After spending so long in the background, Clint Barton finally got his chance to shine in the new Disney Plus series Hawkeye, alongside new archer Kate Bishop. The show seems to have allowed for Hawkeye to gain more appreciation amongst MCU fans, but the marksman should’ve been receiving praise long ago.
Although Clint has had a lot less screen time than his fellow superhero counterparts, he makes up for the lack of attention with some pretty grand feats. Starting with his first appearance in The Avengers through his most recent appearance in Hawkeye, Clint Barton has certainly left his mark on the world. These 5 underrated Hawkeye moments prove just how crucial he was to the Avengers team.
“You Have Heart” (The Avengers)
Upon Clint’s first meeting with Loki, the thing that made him stand out to the God of Mischief was his determination and bravery. Loki tells Clint that he “has heart” before taking control of his mind. Although Clint’s strong-willed nature got him into some trouble during The Avengers, the fact that the bad guy (or rather, the morally ambiguous troublemaker) was able to pinpoint Clint’s strongest character trait after exchanging just a few blows is a testament to what kind of hero Clint Barton is.
With no special superpowers other than his ability to nail a target, Clint Barton is a hero because of his inner strength. Loki was the first person to comment on Clint’s character, making this scene a defining moment for Hawkeye in the MCU. Clint’s heart is what carried him through his career as a superhero and from beginning to end, he never let go of his desire to protect the innocent.
The Battle of New York (The Avengers)
Clint played a huge role in protecting the world from aliens during the Battle of New York, but his most underrated act of heroism was jumping from the rooftops, relying on nothing but a bow to catch him. The scene is iconic for a number of reasons, but what’s most important is that Clint’s trust fall is what inspired Kate Bishop to become a superhero.
Clint never joined the Avengers with the intention of inspiring others. The fact that he was able to unknowingly create the next-gen Hawkeye, by doing nothing except being himself, is a huge testament to his valor.
The Avengers Need Him (Age of Ultron)
After showing the rest of the team his biggest secret, Laura Barton tells Clint that the Avengers need him. At this point in time, the team was a total mess and the divide fans witnessed in Captain America: Civil War was starting to form. Clint does what he can to keep everyone together during Age of Ultron to ensure that they can save the people of Sokovia. By serving as the glue that keeps everyone together, Clint proves he’s capable of finding that perfect work-life balance, using his family-man skills to hold an entire bunch of superhumans together.
Hawkeye Convinces Wanda To Be An Avenger (Age of Ultron)
When Wanda was panicking about Ultron destroying the world, Clint was the one to pull her out of whatever dark headspace she got lost inside. She wasn’t sure what to do, and Clint ultimately left the choice up to her, but he encouraged her to tap into whatever she needed to muster the courage to face the homicidal robots head-on.
While this moment was shrouded in comedy, with Clint making jokes about how none of what's happening made any sense, there’s a good chance Wanda would’ve never become an Avenger if it weren’t for Clint showing up when she needed him most.
Clint Makes It Home For Christmas (Hawkeye)
When the Hawkeye series came to a close, Clint was able to return to his family in time for Christmas. He made it in one piece, with a new partner and furry friend in tow, and he even came bearing gifts for his wife. As heartwarming as this is, it’s the events leading up to the final scene that make this moment so impressive.
Within days, Clint Barton managed to save the life of Kate Bishop, train her to be a hero, take down the Tracksuit Mafia, convince Maya Lopez to turn on her own people, get through to Yelena about Natasha’s death and recover the mysterious rolex that kept popping up throughout the series. That’s a lot of ground to cover for any superhero, let alone one that doesn’t have any accelerated healing abilities, or protective suits of armor.
Clint making it home for the holidays after dealing with so many problems proves that he deserves more credit than he gets. Perhaps his ability to multitask so well comes from his experience as a father, or maybe it was a Christmas miracle that allowed him to escape unscathed. Regardless, Clint Barton totally kicked butt.
