Jeremy Renner is one of the most tenured actors of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. First appearing in 2011's Thor, Renner portrayed Agent Clint Barton, better known as Hawkeye, who would become one of the first members of the original Avengers team. He appeared in three of the four Avengers films, and, in 2021, was finally able to headline his first solo MCU project, the Disney+ series Hawkeye.
Many fans worried that Clint's journey in the MCU would come to a close at the end of Hawkeye. The series spent a considerate amount of time building the bond between Clint and Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop, leading many to believe that she would take up the mantle of Hawkeye and Clint would either perish in a heartbreaking way, or he would hang up the bow and return to his family for good.
The last shot of the show featured Kate at Clint's house for Christmas and all seemed to be well, with the tease that Clint will continue to help Kate grow as a hero until she is ready to be on her own.
While the capacity of Renner's future in the MCU is unclear, he has taken the time to reflect on the journey he has been on and the relationships he has formed.
Jeremy Renner Reflects on the MCU
In an interview with the Armchair Expert podcast, Jeremy Renner sat down to talk about his time in the MCU portraying Hawkeye.
Renner spoke about his 11-year tenure with the franchise and the relationships that he has made along the way, specifically with the actors of the original six members of the Avengers team:
"The greatest thing that ever came from the last 11 years of the Marvel world for me, or even all of us, is the original A6 that have been along the whole journey. There's been marriages and divorces, and kids being born, and a lot of shifts and changes in our personal lives as well as our acting lives that we all shared together in a very specific way."
The bow-and-arrow marksman also touched on how his fellow actors "are like family," and even mentioned that they got matching tattoos to celebrate their time as Earth's Mightiest Heroes:
"All of them, they're like family to me. You can't replace that or quantify it, and we all got tattoos together just to symbolize our bond and love."
Renner then went on to say that being a celebrity within the world of Marvel has been "a different kind of journey," and one that he seems to be thankful for and cherish:
"Its like, five other people speak the same language, you're going to talk with them a little bit better, right? Because everybody is a celebrity in their own right, but a Marvel celebrity, especially the original six, has just been a different kind of journey."
Hawkeye Hit the Bullseye
It is encouraging and heartwarming to hear Jeremy Renner speak so highly about his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He has been a part of the franchise since Phase 1, and it seems like he has had nothing but positive experiences over the course of the films and the TV series that he has appeared in.
Many other actors have expressed their enjoyment of the MCU and the characters that they've played as well. It is a once-in-a-lifetime to even be a part of the franchise, let alone to spend 11 years in it.
Renner, despite his roles being relatively small until Avengers: Endgame and Hawkeye, is truly one of the cornerstones of what the MCU has become today. Every member of the original team played a crucial role in building the franchise, and it is extremely welcoming to see that Clint Barton has treated Renner as well as he has treated the character.
