Is Spider-Man: No Way Home Set Before Hawkeye? Marvel Producer Responds (Exclusive)

With the hype of Spider-Man: No Way Home reaching a fever pitch, it is important that fans remember the MCU soon returns on Disney+ Hawkeye. 

Hawkeye is set to focus on Clint Barton more than any previous project while also simultaneously introducing one of the most anticipated heroes of all time, Kate Bishop. Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld star in a series that is heavily based on the widely-beloved comic book run created by Matt Fraction and David Aja. If all of that was not enough to get fans excited about this movie, it is set in New York... during the Holidays. 

Christmas in New York is a movie/ TV troupe that has stood the test of time and has no plans to slow down. Add in the MCU New York, which has been through the wringer, and there's a playground for superheroes, big and small,  to have their own and unique adventures. 

But that does not mean that superheroes in New York are void of speculation. There are dots to be connected and continuity to be realized. 

Hawkeye releases on November 24, 2021 (in the real world) and is set in New York City. It has recently been revealed that the six-episode series is set over six days. Spider-Man: No Way Home releases on December 17, 2021 (also in the real world), four days before the season finale of Hawkeye. 

So which story is being told first, Hawkeye or Spider-Man: No Way Home? 

Superheroes in New York?

The Direct sat down with the executive producer of Hawkeye, Trinh Tran, to discuss which story taking place in New York City happens first in the MCU continuity. As a 13-year veteran at Marvel Studios, Tran strategically tip-toed around the question:

"I can say that Hawkeye is after Endgame. But I do not want to spoil where it falls within the space of the other film."

This is the type of answer fans have come to expect from these Marvel Studios creators, as they hold the secrets of one of the most beloved cinematic universes of all time. It is important to remember that Trihn and others keep these secrets to themselves because they care about the fans. 

Tran added that the wait to find out the answer to this question isn't "that long:"

"I think you will just have to wait and see and find out soon. It's not that long right?"

Will Hawkeye & Spider-Man Cross Paths?

This is not the first time a Phase 4 project set in New York has tingled Spidey senses of fans across the world.

The finale for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was set in New York City, and the same questions were being asked. Spidey did not swing by to help Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes despite their iconic 2 v 1 matchup in Captain America: Civil War. 

However, the Hawkeye/No Way Home connection holds much more weight than the Falcon Winter Soldier theory. It is never safe to assume that a movie is set on the date it is released, especially with Spider-Man movies and after a pandemic-driven gauntlet of delays for blockbusters left, right, and center. And despite the frosty vibe of the Sanctum Santorum, nothing in the new trailer for No Way Home suggests it is taking place on December 17. 

Hawkeye is taking place a week before Christmas. This series will have the most linear timeline of any Disney+ show yet, taking it one day at a time. This puts this show firmly in the MCU's Christmas week of 2023. Keep in mind the five-year time jump in Avengers: Endgame. 

So, despite Trahn's elusiveness with this question, the dots can be connected to assume that these projects will not be happening at the same time, despite being released amongst each other. But the question then becomes, which one happens first?

It is uncertain how much time is intended to pass in Spider-Man: No Way Home. It is still a possibility that this movie leaps into the future once the ball begins to roll. This is heavily dependent on how long Peter Parker lives as an outed Spider-Man before turning to Doctor Strange for help. Looking at the trailer footage, it seems once Strange and Spidey team up once again, the movie gets going, and the climax is shortly after the inciting event. 

Possibly the most popular shot of these trailers, aside from anything taking place on the George Washington Bridge, is the shot of Peter and MJ in Times Square immediately following the reveal that Peter is Spider-Man by J. Jonah Jameson. MJ is wearing the exact outfit as she was at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home, and there is a sequence showing a swarm of people approaching Spidey after learning this news.

There have been clues in promotional material leading back to the title announcement that hint at the seasons involved in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Halloween and Christmas decorations in the title reveal video were supported in the trailer by the winterly Strange household and the wizard Halloween decorations. And some of the earliest set photos show Tom Holland walking through the streets of New York during Christmas time, which would inch it much closer to the events of Hawkeye. 

With the beginning of the movie somewhat set in place, and the Halloween decorations giving Peter the idea for Doctor Strange's assistance, it is safe to assume that after Peter's identity is revealed, a few pages on the calendar might turn. Assuming that once Strange gets involved we will be with our heroes until the end, the set photos in Christmas could be a time jump after all the multiverse shenanigans go down. 

With all of that, the final prediction is that the majority of this movie takes place before the events of Hawkeye, with a potential closing scene more towards the holidays. So, with both stories being told in New York City, it will be interesting to see if there are any references to each other in the backdrop of the City that Never Sleeps. And fans can never count out a potential meeting of two of the youngest stars on the MCU roster. The Kate Bishop/Peter Parker meet-up may be the things fans never knew they wanted all along. 

Hawkeye is set to premiere on Disney+ on November 24, 2021, and Spider-Man: No Way Home hits theaters on December 17, 2021.