Hawkeye on Disney Plus release date, cast, trailer, reactions and news

There has been a lot of speculation that Barton's protege Bishop will be a major player in the franchise moving forward, given that she was a founding member of the Young Avengers in the comic books.

Bishop is desperate to follow in Barton's footsteps to become an accomplished fighter and master archer without the need for special powers, but soon realises that the very thing she’s fighting against is uncomfortably close to home.

In fact, showrunner Trinh Tran has revealed that the introduction of newcomer Kate is partly the reason why Hawkeye changed from being a feature film to a streaming series.

“The big question was how are we going to fit all of this into a two-hour timeframe? We have an Avenger whose backstory we haven’t quite had time to explore yet. We also have to introduce a new character [Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop], as well as allow enough time for them to bond and create that special dynamic that everybody finds so appealing in the comics,” she outlined in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

“So, in moving it over, it allowed us six hours, three times as much time, which really gave us the creative flexibility we needed to tell the story.”

Master bowman Hawkeye might often end up as the butt of many jokes, some of which have come from his fellow superheroes (looking at you, Deadpool), but Renner recently said this is one of the reasons why Hawkeye is such a relatable character.

"I've always loved how he anchors the fantasy of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) because he's a superhero without superpowers," Renner told BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat.

"It's why they're fighting in the first place - because he has his family and kids," he added.

If you are keen to learn more about Barton’s MCU journey so far, be sure to check out the Marvel movies in order, or read on for everything you need to know about Hawkeye on Disney Plus.

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Hawkeye TV series release date

Hawkeye premiered its first two episodes in a double-bill on Wednesday 24th November 2021.

Following its premiere, the series is set to release a new episode weekly in the run-up to Christmas.

This is the first Marvel Studios series to begin with a double-bill since WandaVision, with later releases The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki and What If...? all sticking to just one episode per week.

The release date was first announced over the summer along with the first official image from the Disney Plus series, showing Clint Barton and Kate Bishop in a training room decorated with Christmas lights.

Filming commenced in December 2020 in New York City and wrapped approximately four months later in April of this year, with Renner saying he "can't wait" for fans to see what's in store (via Instagram).

Hawkeye TV series release time

Hawkeye launched on Disney on Wednesday 24th November at 3am EST, or 8am UK time, with the first two episodes being released in one go.

The rest of the series will be made available to watch on the streaming service on a weekly basis at the same times.

There are going to be six episodes in total, meaning the final episode should air on Wednesday 22nd December.

Hawkeye TV series cast

Jeremy Renner is once again wielding the quiver of Hawkeye, AKA Clint Barton, picking up where the character left off after the traumatic events of Avengers: Endgame.

Discussing his future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Renner told GamesRadar: "I don't have a crystal ball, or I'm not a soothsayer.

"But having Hailee come in, and these characters, I think it opens it up for six great episodes for this event type of television.

"After that, I have no idea. But these six episodes are pretty exciting."

Hailee Steinfeld's much-anticipated role is that of a privileged young woman who Hawkeye trains to become a formidable archer and an Avenger in her own right.

Notably, Kate is an entirely different character from the girl Clint was seen training at the start of Avengers: Endgame, that being his daughter Lila Barton (played by Ava Russo, who returns in Hawkeye).

Discussing the role, Hailee Steinfeld said to Cosmopolitan UK: "My dream next role, to be completely honest, is the next role I’m playing, which is Kate Bishop in Hawkeye.

“To play anything in the Marvel universe is a dream, but Kate Bishop is a character that I love so much and I’m so excited to bring her to life.

“I’ve had the opportunity to play some pretty badass young women. I feel so lucky to play young women who have a point of view and have a voice (and are able to) speak up, and make themselves heard and make themselves known."

Steinfeld also told Pilot TV: “Kate wants to do good; she has this burning desire to follow in Hawkeye’s footsteps.

"She’s idolised this person forever and then she finds herself on this wild ride with him."

In addition, Hawkeye director Rhys Thomas told RadioTimes.com that it’s “exciting” to ponder where the character could go next, while Steinfeld herself seems thrilled to have bagged the role.

