| Clint Barton | |
|---|---|
| Marvel Cinematic Universe character | |
 Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye inThe Avengers (2012) | |
| First appearance | Thor (2011) |
| Based on | |
| Adapted by | |
| Portrayed by | Jeremy Renner |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | Clinton Francis Barton |
| Aliases |
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| Species | Human |
| Occupation |
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| Affiliation |
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| Weapon |
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| Family | Edith Barton (mother) |
| Spouse | Laura Barton |
| Children |
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| Nationality | American |
Clinton Francis "Clint"Barton is a fictional character portrayed byJeremy Renner in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)media franchise—based on theMarvel Comics characterof the same name—more commonly known by hisalias,Hawkeye. Barton is depicted as an expertmarksman,archer, andhand-to-hand combatant, with his preferred weapon being arecurve bow. Barton, an agent ofS.H.I.E.L.D., is sent to killNatasha Romanoff but decides to recruit and befriend her instead.
Barton becomes a founding member of theAvengers after being recruited bySteve Rogers, participating in theBattle of New York, theHYDRA uprising, and the conflict againstUltron. Barton sides with Rogers during the Avengers' internal conflict over theSokovia Accords; he is placed onhouse arrest as a result. After Barton's family is decimated duringthe Blip, he becomes avigilante and violently dismantlesorganized crime across the world asRonin. He rejoins the Avengers during their mission to undo Thanos' actions usingtime travel; Barton attains theSoul Stone after Romanoff sacrifices herself to obtain it. Barton and his allies successfully restore the trillions of lives lost to Thanos, and he participates in the final and subsequently victorious battle against an alternate-timeline version of him. After reuniting with his restored family, his time as Ronin causes continued conflicts with various elements of organized crime, and he takes in a protégé namedKate Bishop.
Barton's first appearance was a briefcameo inThor (2011), but he became a central figure of the MCU, appearing in five films as of 2024[update] and has the lead role in the miniseriesHawkeye (2021).[4]
Alternate versions of Barton from within themultiverse also appear in the animated seriesWhat If...? (2021), with Renner reprising the role.[5]
Working as aS.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Barton is sent to killNatasha Romanoff, but instead recruits her.[a] They become close friends and serve on various missions together, including one inBudapest, where Romanoff attempts to kill GeneralDreykov.[b] At some point, Barton marriesLaura Barton.Nick Fury assists him in setting up asafehouse for his family on a farm in ruralIowa.[c]
In 2010, Barton was sent on a mission inNew Mexico. There he arms himself with a compound bow and prepared to killThor to keep him from retrievingMjolnir. However, after watching Thor fail to lift the hammer, he chose not to.
In 2012, Barton is working at a remote S.H.I.E.L.D. research facility with Fury whenLoki arrives and uses hisscepter to put Barton undermind control and steal theTesseract. They travel toStuttgart, where Barton stealsiridium needed to stabilize the Tesseract's power while Loki causes a distraction. Loki allows himself to be captured and taken to the S.H.I.E.L.D.Helicarrier, which Barton attacks with other mind controlled agents. Aboard the Helicarrier, Barton fights Romanoff, who knocks him out, breaking Loki's control. Romanoff helps him recover. Barton is recruited bySteve Rogers and becomes a founding member of the Avengers with Rogers, Romanoff,Tony Stark,Bruce Banner, and Thor. He participates in thebattle in New York City against theChitauri and helps defeat Loki atStark Tower. Barton joins the team to a diner where they eat in silence. After the team sees Thor and Loki off inCentral Park, he and Romanoff drive off together.
