The MCU is rounding out 2021 on Disney+ with a Christmas-themed installment in the form of Hawkeye. The series will follow Jeremy Renner's bow and arrow marksman following his last appearance in Avengers: Endgame and will also be introducing the newest character to the franchise - Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop.
Kate has been revealed to be a passionate fan of Clint's, to the point where she will be armed with a bow as well and ultimately fighting alongside him. The show will also see the return of Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova and be the gateway for Alaqua Cox's Maya Lopez, better known as the hero, Echo.
Although the series will be introducing some important pieces for the franchise's future, the trailer, as well as other released marketing content, has focused on the dynamic between Clint and Kate.
While casting an actor in an important role is always difficult, it seems that Marvel Studios is more than happy with Steinfeld. As Hawkeye's premiere nears, the studio looked back and reflected on its thoughts at the time of the casting and also how well the actress fits the character they were going for.
Marvel Praises Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Trinh Tran, an executive producer on the upcoming Hawkeye Disney+ series, sat down to discuss Marvel Studios' decision to cast Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop.
Tran reflected on the first day she and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige sat down with Steinfeld in regards to the role of Bishop. The executive producer claimed that they immediately knew Steinfeld was perfect for the role while also praising that the young actress is "so incredibly talented:"
"I remember the very first day when [executive producer and MCU mastermind Kevin Feige] and I sat with Hailee to talk about it. We were just like, 'This is Kate Bishop.' When you read the comics, you get that energy from Kate — that wit and those smarts. And meeting Hailee, you see she's so incredibly talented."
Tran also expressed her excitement about having Steinfeld in the MCU, going so far as to call her "(their) go-to girl:"
"Just look at the body of work she's accomplished at such a young age. We knew having her be a part of the MCU one way or another would be very exciting, but when we started talking about this particular project and this character, she just became our go-to girl."
The series is inspired by the Hawkeye comics from 2012 written by Matt Fraction and David Aja. Steinfeld herself commented on the opportunity to portray the archer, saying that doing the research on the source material for the character "felt like a dream:"
"Diving into all the information out there on Kate Bishop felt like a dream."
Tran revealed that Fraction and Aja's "style and tone" had a major influence on the series and ended by teasing that a strong bond will be formed between Clint Barton and Kate Bishop as the series progresses:
"The Fraction/Aja style and tone is what we were really gravitating towards. Once they encounter each other and go off on this journey together, there's so much they can bounce off each other."
Hailee Steinfeld's Signature Role
One of the most incredible achievements that Marvel Studios has been able to boast since 2008 is its ability to cast arguably perfect actors for every role.
When it was announced that Tony Stark would be played by Robert Downey Jr., many Marvel fans were taken aback, unsure of how the now-household name would perform as the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. Fast-forward to 2021, and no other actor on the planet could be imagined as playing Iron Man.
As the universe expands and new characters are being introduced to the franchise at a record rate, casting is more important than ever. However, Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios have still lived up to expectations so far, with actors such as Simu Liu as Shang-Chi as well as Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, and Hailee Steinfeld will likely be no different.
On multiple occasions, Steinfeld has already been praised for her performance alongside Jeremy Renner, and once Hawkeye hits Disney+, it is safe to assume that many fans will be pleased as well.
Hawkeye is set to premiere on November 24, 2021 on Disney+.
