Hawkeye has taken the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a different direction on Disney+ in comparison to other recent projects. Coming off of titles such as Loki and Spider-Man: No Way Home, which feature Multiversal end-of-the-world threats, it has been a nice change of pace for many fans to have a street-level story, driven by character development and relationships instead of massive action spectacle.
Following suit with most of the previous Phase 4 projects, Hawkeye has also been the debut for a charismatic new hero, Kate Bishop, who is portrayed by Hailee Steinfeld. The duo of Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton and Kate has been the highlight of the series for many viewers, with Clint acting as the mentor and veteran character to Kate as she grounds herself and gets used to the hero lifestyle.
Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, who was introduced as Natasha Romanoff's sister in Black Widow, has also been present in the latest two episodes of the series, throwing a wrench into Clint and Kate's plan to take down the criminal ring by carrying out her contract to kill the deadeye archer.
Episode 5 of the series ended with a twist, as well as a long-awaited reveal that has been brewing since the show's first episode. Yelena revealed to Kate that her mother, Eleanor Bishop, was the person who hired her to kill Clint. Seconds later, Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin, who was a well-known villain in the Netflix Marvel series, Daredevil, made his first on-screen MCU appearance through Kate's phone.
With the tension overflowing for the finale coming up on Wednesday, December 22, Disney has decided to help fans get completely caught up on Clint's story by providing a watchlist pertaining to the character.
What to Watch Before Hawkeye's Finale
Ahead of the Hawkeye finale, which officially premieres on Disney+ on Wednesday, December 22, Disney has revealed via Twitter which MCU projects fans should watch leading up to the event.
The list includes all of the projects that Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton has made an appearance in during his tenure in the MCU, as well as Black Widow, which featured Florence Pugh's debut to the franchise as Yelena Belova.
The watchlist includes:
- Thor
- The Avengers
- Avengers: Age of Ultron
- Captain America: Civil War
- Avengers: Endgame
- Black Widow
- Hawkeye (episodes 1-5)
It is also worth noting that Disney made similar social media posts for the finales of WandaVision as well as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. These posts also contained watchlists that were related to their respective shows.
Hawkeye's Climactic Finale
It is safe to assume that few people could have predicted just how well Hawkeye would resonate with fans, and also how excited many viewers are to see the finale of the show on Disney+.
For most of his MCU tenure, Jeremy Renner has never been the focus character. Despite appearing in one of the first films of the franchise, and being an original Avenger, his character has never been deeply explored due to the popularity and richness of heroes like Iron Man or Captain America.
Avengers: Endgame briefly touched on what goes on behind the scenes for the archer, showing just how much he lost during the Blip, and how he dealt with it by becoming Ronin. Hawkeye has finally given true insight into his character, truly focusing on the personal repercussions of being a hero and humanizing him on a level that everyone can relate to.
There have been many theories about what could possibly happen in the finale, ranging from Tom Holland's Spider-Man making a quick cameo, all the way to fans having to endure a heartbreaking goodbye to Renner and the character as he passes the torch of Hawkeye to Kate Bishop.
The wait is almost over, and the finale is just hours away. Whether any of the rumors come true, or if Marvel Studios will completely surprise fans with what takes place, many viewers can agree that it has been a fun, and much-needed ride.
The Hawkeye finale will premiere on Disney+ on December 22.
