The following article contains spoilers for Hawkeye.
Since the year kicked off it was crystal clear that Disney wanted to market each of its new Marvel exclusive series in a very specific way. WandaVision was sitcom-flavored, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was a buddy cop show, Hawkeye is Christmas-themed, and Loki is, well, very Loki.
Unexpectedly though, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier ended up delivering much deeper cuts as the series had an air of seriousness that is rare in the MCU, touching upon subjects such as racism, the horrors of war, and refugee crises, all matters of very real concern in today’s world. Instead, Hawkeye’s more light-hearted approach and the astounding chemistry between Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld are turning Clint Barton’s solo feature into a show that’s really more reminiscent of legendary action duos.
The more one thinks about it the more obvious it becomes that Hawkeye has plenty of potential to be Marvel Studios’ buddy cop show, because not only is it freed from the shackles of tackling serious real-world issues, but the holiday setting also imparts a more plñaygul tone to some of its scenes, at least in the first two episodes. Clint is the by-the-book old-timer, the grumpy veteran who’s out on the field to get the job done and nothing else; Kate Bishop is new on the job (roughly 48 hours in by now) and she’s here to ruffle Hawkeye’s feathers every time she gets the chance.
Hawkeye’s first episode takes care of introducing the duo’s to halves; the second one sees them struggling to work together with Clint wanting to keep interaction with Kate limited only to the utmost necessary; this week the pair are already taking part in some of the best action scenes the MCU has to offer. “Echoes” marks the first time Clint can start to see Kate eye-to-eye, sharing important lessons with her like the cost that comes with choosing the heroic path of an Avenger that has burdened him for so many years.
Of course, this is all carefully and smartly adorned with less serious moments because the banter between the two is never absent, even when Clint can’t even hear Kate, so the relationship as a whole also counts as a solid triumph for the script the screenwriters put together.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier doesn’t capitalize on Sam and Bucky’s relationship as much because, although both characters evolve a lot, they do it in a mostly independent manner with their moments together being mostly during missions or as if to merely satisfy the notion that they are indeed friends when Bucky visits the new Cap’s family home. Make no mistake, Sam and Bucky feel like real partners, rather it’s just a matter of the buddy cop element taking a backseat once their first therapy session is over.
In Hawkeye, and though he may not know it, it’s clear Clint acts as not only Kate’s childhood hero but also as a sort of father figure from the moment they meet. This is evident during their quality bonding time in this episode’s car chase scene, and also once the thrill is over and the two finally catch a breath in the subway when Clint praises Kate for her marksmanship.
All the moments the two share are not limited in nature either, because back at their temporary headquarters the pair deliver a very heart-warming scene when Kate helps Clint communicate with his youngest son. It’s moments like these that make Clint start to see Kate as more than a spoiled brat and recognize her like the talented girl (who’s probably around the age of his son Cooper) she is.
Overall, whenever Kate and Clint share scenes their relationship seems to be constantly evolving, whether they’re having coffee or Kate’s teasing Hawkeye with silly texts, these two seem like they'll be sticking quite close until Christmas. Naturally, it helps that Hawkeye’s story is being told within a period of five days in the MCU, but even then showrunners are making the best out of it until then.
Kate’s Gen Z approach is a welcome addition to the life of one of Marvel’s most underserved characters, a low-profile Avengers in Clint’s own words, because they provide a nice counterweight to each other. Hawkeye doesn't want a costume, while Kate's design is inspired by his more colorful and cartoonish outfit from the comics.
Unfortunately, the very reason why Steinfeld is in the MCU is to succeed Renner as the new Hawkeye as Clint probably retires to live the family life he’s always wanted, so fans are probably at their last few hours with Hawkeye. It’s truly a shame that Clint Barton is looking the coolest he’s ever been right when he’s about to leave but at least, Hawkeye is setting up a worthy successor for him.