Marvel Confirmed The Worst Part Of Hawkeye Being An Avenger

Warning! SPOILERS for Hawkeye episode 4

With the Disney+ show Hawkeye, Marvel shows exactly the worst part of the archer’s stint as an Avenger. Often considered the “weakest” or “worst” Avenger in the MCU, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) is finally under the spotlight, as his solo show chronicles his adventures with overly eager protégé Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld). Because of his limited screen time in previous MCU films, his backstory has not really been given that much attention. However, with him and Kate’s backstory being revealed through their efforts to track down Ronin’s enemies, his major weakness is becoming more noticeable.

Despite being an original member of the Avengers, Clint Barton has been treated comparatively smaller than the rest of his team. In fact, while Iron-Man, Thor, and Captain America have established their own trilogies since MCU’s phase one, Hawkeye’s first major role comes later on. First appearing in Thor, Clint is shown as a valuable S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, often tasked with important missions such as killing Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and observing the Mjölnir in New Mexico with Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg). Over the years, Hawkeye has showcased his superhero potential, and with his skills as a master martial artist, spy, and marksman, he even dons the identity of ruthless assassin Ronin.

Now, the MCU focuses on street-level events in Hawkeye, and the show highlights the character’s strengths and superhuman abilities while debunking criticisms about him. However, Hawkeye still exposes the worst part of him being an Avenger. In the midst of demanding and fast-paced fights, Hawkeye runs out of arrows, and he needs to pick them up again. This is explicitly shown in Hawkeye episode 4, when after a car chase with Maya (Alaqua Cox), the sharpshooter duo runs out of ammunition, forcing Kate to employ the LARPers and retrieve arrows from the NYPD evidence. Unlike his fellow Avengers who do not seem to run out of bullets or weapons, Hawkeye’s recuperation after any fight also involves him restocking on his arrows, which are a vital part of who he is as a fighter.

Hawkeye running out of arrows in the Disney+ show is not an isolated case. In The Avengers, he has emptied his quiver during the Battle of New York. However, because he literally cannot afford to stop fighting, he had to scavenge the arrows he had already shot and reuse them. On the other hand, in Hawkeye, as he revealed the origin of his relationship with Black Widow, Clint had to delegate the task of picking up his arrows to Kate, which, in hindsight, seems like a cumulative waste of time in the superhero realm. Not to mention, while the lack of arrows does not necessarily incapacitate Hawkeye, it still puts him at a disadvantage in case there is a surprise attack on him.

Although picking up arrows is a mundane activity for an Avenger, it humanizes Hawkeye, especially since the show zooms in on street-level action. Marvel characterizing him as such goes beyond framing him as the weak link in the team, but it reminds its viewers that Clint is no god or super-soldier. In Hawkeye, he is simply a family man, trying to survive every fight with his bow and arrow.

Hawkeye airs every Wednesday on Disney+.

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