In 2015, Barton, Romanoff, Stark, Rogers, Banner, and Thor attack aHydra facility inSokovia in an effort to retrieve the scepter. However, Barton is seriously injured byPietro Maximoff and a Hydra weapon, but is healed by Dr.Helen Cho at theAvengers Tower. Barton attends the Avengers' celebratory party, meetingJames Rhodes andSam Wilson, and tries and fails to lift Mjolnir. Barton witnessesUltron's first attack at the Tower and his escape with the scepter. Barton and the others travel toJohannesburg, where they try to stop him, but all, except Barton, are enthralled byWanda Maximoff's powers. Barton takes the defeated team to his house where it is revealed to the team that he has a pregnant wife named Laura and children named Cooper and Lila. There, Fury arrives and motivates the team to assemble and stop Ultron.
Barton, Romanoff, and Rogers travel toSeoul to stop Ultron from uploading his network into avibranium body powered by the Mind Stone. They succeed and Barton transports the sentient body back to the Avengers Tower. He also tracks a captured Romanoff's signal in Sokovia. AfterVision is awakened, Barton and the others return to Sokovia to stop Ultron. There, Barton reunites with Romanoff, participates in the battle against Ultron, convinces Maximoff to become an Avenger, and is saved by Pietro who sacrifices his life to shield Barton and a Sokovian child from Ultron's gunfire. After the battle, Barton goes into retirement and returns home, where he and Laura name their newborn son Nathaniel Pietro Barton, in honor of Romanoff and Pietro.
In 2016, Barton returns from retirement to help Rogers in his opposition toUnited Nations control of the Avengers via theSokovia Accords. He goes to theAvengers Compound to retrieve Maximoff, but is confronted by Vision, until Maximoff incapacitates him. Barton and Maximoff then recruitScott Lang and travel to theLeipzig/Halle airport in Germany to join Rogers, Wilson, andBucky Barnes. However, they are intercepted by Stark's team consisting of Rhodes, Romanoff,Peter Parker,T'Challa, and Vision. After Rogers and Barnes escape, Barton, Wilson, Maximoff, and Lang are taken to theRaft. When Stark visits, Barton openly berates him. Later, Rogers breaks him, Lang, Wilson, and Maximoff out, and he and Lang negotiate deals with the U.S. government in accordance with the accords to receive a term ofhouse arrest instead.[d]
In 2018, Barton, still on house arrest, enjoys a picnic with his family, but is caught off-guard when Laura, Lila, Cooper, and Nathaniel suddenlyvanish. After learning what happened from Romanoff and Rogers, Barton, in his grief, becomes a vigilante called "Ronin". He dons aninja costume andkatana and begins to hunt down and eliminate organized crime around the world, killing criminals he believes deserved to die instead of innocents like his family. Barton goes to New York City and attacks theTracksuit Mafia, murdering many of its members, includingWilliam Lopez, after getting a tip fromWilson Fisk's informant.[e] Another time, he travels toMexico and slaughters adrug cartel.
In 2023, Barton travels toTokyo and murders theYakuza, before being approached by Romanoff, who tells him that the Avengers discovered a way to reverse the Blip. Barton returns to the Compound and reunites with the other Avengers, as well as meetingRocket Raccoon andNebula. Barton volunteers to test out the quantum tunnel and is transported into theQuantum Realm where hetime travels to an alternate 2018 timeline seeing his house and hearing his daughter's voice before being transported back. After the Avengers formulate a plan to retrieve the Infinity Stones from different points in time, Barton is given a shrunkenBenatar by Rocket. He, Romanoff, Rhodes, and Nebula quantum travel to an alternate 2014 timeline. Barton and Romanoff leave Rhodes and Nebula on the planetMorag and travel in theBenatar through space to the planetVormir. They are met by theRed Skull, who tells them that in order to retrieve theSoul Stone, a life sacrifice is required. Barton chooses to sacrifice himself, but is stopped by Romanoff. They fight to sacrifice themselves but, in the end, Romanoff jumps over the cliff, allowing Barton to obtain the Soul Stone. After returning to the main timeline, a grief-stricken Barton and the original Avengers hold a mourning for Romanoff outside of the Compound. Once theNano Gauntlet is constructed, Barton watches as Banner uses it to reverse the Blip. To his amazement and surprise, Barton receives a phone call from his restored wife. However, the Compound is then attacked by missiles sent by analternate Thanos'Sanctuary II warship and Barton falls into the Compound's tunnels below. Barton recovers the Gauntlet and protects it against theOutriders, before joiningthe battle against the alternate aliens. Barton watches Stark sacrifice himself to destroy Thanos' army and, after the battle, returns home in the Avengers' Quinjet and reunites with his family. A week later, they all attend Stark's funeral at his cabin and afterwards, Barton reunites with Maximoff.
