Disney+ released their new Marvel series, “Hawkeye” on Nov. 24. The series follows multiple other Marvel series made by the streaming service giant, such as “WandaVision” and “Loki,” all of which have been successful. This review will contain spoilers for the previous “Avengers” movies.
The new series follows Clint Barton, also known as the superhero Hawkeye, a few years after the events of “Avengers: Endgame.” Grappling with the death of his friend Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow), Barton is plagued with post-traumatic stress disorder and extreme survivor’s guilt. Many of his friends died in the battles captured in the previous films, but Romanoff’s has hit him the hardest. When we first see Barton in the show, he is attending the premiere of “Rodgers: The Musical,” a happy and bright retelling of the action-packed battles the Avengers partook in. Naturally, Barton hates the musical and dissociates throughout the performance.
The show also adds a new character into the Marvel Universe: Kate Bishop, a high school student who excels in all areas. Played by Hailee Steinfeld, Bishop is well-versed in martial arts and extremely skilled at archery. Steinfeld has previously starred in films such as “Pitch Perfect” and the Apple TV+ series “Dickenson,” so her new role as Kate Bishop is an interesting role for her to take. Nevertheless, she executes it perfectly.
In the first episode, we learn more about Bishop’s backstory. Born into a rich family, her father died as a result of the New York attacks in the first “Avengers” movie. After his death, Bishop vows to protect her mom at all costs. Later in life, she butts heads with her mother’s new fiancée, Jack. At a charity event with her mother, Bishop runs into trouble as she discovers that Jack is a part of a black market auction. At the auction, the suit and weapon of Ronan are being auctioned off. Unbeknownst to her, Ronan was the alias of Clint Barton as he went on an assassination spree after the events of “Avengers: Infinity War.” A group of mob members busts into the auction, stealing the suit and weapon. Bishop successfully steals the suit, which Barton later finds out about. Barton tracks down Bishop, and protects her from the mob members set on killing her. The two form an unlikely pair as the show continues.
Based on the Marvel comic of the same name, the series introduces a new aspect to the character of Hawkeye. In this series, Barton is deaf. The show explains this to be a result of the long-term exposure to explosions and battles that come with the job of being a superhero. This aspect is interesting to see and is a well-executed inclusion of those with disabilities. In the show, Barton wears hearing aids and sometimes communicates with his children in American Sign Language. Although there are currently only two episodes released, I’m excited to see how the show expands on this aspect further.
In all, the series so far doesn’t disappoint. Disney does a great job with its Marvel series, treating each episode just as they would their feature films. The cinematography is reminiscent of other Marvel movies. The inclusion of Kate Bishop as Barton’s new partner adds a new dimension to the series, and it will be interesting to see how Marvel includes a new female character into their universe. With four more episodes to go, I am excited to see where this new series is headed.
Rating: 5/5