Warning: This article contains minor spoilers from Hawkeye's premiere.
After a long wait, Hawkeye has finally arrived.
Developed by Jonathan Igla, the newly-released MCU series brings back Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton, and it also features the Marvel debut of Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop. Alongside the bow-wielding pair, Hawkeye boasts a stellar cast that includes Vera Farmiga, Tony Dalton, Alaqua Cox, and Black Widow's Florence Pugh.
The series is set during Christmas time in 2025, as audiences catch up with Clint during his family time; however, it was cut short due to the return of someone posing as Ronin, later revealed to be Kate in disguise.
In the episode, Clint finds out about this development through a news broadcast. Upon closer inspection, it seems that the anchor that delivered the news is a familiar face in the MCU.
Mainstay MCU News Anchor Returns in Hawkeye
Hawkeye's first episode featured the return of Pat Kiernan, the same real-life reporter who appeared in The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Doctor Strange, and, most recently, Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Kiernan can be seen on a TV news report, revealing details about the new Ronin that resurfaced during an attack on a high-class gala in New York.
Aside from MCU films, Kiernan has also been featured in Marvel's Netflix shows, namely Daredevil, The Punisher, and The Defenders.
Kiernan has been serving as the morning news anchor of NY1 since 1997, and the journalist has been appearing in several films based in New York throughout his storied career. The news anchor appeared in films like The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Night at the Museum, and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.
Hawkeye's Place in the Larger MCU
The MCU is best known for its interconnected nature, and this latest connection in Hawkeye is a clear example.
While the massive superhero franchise thrives on major Easter eggs such as Avengers cameos and huge namedrops, many would agree that the small-scale connections are part of the reason why the MCU stands out in the shared universe spectrum.
Kiernan's appearance in the Infinity Saga has been mostly in the background, but his recent inclusion was memorable. During Spider-Man: Far From Home, the news anchor was the one who introduced the Daily Bugle's report about Peter Parker's secret identity as Spider-Man.
Now, in Hawkeye, Kiernan's involvement also sets up the eventual meeting of Clint and Kate in the series. After instances of small inclusions, it appears that the current trajectory of Kiernan is leaning towards more major appearances, which builds up to an important part of this project's storyline.
It's also worth noting that his connections to Marvel's Netflix series could be a subtle hint of Kingpin's potential appearance in Hawkeye, especially after rumors of Vincent D'Onofrio's involvement in the show.
For now, fans will be on the lookout for Kiernan's next appearance. Nothing is confirmed, but it seems likely that he could also appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home due to its New York setting.
The first two episodes of Hawkeye are now streaming on Disney+.