“Kate Bishop is a character that I would have loved to have had growing up — somebody who is completely ambitious, driven and disciplined, and takes it upon herself to do whatever it is she has to do to achieve her goals,” she told Variety. “I am very excited for people to meet her.”

Linda Cardellini (Dead to Me) is also reprising her MCU role as Clint's wife Laura Barton, but she'll be staying far removed from the action at their countryside home with their children.

Why is Clint taking time away from his family after fighting so hard to get them back? That's a question the writers will have to work out themselves, as Hawkeye is not a family man in the original comics.

Meanwhile, The Conjuring and Bates Motel star Vera Farmiga has bagged the role of Bishop's mother, Eleanor, who some fans have speculated could transform into comic book villain, Madame Masque.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Farmiga said of her co-star: "Hailee kills it in the role. Kate Bishop's coming up and I play her mama and I had a blast. It's going to be pretty special, I think."

Newcomer Alaqua Cox plays Maya Lopez, better known as superhero Echo, who is in the running for a spin-off Disney Plus show of her own.

She has the ability to perfectly copy an opponent's fighting style, similar to Black Widow villain Taskmaster, and in the comics was the original Ronin – the alias Hawkeye uses in Avengers: Endgame.

"Deaf people have really good visual skills. I can easily catch things," Cox told Entertainment Weekly via an ASL interpreter. "During training they were like, 'Oh, wow, you're a fast learner.' I was like, 'Well, I just watched you.'

"The deaf community is in huge support of this role because they want to see deaf people represented in these deaf roles. Most of the time it's hearing people that take these roles, but finally authentic representation is here. So I'm excited for that, and so as everybody else."

Rounding out the supporting Hawkeye cast are Fra Fee (Les Miserables) as Clown, Tony Dalton (Better Call Saul) as Barton's mentor Swordsman, and Zahn McClarnon (Doctor Sleep) as William Lopez, Echo’s dad.

In July 2021 rumours began swirling around the internet that Vincent D'Onofrio would appear in episode five of Hawkeye, reprising his role of Wilson Fisk aka Kingpin from the critically acclaimed Netflix series Daredevil.

Speculation increased further when D'Onofrio reportedly liked – then quickly unliked – a Twitter post reporting the rumour, but there has been no confirmation just yet so take this with a pinch of salt for now.

He did, however, show his interest in the series ahead of its release.

Tweeting on November 17, D'Onofrio penned: "This is going to be fun. I love these @Marvel series."

Could we see Wilson Fisk make a comeback here?

Fans of the Man Without Fear could be in for a very special Christmas, as Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock is also rumoured to feature in Spider-Man: No Way Home, suggesting the Marvel/Netflix characters could enjoy an imminent comeback.

Is Florence Pugh in Hawkeye?

Oscar-nominated actress Florence Pugh is reprising her role as Yelena Belova from this year's Black Widow film.

The post-credits scene for Black Widow saw Yelena visit the grave of her adopted sister Natasha Romanoff who died during the events of Avengers: Endgame.

As Yelena paid her respects, it was revealed that she is an employee of the mysterious Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who previously appeared in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier where she recruited John F. Walker to her mysterious cause.

In her interaction with Yelena, Valentina handed the Black Widow agent information on Clint Barton and blamed him for Romanoff's death.

So, will Yelena be looking to take revenge on Clint in the new series?

We will have to wait and see how this confrontation will go down.

Hawkeye character posters

We now have the first of what will likely be a series of character posters for the Marvel Studios thriller series.

Marvel Studios and Disney Plus shared three character posters ahead of the premiere.

Naturally, one poster is of Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye/Clint Barton, one is of Hailee Steinfeld as Hawkeye/Kate Bishop, and the third is of... Lucky the Pizza Dog.

Hawkeye reviews

The first reactions to Hawkeye are now in from the press and Marvel fans who have been lucky enough to see the opening two episodes.

Among the reactions is the one from writer Richard Newby who penned on Twitter: “Hawkeye is good, Christmasy fun. It does feel the least ambitious of the MCU series thus far (obviously that could change after 2 episodes).

