Marvel Confirms Jack Duquesne Could Return As Swordsman In The MCU

Disney+ recently released Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye, which confirmed that Jack Duquesne could return to the MCU as Swordsman in future projects beyond Hawkeye. In the Disney+ series, Jack was the wealthy fiancée of Kate Bishop’s mother, Eleanor Bishop. Tensions quickly rose between Jack and Kate due to Jack not only being Kate’s future stepfather, but Kate suspecting that Jack had used his swordsman skills to kill his uncle. For the majority of Hawkeye, Kate believed that Jack was involved in underground criminal activity until discovering that Eleanor had framed him. Jack did not hold a grudge against Kate, though, even sword-fighting members of the Tracksuit Mafia in the Battle at Rockefeller Center to help protect her.

While both versions of Jack Duquesne are passionate about swords, MCU Jack’s comic book counterpart is quite different. In Marvel comics, Jack Duquesne was a circus performer and master with swords and knives. At one carnival, he met and mentored a young Clint Barton, teaching him combat skills. However, Jack soon turned to a life of crime and became a villain known as Swordsman. After pretending to be an Avenger while acting as a spy, Swordsman lost his desire to be a criminal. He later genuinely joined the Avengers but died protecting another Avenger he had fallen in love with.

In Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye, Trinh Tran, the Executive Producer of Hawkeye, addressed this comic book background. Tran explained that Hawkeye’s creators wanted to include Jack’s character but with a new twist. They purposely made Jack’s skills and history mysterious, so future MCU stories could continue to explore his character. Due to this, Jack could still appear as Swordsman in other Marvel movies or shows but with a fresh interpretation due to his different relationships in Hawkeye.

Although the name Swordsman was never used in Hawkeye, Jack already showed signs that he was ready to step into the role. This was most prominent in Hawkeye season 1, episode 6, “So This Is Christmas?,” during which Jack immediately – and enthusiastically – jumped into battle against the Tracksuit Mafia. Additionally, Hawkeye season 1, episode 2, “Hide and Seek,” featured Kate and Jack facing each other in a fencing duel. Although Jack intentionally let Kate win at first, the duel ended by him blocking Kate’s sword without even looking at her, which was included to make him more mysterious. These instances show that Jack has the skills to become Swordsman in future MCU projects. However, considering Swordsman’s history in Marvel comics, this future could be as a new Avenger or as a skilled criminal.

Based on Jack’s character and relationships in Hawkeye, though, Swordsman is more likely to be a hero in the MCU. Rather than being Clint Barton’s mentor, Hawkeye featured Jack as Kate’s potential stepfather. Although Kate was suspicious of Jack for the majority of Hawkeye, Jack still tried to build a positive relationship with her. He strove to bond with Kate over their shared interest in fencing and quickly jumped to her defense during the Battle at Rockefeller Center despite Eleanor having recently had him arrested. Jack’s eagerness to help others suggests that he may become a more heroic version of Swordsman, even if he may be slightly too zealous at first. While Swordsman’s questionable past in Marvel comics made him an ideal red herring in Hawkeye, Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye confirmed that Jack Duquesne’s future in the MCU is still a mystery to be explored in future projects.

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