Is Clint Barton Still An Avenger After Hawkeye? MCU Future Explained

Warning: This article contains spoilers from Hawkeye episode 6.

Now that Hawkeye‘s final episode has aired and wrapped up Clint Barton’s story, here’s what Jeremy Renner’s future as the Marvel Cinematic Universe archer could look like. Hawkeye has never been the most popular Avenger, but his previous movie appearances didn’t do much to really flesh out his life. Marvel Studios finally had the chance to do that with Hawkeye, as the Disney+ series showed him take Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) under his wing in a New York set Christmas adventure. The spotlight Clint finally received led many to wonder if the series would kill him, but Hawkeye‘s ending leaves the door open for more stories with him.

The majority of Hawkeye episode 6 revolved around Kate attempting to bring down her mother Eleanor Bishop (Vera Farmiga), while Clint dealt with Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and her mission to kill him. Both of these storylines included connections to Wilson Fisk a.k.a. Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio), and Clint and Kate unsurprisingly came out victorious in the end. Clint was allowed to go home in time to spend Christmas with his family at the Barton farm as a result. He brings Kate and Lucky the Pizza Dog with him and is ready to put his past behind him. This included burning the Ronin suit and passing the Hawkeye mantle to Kate.

With Clint seemingly ready to enjoy retirement, it raises questions about whether or not he is still an Avenger. Whoever is running Earth’s Mightiest Heroes at the moment is unlikely to formally remove Hawkeye from the roster, but Clint doesn’t appear to be in any rush to suit up again. This could mean that he is not an active member of the Avengers anymore, which would allow Kate Bishop and other new Phase 4 characters to join the ranks instead. However, Marvel’s decision to let him leave means that there is always the chance he’ll return in future MCU projects. Here are the various movies and shows that could play a role in Hawkeye’s MCU future.

Avengers 5

Hawkeye’s next MCU appearance could be saved for Avengers 5, whenever it happens. Marvel Studios isn’t rushing to assemble the Avengers again after Avengers: Endgame‘s record-setting success, but the sequel will likely be without several original members. Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) are dead, and Captain America (Chris Evans) is an old man now. Meanwhile, Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) might not have his powers anymore, and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is galavanting through the galaxy. This could leave Hawkeye as the lone original Avenger who could return to action in Avengers 5. His return can allow him to be the elder statement of the team and provide the next generation of MCU Avengers with some guidance.

In addition to possibly being an Avenger again in Avengers 5, it is also possible Hawkeye’s MCU future will include him leading his own team: the West Coast Avengers. A Hawkeye Easter egg teased part of the team’s past when Clint Barton was in charge. This would likely result in Hawkeye taking a much more active role as a superhero moving forward. West Coast Avengers could theoretically be the team at the center of Avengers 5, but they might also be worthy of headlining their own franchise or Disney+ series.

Kate Bishop Hawkeye Spin-off

The next appearance by Hawkeye in the MCU could very well be in a Kate Bishop spinoff, which could serve as Hawkeye season 2. Clint and Kate ended the series together at the Barton family farm and became quite close during their adventure. Kate was already a huge fan of Hawkeye, but Clint finally acknowledged in Hawkeye‘s ending that she is his partner. Unless Clint plans on leaving his partner alone and not helping her again, Kate’s future superhero activities should involve him in some regard. Marvel Studios could lean further on the pair’s comic history and show them investigating Madame Masque together. In any case, it is difficult to imagine a Kate Bishop spinoff or Hawkeye season 2 happening without Clint Barton appearing.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Hawkeye’s MCU return could come much sooner than expected, as it would make sense for him to appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness at some point. Prior to meeting Kate Bishop, Clint’s mentor experience included Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). She’s set to return in the sequel following the events of WandaVision, which proved to be quite devastating. With Scarlet Witch potentially on the edge of villainy, there’s a chance Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) brings Hawkeye into the adventure to try and help get her back on the right path. This could be a potentially dangerous return for Clint, though, as it also would give Marvel the opportunity to have Wanda kill him as she did during House of M.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

Phase 4 could also bring Hawkeye back for an appearance in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania potentially. Hawkeye‘s finale included Kate shrinking a van full of Tracksuit Mafia members using a Pym Tech arrow. Clint mentions that he’ll have to talk to Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) about what they can do to reverse this, which could lead him to a brief appearance in Ant-Man 3. It is also possible that Hawkeye could play a bigger role in the movie if Marvel wanted to capitalize on Renner and Rudd’s excellent chemistry. But, the MCU could also just bring him and Scott together again as a way to connect Kate Bishop and Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton) so they can team up moving forward.

Young Avengers

Speaking of Kate Bishop and Cassie Lang’s futures, them headlining a Young Avengers project could be another chance for Hawkeye to return. Clint Barton wouldn’t fit as a member of the team, but it would make sense for him to help give the young heroes some tips and tricks to the superhero lifestyle. As long as Clint is around, he should continue to be invested in monitoring Kate’s hero journey. So when she starts leading the Young Avengers and fighting alongside other major MCU characters, it would only make sense for Clint to appear and check in on how she is doing.

Thunderbolts

There are also long-standing rumors that a Thunderbolts movie is in development at Marvel Studios, and this too could be an opportunity for Hawkeye’s return. Clint Barton led the Thunderbolts in the comics after Baron Zemo lost power within the group. He attempted to turn the villains acting like heroes into true heroes throughout his time with the Thunderbolts. There are no details on what the MCU has planned for its version of the team, so whether or not Hawkeye will actually fit with the idea of the Thunderbolts is unknown. But now that Clint has put his Ronin past behind him, the idea of him taking on a special interest in helping redeem villains or anti-heroes would make sense.

Echo

Hawkeye’s MCU return could also happen in Echo. The spinoff show starring Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) will build on her story from Hawkeye, which included hunting down Clint and Kate due to their Ronin connections. Although the MCU made Ronin responsible for killing Maya’s father, she learned that Kingpin was really behind the hit. Maya was the first character to wear the Ronin suit in the comics, so she could suit up in her own version of the suit in Echo. If that happens, it would make sense for Clint to leave whatever else he is doing to find out who is now wearing the costume he burned.

Secret Invasion

Another MCU property that could involve Hawkeye in some form is Secret Invasion. The Disney+ series is putting a different spin on the major Marvel comic crossover event, which included almost every major character in the source material – including Hawkeye. Clint’s story included learning that his wife Mockingbird was a Skrull for the last several years. Now that Hawkeye confirmed Laura Barton was a SHIELD agent, Nick Fury’s connections to the shape-shifting aliens could mean that Laura will be among the MCU characters revealed to be a Skrull. It would be a massive shakeup for Clint’s story, but it could also help explain why Marvel decided to include Laura’s SHIELD past now.

About The Author

Cooper Hood
(5616 Articles Published)

Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. He joined Screen Rant in late 2016 following a year-long stint with MCU Exchange, which came after first developing an MCU blog of his own. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn’t until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. When he isn’t writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection – because physical media is still king! Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper.

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