In 2024, Barton, now wearing ahearing aid, spends time with his children in New York City forChristmas, attending aBroadway theatre musical called Rogers: The Musical. Barton leaves early due to being bothered by the inaccurate portrayal of the Battle of New York and reminders of Romanoff. That night at his hotel, he sees footage of a person wearing his Ronin suit while saving a dog on the news, which triggers memories of his Ronin past. He tracks down and rescues the disguised person from the Tracksuit Mafia. Afterwards, he unmasks the person and meets a young woman namedKate Bishop, a skilled archer who grew up idolizing him after he unknowingly saved her during the Battle of New York.
Barton goes with Bishop back to her apartment and meetsLucky, agolden retriever that Bishop had rescued and adopted earlier. They are soon attacked by the Mafia and forced to leave the Ronin suit behind as they evacuate. They relocate to Bishop's aunt's apartment and Barton returns to Bishop's apartment, which is now being tended to by the Fire Department, to find the suit but see it is gone. Barton sends his children back home the next morning, promising to return by Christmas Day. He escorts Bishop to her work inTimes Square and then recovers the Ronin suit from Grills, aLARPer, at a LARP event inCentral Park. Later, Barton allows himself to be captured by the Mafia to learn more about their plans. Bishop, unaware of this, tracks down Barton's location to rescue him and gets captured in the process.
Maya Lopez interrogates him on Ronin's true identity and Barton tells her that Ronin was killed by Romanoff. After managing to free himself and Bishop, the two flee in a car and evade Lopez and the Mafia at theManhattan Bridge. They then leave on the subway.
Barton, accompanied by Bishop and Lucky, obtains a new hearing aid, gets breakfast, and then goes to the penthouse of Bishop's mother,Eleanor, to learn more about the Mafia's plan using her mother's company's database. However, Bishop gets locked out of her mother's account, and Barton is confronted byJack Duquesne, the fiancé of Bishop's mother who possesses Barton's Ronin sword.
The situation is diffused after Eleanor and Duquesne recognize him as an Avenger. Eleanor asks him to keep Bishop out of his investigation as he secretly takes back his sword and leaves while Bishop and Lucky stay behind. With the help of Laura, Barton discovers that Duquesne is the CEO of Sloan Limited, ashell company thatlaunders money for the Mafia. That night, Barton is met by Bishop and Lucky who return to the apartment and throw him a small Christmas party to make up for missing time with his family. They bond over various activities. Barton tells Bishop about his past with Romanoff and she deduces that he lost his family in the Blip and is the Ronin.
The next day, Barton sends Bishop and Lucky on a task to retrieve his arrows while he locates Lopez's lieutenant, Kazi Kazimierczak, and demands he convince Lopez to end her vendetta against Ronin. Afterwards, Laura informs Barton that aRolex watch recovered from the Avengers Compound stolen by the Mafia is sending out tracking signals from an apartment building. Barton meets Bishop at Grills' apartment, who gives him the arrows back, and they leave to retrieve the watch. Barton hides out on the roof of a building adjacent to the apartment, while Bishop goes inside to find the watch and learns it is Lopez's apartment. Bishop tells Barton that Lopez is keeping notes on Barton and his family. Barton is then ambushed by a masked assassin who is revealed to beYelena Belova, who is targeting him after being hired to do so,[f] before Bishop arrives and after a fight, Belova escapes. Barton decides that he cannot keep putting Bishop in danger and breaks off their partnership.
