Race for an Archer Movie

WB has already announced its plans for a Green Arrow movie. The movie for those who do not know will have Green Arrow trying to escape a Super-Prison full of OTHER hero's villains. The idea in my opinion is absolutely terrible! The article states that GA has over 70 years of mythology and stories, yet this movie idea throws all that out the window, provides no back-story, and uses other hero's villains (i.e. Lex Luthor, Riddler, and Icicle.) It seems to me that this movie is going to tank badly if the movie goes ahead as planned.

Marvel however has there own Arrow slinging vigilante Hawkeye. Marvel has not announced any plans to produce a Hawkeye movie since it seems DC beat them to the punch with GA. If Hawkeye were to be used he might have an appearance in the Avengers movie. Otherwise no plans for Hawkeye have been announced.

Obviously DC/WB does not believe Green Arrow can really hold a movie on his own. Both archers are B-list heroes with no super powers and both are not very well known. However despite not wanting to "copy" WB, I think Marvel should pursue to idea of a Hawkeye movie. I do believe Hawkeye is interesting enough to hold a movie on his own. (I also believe GA is also but obviously Warner does not think so). I also believe a Hawkeye movie would do better in the box offices than the supposed Green Arrow movie. So let’s look at the idea of how Marvel could approach a Hawkeye movie that would be realistic and correlate with the rest of the Marvel Film Universe.

Hawkeye (Clint Barton) origin is actually pretty weak according to the comics. Barton is a run-away orphan who joins the circus where he is trained by villains: Swordsman and Trickshot. Hawkeye is inspired by Iron Man to become a hero but, Iron Man sees Hawkeye as an enemy and they fight several times until Hawkeye is accepted as an Avenger. This origin is to confusing and has little depth for a movie, so a revised origin would be needed. The movie would go as follows:

The young (early 20's) Clint Barton is the main attraction for a small traveling Carnival which travels the Midwest. Clint Barton is an expert marksman who does tricks with his bow under the stage name Hawkeye. Clint grew up with no family and his fellow performers in the Carnival are the closest thing he has to family. After a show one day Clint is approached by two men in suits explaining that they just like him used to be performers in Carnivals. They explained that they met a very wealthy business man that helped them use their "talents" for a better purpose and they would like to recruit him to work for their boss. They tell him if he decides he does not want to work for their boss he will regret it. Clint kindly declines being suspicious of these men. A few days later after a show as the carnival is packing up two masked men approach the tents. One carrying a sword (Swordsman) one carrying a bow (Trick Shot). They proceed to kill all the performers and set the tents on fire. They find Clint, beat him and leave him for dead in the burning tent. Clint awakens and escapes the tent. Clint is now left with nothing as the only thing that meant anything to him was the Carnival. The news reports the fire as an accident and reports no survivors. With Clint being assumed dead he dawns his stage name Hawkeye wearing his purple mask and costume to hunt down the killers. After crashing a criminal hangout and beating a few thugs he gets the information he needs. The two men are known as Swordsman and Trick Shot and work for William Cross of Cross Technological Enterprises (CTE). Cross hired the former carnival performers for their skills and uses them to do his dirty work killing and stealing rival company owners and products. Clint armed with his bow and tons of arrows then storms CTE Head Quarters a skyscraper in downtown Chicago. Taking down all the armed guards Hawkeye then confronts Swordsman and Trick Shot. Hawkeye battles the both, fending off Swordsman in close combat while dodging Trick Shot's arrows. Finally after defeating the two he enters the main office on the top floor and confronts William Cross the man responsible for the death of his Carnival family. William Cross (Crossfire) then reveals a cybernetic eye and gun strapped to his arm and attacks Hawkeye. After a lengthy battle where Hawkeye is shot and wounded (after already receiving many cuts and wounds from his previous battle) Hawkeye defeats Crossfire. Police storm the building and find out of CTE's criminal side and the company is brought down. The news mentions a mysterious man who stormed the building using a bow and arrow but, promptly escape before the police arrive. END

That was just a rough outline of a potential story line. Obviously it is missing several key plot points and character development. I want the movie to be dark but, not to become a Punisher knock-off who uses arrows instead of guns. Hawkeye is motivated by revenge but, is not a quiet, brooding, angry man like the Punisher. I expect him to be a little bit cockier (after all he is "The Best Archer in the World" according to the Carnival). So throughout the movie Hawkeye would be tough, sort of an A-hole, and arrogant much like in the comics.

The looks of Hawkeye and the villains. Their costumes in the comics are a bit campy for a modern realistic take. Hawkeye would take out most of the purple in his outfit. His mask would be made out of leather and be a black. Above the eyes would be a large purple H. The wings on the mask where his eyes are in the original costume would be removed. He would wear black shirt with cut off sleeves (maybe a Kevlar bullet-proof vest?) with his bow and arrows strapped onto his back. He would also wear black pants with black boots. His gloves would be three finger archery gloves also black. Swordsman and Trickshot would be in black-ops covert type gear. William Cross would be in a business suit which he would remove his coat to reveal the gun and the cybernetic eye would not be his own eye but something he would put on.

To take on the role of Hawkeye a good actor would be the star of the upcoming Star Trek movie Chris Pine, put a 5 o'clock shadow on that boy he will look just like Clint Barton. For Swordsman I cast Arnold Vosloo who plays Zartan in the upcoming movie G.I. Joe movie. Trick Shot I cast Jason Douglas who has roles in Sin City among many other movies. For William Cross I had trouble casting him and still have not decided on an actor.

If done right and well advertised Marvel could make this movie a relative success. I think this Hawkeye idea would do better than Green Arrow's escape from Supermax. The Hawkeye plot has a direction, and his character is cocky and smart mouthed enough to be more entertaining than the brooding Punisher. Fans love a good anti-hero if done right. And the revenge plot would give enough arrows going through heads and so on. My favorite idea would be at the end of the movie when the police enter the Cross's office and see him almost crucified with arrows going through his wrists pinning him to the wall. Not only would it be dark but also a pun since his last name is Cross. Hawkeye could present a darker lesser known hero for Marvel and could be successful as long as they do not follow the path of the Punisher.