resident archer but also added fuel to the canonicity fire by introducing Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin from Netflix's Daredevil into the fold.
Hawkeye was heavily inspired by the 2012 comic run of the same name, headed by writer Matt Fraction. Visuals and tidbits from the comics, from the title and end sequences to the inclusion of Lucky the Pizza Dog, were incorporated into the series.
When it came to how the show's characters made their way from the page to the screen, it was Steinfeld's Kate Bishop that arguably took the spotlight. A Young Avenger in her own right, setting her up for success was crucial—including staging her with the perfect, introductory attire.
Now, a visual creator at Marvel Studios shared how the process of designing Kate Bishop for television began.
Kate Bishop: From the Page to the Screen
Marvel Studios' Director of Visual Development and well-known concept artist Andy Park shared his initial, early design of Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop in Disney+'s Hawkeye. Park was the original lead for Hawkeye's visual development team before the reins were handed over to Rodney Fuentebella.
In the tweet, Park mentioned that the design is "an EARLY concept design I did of what @HaileeSteinfeld could look like as #KateBishop:"
"An EARLY concept design I did of what @HaileeSteinfeld could look like as #KateBishop way back when I was leading our Vis Dev team on #Hawkeye. Eventually @rodneyimages took over as a new Vis Dev Supervisor & designed her final awesome look! Loved working on this show!"
Park's design closely mimics Bishop's appearance from Marvel Comics, with the Steinfeld touch to wrap it all up:
Most notably, the concept art features exposed shoulders and a black-glove-turned-arm-sleeve that appear to be taken and inspired from the comics:
The final design that debuted during the series finale of Hawkeye showed Bishop in a more covered-up, tactical version of the archer's suit:
Bringing Hailee Steinfeld to Life in the MCU
From the beginning, Hailee Steinfeld was always a popular choice to bring Kate Bishop to life on-screen in fan-castings alike. When the time came for Marvel Studios to actually put her in front of a camera, its precedence to her costume shone through.
During the finale, Steinfeld appeared to move skillfully and comfortably in the suit, showing off the threads that the show's LARP'ers gifted to her and Clint Barton. Compared to Park's initial design, covering up the shoulders might have been a smart move considering the show's final battle took place on an ice-skating rink.
And though Park didn't have the final say when it came to designing Bishop, it's clear that his original ideas were kept throughout the process, as Steinfeld's final suit doesn't differ too drastically from his concept art.
Park himself has had a hand in designing some of the MCU's most iconic costumes and outfits to date, including Elizabeth Olsen's final Scarlet Witch design in Disney+'s WandaVision.
As Phase 4 of the MCU chugs along, fans and viewers will surely be eagerly waiting to see how new and known characters are brought to life before their eyes.
All episodes of Hawkeye are streaming now on Disney+.
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