Barton takes shelter at Grills' apartment and falls asleep on the couch with Lucky. The next day, he visits the local Avengers memorial and speaks to the late Romanoff, apologizing aloud for what he is about to do. Barton sets up a meeting with Lopez where he dons the Ronin suit, quickly incapacitates the Mafia, and fights and defeats Lopez. He spares her life and unmasks, warning her that continued threats toward his family will result in her demise, and reveals that he was tipped off by aninformant working for Lopez's boss who wanted her father dead. Lopez manages to injure Barton who is subsequently saved by Bishop and Lopez flees. Bishop reveals to Barton that Belova is hunting him and the two return to Grills' apartment. Barton is shown a text message sent from Belova to Bishop revealing that Eleanor is working with Lopez's boss, whom Barton identifies asKingpin.
Barton watches a video Belova sent Bishop and learns that Eleanor killed Armand and set up Duquesne to take the fall. On Christmas Eve, Barton and Bishop attend Eleanor's holiday party atRockefeller Center. Kazi attempts to assassinate Eleanor on Fisk's order, but later targets Barton. Barton enlists the help of Grills and the LARPers to evacuate the party guests, then later rejoins Bishop and defeats the Mafia. Bishop later departs to look for Eleanor, while Barton is confronted by Belova, who demands the truth of Romanoff's death. Barton complies but the struggle leads to a fight in which Barton eventually convinces Belova to stand down and spare his life after whistling her and Romanoff's whistle, leading her to realize how close he was to Romanoff. Belova comes to terms with Barton and leaves, while Barton meets with Bishop and expresses how proud he is of her, telling her only afew people have survived a fight with Kingpin. On Christmas Day, Barton departs New York in a car with Bishop and Lucky and returns to Iowa. Once home, he introduces Bishop and Lucky to his family, witnesses his children opening their presents, returns the stolen watch, a S.H.I.E.L.D. memento, to his wife Laura, and later burns the Ronin suit with Bishop.
Other versions of Barton are depicted in the alternate realities of the MCU multiverse.
In an alternate 2012, Barton, Romanoff, Rogers, Stark, Thor, and Banner fight off the Chitauri in New York City. They defeat Loki at Stark Tower and afterwards, he and Romanoff hand the scepter over toBrock Rumlow and other agents.
Severalalternate versions of Barton appear in the animated seriesWhat If...?, with Renner reprising his role.
Barton, with the alter ego of Hawkeye, was first introduced in Marvel comic books as a reluctant villain, inTales of Suspense #57 (September 1964). After two more appearances as a villain inTales of Suspense #60 and #64 (December 1964 and April 1965), Hawkeye joined the ranks of the Avengers inAvengers #16 (May 1965). He then became a perennial member of the team.
