The grand finale of Marvel Studios' Hawkeye is imminent! With many pieces on the board, including Clint Barton, Maya Lopez, and one Mr. Wilson Fisk, fans are waiting with bated breath to see how it all pans out between the two Hawkeyes and Tracksuit Mafia. Episode Five of the popular MCU series included several references to other Marvel Studios' installments.
Natasha Romanoff's sister Yelena plays a major role in the episode, the Blip is seen from a first-hand perspective, and there's a reference to the "new and improved" Statue of Liberty.
Fans who have witnessed the Spider-Man threequel by now will know exactly what Yelena meant when she mentioned that the famous monument was "improved." It has been retrofitted with a larger-than-life rendition of Captain America's shield.
Hawkeye Was Almost More Closely Connected to Spider-Man
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the Hawkeye director duo of Bert and Bertie revealed that the series' reference to Spider-Man: No Way Home was originally "slightly larger" than a passing comment from Yelena. Bertie explains:
"Things like that, there may have been a slightly larger reference to it in the original scripts. We love knowing that stuff. “Oh! That’s so cool.” Just how things weave together."
She also spoke on the fact that despite Marvel's top-level secrecy regarding their productions, the Hawkeye team still knew about the Statue of Liberty setpiece in No Way Home: "We did. There’s a need-to-know basis... That’s one we were aware of."
A "Monumental" Allusion To Spider-Man
Warning - Spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home follow:
Moviegoing audiences will be aware by now that thanks to the events of the cataclysmic final battle in No Way Home, the shield was jarred loose from the Statue's arm and fell into the harbor.
The exact timeline of how Hawkeye interacts with Spider-Man: No Way Home isn't entirely clear as of yet, so it's entirely possible that the damage to the monument was repaired and the shield placed back where it belongs by the time the events of Hawkeye roll around.
Otherwise, why would Kate have any reason to remark on Lady Liberty being "new and improved." It's probably safe to assume that no Way Home's battle occurs before Christmas, 2024, which is when Hawkeye is set.
Additionally, it's intriguing to wonder exactly what that larger Spider-Man reference could have been. If it was still in reference to the Statue itself, perhaps one of the episodes included an establishing shot of the Statue of Liberty, in all her glory, holding Cap's shield.
But on the topic of Spider-Man, there's still one episode left, the Web-Slinger could still drop by to lend a hand.
The finale of Marvel Studios' Hawkeye hits Disney+ On December 22, 2021, and Spider-Man: No Way Home is now playing in many theaters around the world.
