How much information has been made public about the cast and release for a potential Season 2 of the MCU's final Disney+ show of 2021, Hawkeye?
Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton became the final member of the original six Avengers to get his own project in November 2021, finally taking on his first solo adventure more than a decade after joining the MCU.
But with none of the MCU's Disney+ shows coming with a guarantee for multiple seasons, questions are now being asked about whether or not the archer-turned-Avenger and his team will get to continue their streaming story.
Will Hawkeye Season 2 Ever Release?
At the current time, Marvel Studios has yet to confirm that Hawkeye will move into a second season, although a few big names from Season 1 have offered hope that it will come to fruition.
Season 1 director Rhys Thomas spoke with Collider in December 2021 about potentially continuing into Season 2, noting that he couldn't "speak to future plans in the tradition of secrecy" while highlighting how Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop was embraced by fans:
"I cannot speak to future plans in the tradition of secrecy. Again, the show coming out, you never know how it's going to be received and it has been amazing to see how warmly people have taken it and enjoyed it. And it's been great to see Hailee's character embraced and sort of land so firmly in the MCU. I sincerely look forward to where that character goes next. And yes, I loved walking on the streets of the MCU and would gladly enjoy doing it again."
However, Marvel originally billed Hawkeye as a limited series prior to the last Emmy Awards season, indicating that it likely wouldn't have a traditional second season.
But only about a month later in May 2022, Disney officially listed Hawkeye for consideration in the "Outstanding Comedy Series" rather than the "Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series" category for the Emmys.
This gave more of an indication that Hawkeye would eventually continue into a second season, although that official confirmation has yet to arrive.
Will Jeremy Renner Return As Hawkeye?
Of course, the biggest question in regard to Hawkeye's Season 2 is the status of its leading actor - MCU veteran Jeremy Renner.
Renner is just over six months removed from devastating injuries he suffered at his Lake Tahoe home, which included dozens of broken bones, a collapsed lung, and a pierced liver after saving his nephew from a runaway snow plow.
Although he was soon stabilized and had his injuries taken care of through surgery, it's going to be a long and arduous road to recovery, with some even saying it could take him years to get back to where he was before the accident.
One source got more specific about Renner's recovery, saying that the damage to his chest "was so substantial it had to be reconstructed in surgery." Friends of his noted that it could take two whole years, or more before the Hawkeye actor is back in shape to film again.
But there is some optimism for Renner's prospects of coming back, as the actor has no intention of leaving his days as Clint Barton behind.
Appearing as a guest at the Phoenix Fan Fusion convention on June 2, he made it clear that "if Marvel wants [him] back," he would "do it in a heartbeat" when he recovers from his injuries.
Jeremy Renner appeared as a guest at the Phoenix Fan Fusion convention in Arizona on Friday, June 2, and spoke about his future career post his operation.
He prefaced that comment by saying that he "isn't going anywhere," although moving forward, his family will have more of a say in what Renner can do in terms of signing on for new movies and projects.
Hawkeye Season 2 Cast Speculation: Who Would Return?
Should Hawkeye be renewed for a second season, there are more than a few actors who should be expected to reprise their roles in the next six episodes as part of the cast.
The biggest names to expect are the obvious titular characters in Clint Barton and Kate Bishop, particularly after forming such a bond at the end of Season 1 that ended with Kate spending Christmas with Hawkeye at his family farm.
Also making it through Season 1 was Tony Dalton's Jack Duquesne, who finally picked the right side of the battle and got the chance to show off his abilities with a sword as he helped take down the Tracksuit Mafia.
Elsewhere on the superhero roster from Hawkeye is Alaqua Cox's Maya Lopez, better known as Echo, who already has her own solo Echo series dropping in November on Disney+. She would be an easy choice to bring back into Hawkeye Season 2, especially considering how she and Clint Barton have a unique connection through their hearing disabilities.
Also on the docket for a possible comeback is Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova after she and Hawkeye came to something of an understanding in Season 1, Episode 6 over Natasha Romanoff's death. Following their fight, Yelena ran off to an undisclosed location, but she and Clint certainly have a chance to team up once again in Season 2 should he need her assistance in his next mission.
Additionally, with Clint Barton expected to come back, there should be an expectation to see Linda Cardellini reprise her role as Laura Barton as well. She guest starred in all but one episode of Season 1, and after the reveal that she was a former agent of SHIELD, there is more than enough backstory to tackle for her moving forward in the MCU.
Fans are also wondering if Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin or any of the Tracksuit Mafia members will be back in action for next season, especially with Fra Fee's Kazi Kazimierczak now in the wind.
What Could Happen in Hawkeye Season 2?
Depending on when Hawkeye Season 2 comes into the grand and expanding MCU timeline, there are a number of plot points that could be explored in the next set of episodes.
Kate Bishop appears primed to take on more of a leading role in the MCU moving forward, which could mean a chance for her to take over as the leading character in Hawkeye with Jeremy Renner potentially playing more of a supporting role.
Especially with Renner still working his way back into form after his injuries, this could be a perfect segue to help him ease his way back into his role while Hailee Steinfeld takes on headlining duties.
There's also a golden opportunity for Jack Duquesne to be a more important piece of the series with his Swordsman persona coming into form, especially since he helped out Clint and Kate in their final mission.
Another major question is about Echo's tumultuous relationship with Wilson Fisk, particularly after she shot him in the face in Season 1, although that will almost definitely be addressed in both Echo and Daredevil: Born Again as well.
Additionally, there is speculation regarding the introduction of the Young Avengers, fueled by Kate Bishop's participation in the series. This development could potentially be explored in Season 2 as her character evolves into a prominent leader within the team.
And with so many potential directions to take as the Multiverse Saga grows to new heights, Marvel likely won't want to let this solo story sit for too long, especially considering the major names in the mix for future adventures.
Hawkeye Season 1 is now streaming on Disney+.