In the mid-2000s,Kevin Feige realized that Marvel still owned the rights to the core members of theAvengers, which included Barton. Feige, a self-professed "fanboy", envisioned creating a shared universe just as creatorsStan Lee andJack Kirby had done with their comic books in the early 1960s.[7] After initially offering the role of Barton toJensen Ackles, who had auditioned for the part of Captain America, Marvel hired Jeremy Renner to portray the character on screen.[8]
Much of Clint's background and characterization in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was inspired by hisUltimate Marvel incarnation, particularly him being a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and secretly having a wife and three children. His origin story in Earth-616 of him being a circus performer and former criminal trained by Swordsman is not included, though several elements of this version are implemented such as him becoming Ronin and eventually requiring hearing aids.[9] His story and characterization in theHawkeye television series were primarily influenced byMatt Fraction's 2012 comic run with the character.[10]
A master archer working as an agent for S.H.I.E.L.D.[11][12] Renner said it was a very physical role and that he trained physically and practiced archery as much as possible in preparation.[13] About the role, Renner said, "When I sawIron Man, I thought that was a really kick-ass approach to superheroes. Then they told me about this Hawkeye character, and I liked how he wasn't really a superhero; he's just a guy with a high skill set. I could connect to that".[14] Regarding Hawkeye's sniper mentality, Renner said, "It's a lonely game. He's an outcast. His only connection is to Scarlett's character, Natasha. It's like a left hand/right hand thing. They coexist, and you need them both, especially when it comes to a physical mission".[14] Renner said Hawkeye is not insecure about his humanity. "Quite the opposite, he's the only one who can really take down the Hulk with his [tranquilizer-tipped] arrows. He knows his limitations. But when it comes down to it, there has to be a sense of confidence in any superhero".[15] Renner earned $2–3 million for his role inThe Avengers.[16]
Renner almost appeared in 2014'sCaptain America: The Winter Soldier in an extended cameo apprehending Steve Rogers, but was cut from the film by the directors due to his schedule conflicts.[17]
Whedon said that Hawkeye interacts more with the other characters inAge of Ultron, as opposed to the firstAvengers film where the character had been "possessed pretty early by a bad guy and had to walk around all scowly".[18] As the character did not appear in any other of Marvel'sPhase Two films, Whedon statedAge of Ultron sheds light on to what the character was doing since the end ofThe Avengers.[19] Renner described the character as "kind of a loner" and "a team player only 'cause he sort of has to be. He's not really a company man. Captain America can be that guy. In [Age of Ultron] you'll understand why [Hawkeye] thinks the way he thinks".[20]
In March 2015, Renner was revealed to be reprising his role as Barton inCaptain America: Civil War.[21] On Barton's reasons for joining Rogers' side, Renner said, "Cap was the first guy who called. Let's just get the job done so I can get home to the family",[22] along with feeling an obligation to side with Scarlet Witch, since her brother,Pietro Maximoff, sacrificed himself to save Barton inAvengers: Age of Ultron.[23] On how he and Barton fit into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Renner said, "I'm happy to be the ensemble. I'm not scratching or clawing to do a solo movie by any means ... I think [Barton's] a utility guy that can bounce around into other people's universes a little bit".[24]
Stephen McFeely described Barton's dark turn inAvengers: Endgame as "a good example of people who had much stronger stories after the Snap".[25] The film's cold open, which features the disintegration of Barton's family, was initially supposed to be inInfinity War following Thanos' snap, however it was moved toEndgame instead, with Markus explaining that it was "going to blunt the brutality of what [Thanos] did."[25] Joe Russo felt it was "a very tragic scene to open the movie with. It's one of the few scenes in the movie that actually makes me tear up when I watch it, because I think about my own family... And then you think about what would happen to you, as a father. You'd become very self-destructive".[26] Renner makes an uncredited voice-onlycameo appearance as Barton inBlack Widow (2021).[27]
In April 2019, a limited series focused on Barton's character was reported to be in development, with the plot involving Barton passing the mantle of Hawkeye toKate Bishop.[28] The series was officially announced at the 2019San Diego Comic-Con, with the plot taking place following the events ofAvengers: Endgame.Hawkeye premiered in November 2021,[29] withJonathan Igla serving as the series' showrunner.[30] In September 2019,Hailee Steinfeld was announced to be portraying Kate Bishop.[31] The series further explores the character's time as Ronin.[32] Renner said that meeting Kate Bishop brings "an onslaught of problems" into Barton's life,[33] as Barton does not understand her obsession with him.[34]
