This Wednesday, the first two episodes of Hawkeye will premiere on Disney+. You'll want to check back here tomorrow for our review, but in the meantime, we're taking a look at Jeremy Renner's 10-year tenure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It's been one heck of a ride for Clint Barton since he first showed up in Thor as an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., and with Yelena Belova set to take aim at him and Kate Bishop looking for a mentor, the best may be yet to come. Before we get to that, though, this breakdown looks back at the big screen moments (and a small screen one) where Hawkeye has been given the chance to shine.
From making some bold sacrifices for the greater good to scenes where he proved himself as big a badass as any other member of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Hawkeye has done a lot so far.
To take a look through this feature, all you guys need to do is click on the "Next" button below!
8. A Family Man
After receiving the short end of the stick in The Avengers by spending most of the movie under Loki's control, Clint Barton was redeemed in Avengers: Age of Ultron and even given a family.
That immediately separated the archer from the rest of Earth's Mightiest Heroes; initially, it was hard not to suspect that he might be up to no good as he continued sneaking away to make calls, but the reveal that he had a wife and kids was a game-changer. This was a departure from the comics (where he often romanced Black Widow or Mockingbird) and made us want to root for Clint even more.
Hawkeye's family remained a key part of his MCU story, and learning that this lot had been safely hidden away on this farm all that time showed the lengths he'd go to to protect them.
7. #TeamCap
Hawkeye's planned cameo was cut from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but the archer returned with a vengeance in Captain America: Civil War.
Immediately siding with Steve Rogers in an effort to protect his family, Clint Barton didn't hesitate to head into action for the Super Soldier (even when it meant being forced to confront his best friend, Natasha Romanoff). He also battled Black Panther, Iron Man, and Vision, and if this wasn't proof enough that Hawkeye was a force to be reckoned with, nothing would change your mind.
Clint's bond with Wanda Maximoff was forged in Avengers: Age of Ultron and that was built on here. After rescuing her from house arrest, Hawkeye once again pointed her in the right direction with some strong, inspirational words.
6. Taking Aim At Thor
Jeremy Renner's MCU debut came in 2011's Thor and his scene was added during additional photography. Among those tasked with guarding the site where Mjolnir crashed to Earth by S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury, Hawkeye was all too willing to shoot down the God of Thunder if his boss asked.
This was 100% the "Ultimate" version of the character, but Clint still made some memorable quips and got fans excited for his proper debut in The Avengers the following year.
An undeniably memorable debut that's not talked about anywhere near enough, this is a fun moment to revisit. Sure, it might not be as exciting as the badass fight scene in Avengers: Endgame when he was suited up as Ronin, but it was a solid way to bring the character to life in live-action for the first time.
5. An Explosive Sacrifice
We're heading to an alternate reality for this entry, but it was still a major moment for Hawkeye. On a world where Ultron won and inhabited the body that we'd come to know as The Vision, almost all of humanity had been wiped out by the android after he gained control of the Infinity Stones.
Hawkeye and Black Widow were still fighting the good fight, though, and this penultimate episode of What If...? followed them as they attempted to put an end to Ultron once and for all.
Knowing that Natasha needed time to escape with the Ultron drone that had been taken over by Arnim Zola's A.I., Clint sacrificed himself in a moment of true heroism. He had lost it all at this point, but still found the drive within himself to be a true hero...even to save a world ravaged by Ultron.
4. Dodging A Bullet
Joss Whedon established that Hawkeye was a family man in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and as we headed into the final act, it felt a lot like a tragic end was in store for the quick-witted archer.
After battling his way through countless Ultron drones, Hawkeye - who the movie had made clear was just a regular guy early on - spotted a child who had found himself in the titular villain's firing line. Without hesitating, Clint ran into action and placed himself in harm's way, willing to be gunned down in order to protect an innocent's life.
Luckily for Clint, Quicksilver raced in and took those bullets for him. It was a powerful, impactful moment, and it's a shame we've never really been able to explore the fallout from what happened. After all, you have to believe Hawkeye feels at least some guilt over what Pietro did for him.
3. Battle Against The Chitauri
Despite spending much of The Avengers working for Loki, Hakweye was given the chance to shine in the movie's final battle. On several occasions, in fact!
Whether we're talking about the way he improvised when the Chituari closed in on him and he ran out of arrows, that fun exchange with Black Widow about Budapest, or the leap off the building...there was a lot to love here. One particular highlight, however, saw Hawkeye outsmart Loki when he shot an arrow at the God of Mischief which promptly exploded in the smug villain's hand.
After being sidelined for such a large part of the movie, it was great to see Clint get the spotlight here. This movie is why Hawkeye quickly became such a fan-favourite, and he proved himself in a big way.
2. Inspiring Scarlet Witch
We're heading back to Avengers: Age of Ultron one final time for a moment fans still talk about even more than half a decade on. Despite the Scarlet Witch's misguided actions earlier in the movie, Clint clearly saw potential in the Sokovian and helped guide her through that frantic final battle with Ultron.
With the android's army closing in, Hawkeye took Wanda to one side and made it clear that, "If you step out that door, you are an Avenger."
This was a pivotal moment for both characters, and with Clint's words ringing in her ears, the Scarlet Witch became a hero. That ensured the tide was turned against Ultron and made sure Wanda was there to help the rest of Earth's Mightiest Heroes against the threat Thanos posed to reality. Of course, some might wonder if Hawkeye will live to regret this after the events of WandaVision!
1. Sacrifice On Vormir
There are a lot of great moments we could have included from Avengers: Endgame here. As noted, Clint's brief time as Ronin led to an awesome fight scene in the middle of the movie, while there's no denying that his actions in the final battle (including making a run for it with the Infinity Gauntlet) were very impressive.
However, it's what happened on Vormir that really stands out to us. Knowing that collecting the Infinity Stones would potentially bring everyone back from the dead, Clint was all too willing to never see his family again if it meant giving them a second chance and keeping Black Widow alive.
The archer clearly felt he should be punished in some way for the many criminals he had killed as Ronin, but this was still a selfless act on his part. Ultimately, it was Natasha who took that jump, and Clint was left heartbroken. In Hawkeye, that's going to lead to an interesting clash with Yelena Belova...