Polly Conway ofCommon Sense Media found Barton to be a positive role model acrossHawkeye, writing, "Hard work, perseverance, and courage are all clear themes. You are not defined solely by your past choices and mistakes. [...] Although they have to make many sacrifices to do so, the heroes are fighting for the greater good. They demonstrate courage, teamwork, and perseverance."[35] Michael Walsh ofCollider included Barton in their "10 Best Non-Powered Characters In The MCU" list, saying, "Clint is easily the most grounded of The Avengers, operating without superpowers and with a loving family waiting for him to return home at the end of each mission."[36] Chris E. Hayne ofGameSpot ranked Barton 18th in their "38 Marvel Cinematic Universe Superheroes" list, writing, "While he's one of the original Avengers, he's also the least spectacular member of the team. That said, the standaloneHawkeye series on Disney+ did a lot of rehab of the character and, dare we say, we're going to miss Clint if he is indeed retired."[37] Bradley Prom ofScreen Rant ranked Barton 6th in their "10 Best Spies & Covert Agents" list, claiming that "his proficiency with the bow and arrow is what set him apart, and made him so deadly."[38]
Samy Amanatullah ofScreen Rant described Renner's portrayal of Barton as one of the casting decisions that helped the MCU, stating that "Renner channels the right amount of cynicism and earnestness to simultaneously shut down fan criticisms, recognize the ridiculousness of the premise, and somehow make it relatable."[39] Kaitlin Thomas ofTVLine found Renner's portrayal of Barton acrossHawkeye funny and entertaining, stating, "Renner's performance inHawkeye, whether he's playing the role of tired dad, nailing unexpected punchlines with pin-point accuracy, or making viewers laugh as an exasperated man attending a LARPing event in New York City, elevates the series beyond the basic thesis of a man torn between his family and doing the right thing."[40] Jonny Hoffman ofMovieWeb ranked Renner's performance inHawkeye 7th in their "Jeremy Renner's Best Performances" list, writing, "In theHawkeye series, Renner proves that he has what it takes to lead a superhero series through his performance and physicality. [...] Renner dives into a range of emotion throughout the series and proves that he is one of the greatest action stars working."[41]
| Year | Recipient(s) | Award | Category | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Avengers | People's Choice Awards | Favorite On-Screen Chemistry(withScarlett Johansson) | Nominated | [42] |
| MTV Movie Awards | Best Fight(with cast) | Won | [43] | ||
| 2016 | Captain America: Civil War | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie: Chemistry(with cast) | Nominated | [44] |
| 2017 | Kids' Choice Awards | #Squad(with cast) | Nominated | [45] | |
| 2019 | Avengers: Endgame | Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | [46] |
| 2022 | Hawkeye | Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Male TV Star (Family) | Nominated | [47] |
The character has been the subject of various jokes includinginternet memes[48] and a 2012Saturday Night Live skit (in which Renner portrayed the character),[49] highlighting the perceived absurdity of a regular human archer being amongst aliens, super soldiers, and gods. He was also perceived as being regularly "sidelined" during his appearances.[50] DuringAvengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Barton himself acknowledged this when he stated, "The city is flying and we're fighting an army of robots. And I have a bow and arrow. None of this makes any sense".[51] Renner indicated that he appreciates that Barton's character is more relatable, stating, "When I get off work, all I wanna do is be with my family. And having zero superpowers — I love that this guy has will and mental fortitude that anyone can have".[52] Barton has been described as going from "the butt of all jokes" to a fan favorite andunderdog.[53]
After being excluded from marketing ofAvengers: Infinity War (2018), fans of both Renner and the character—as well as those who ridiculed his "sidelined" appearances—drew attention to his absence. This was acknowledged by Renner onInstagram. Achange.org petition demanding his inclusion in promotional material received over a thousand signatures.[50] In an interview withGizmodo'sio9, producerKevin Feige said that, as it drew attention to the character, he believed that the prevalent discussion "was one of the best things that ever happened to Hawkeye."[54] The character did not appear inInfinity War, but was among the main cast in its sequel,Avengers: Endgame (2019).
In 2019, a satiricalReddit post went viral, comparing the ratio of the Avengers' wins in battles with Barton then without him—where they lost in all such cases.[55]
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