“Reminds me a bit of the Netflix series. Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop is a treat and I can’t wait until she meets Pugh’s Yelena.”

The other reactions shared on social media were similarly themed.

Elsewhere, Mama’s Geeky critic Tessa Smith wrote on the social media platform in praise of the show.

Smith tweeted: “Hawkeye is PERFECT. 15 minutes in & I was a sobbing mess. Feels the most MCU of the Marvel shows with action & story. Great Kate Bishop introduction (@HaileeSteinfeld is AMAZING) but also the show Clint deserves. SO MANY COMIC NODS! Avengers musical in real life, please.”

Read More: Hawkeye first reactions see Marvel fans praise new Disney Plus series

Hawkeye TV series plot

The Hawkeye series picks up on plot threads set up by Avengers: Endgame, which saw Clint Barton lose his wife and children in the snap and adopt the persona of murderous vigilante, Ronin.

After many months violently executing leading figures in the world's top criminal gangs, Clint was pulled back from the brink by old friend Black Widow, who reunited him with the surviving Avengers and helped him get his family back.

However, that dark chapter of his life has caught up to him in the present day, as a Ronin copycat begins taking on New York City's most dangerous foes – a mysterious figure later revealed to be none other than Kate Bishop.

As seen in the recent Hawkeye trailer, the two characters will cross paths and work together to get themselves out of a tough situation, with the hope being that Clint will make it back home in time for Christmas.

As established in the Black Widow post-credits scene, the series will also see deadly spy Yelena Belova track Clint down, seeking revenge for his role in the death of her adoptive sister, Natasha Romanoff.

Of course, we know that Clint did everything he could to stop Nat from sacrificing herself, but Yelena is seemingly being manipulated by the villainous Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.

There could also be some flashbacks to Clint's time as an agent of SHIELD, as a recent set photo saw him sporting a quiver with the now-defunct organisation's logo on it.

Black Widow star David Harbour recently weighed in on the Hawkeye series, saying that he'd love to see his own character Red Guardian seek out Clint Barton on a quest for retribution.

"When he finds out that she was on that cliff with Hawkeye and maybe the version of the story he hears is that Hawkeye pushed her off or something, it's a moment when Red Guardian turns back to the guy he was," Harbour told Insider. "He now wants vengeance for her. That I feel would play well."

We're unlikely to see that confrontation in the Hawkeye series, with Harbour not among the names on the official cast list, but the two characters could clash further down the line.

After completing filming on his solo series, Renner assured fans that "this is not goodbye," suggesting he has no plans to depart from his Marvel role in the near future and could well be back in future projects – perhaps even a second season of Hawkeye.

Just like Marvel's preceding Disney Plus shows, it’s likely Hawkeye will set up events for subsequent projects set in the MCU on both the big and small screen (read more about the slate of upcoming Marvel movies).

Who is Kate Bishop in Hawkeye?

True Grit, Pitch Perfect and Bumblebee star Hailee Steinfeld has been cast as Kate Bishop, Hawkeye's successor.

In the comics, Katherine "Kate" Bishop takes up Hawkeye's mantle after his apparent demise, becoming a founding member of the Young Avengers and later working closely with Clint when he returns from the dead (it happens a lot in comics).

Like Hawkeye, she doesn’t have any superpowers herself but was already trained in archery and martial arts thanks to her wealthy upbringing, and enhances her skills further when Barton takes her under his wing.

In many stories, she teams up with Hawkeye to take on street-level crime, rather than the more extreme otherworldly adventures enjoyed by other superheroes.

She was a key character in the popular Hawkeye comic books by Matt Fraction and David Aja, which the new streaming series is heavily inspired by.

During that run, Fraction's take on Kate Bishop was critically-acclaimed and reignited interest in the character, who ended up fronting many storylines on her own as the series continued.

Confusingly, Kate Bishop also takes the codename Hawkeye even while the original is still using it, causing the pair to jokingly refer to each other by the same name during many missions.

Read more:

• Hawkeye review: More of a stocking-filler than a real Christmas gift
• When is Hawkeye set in the MCU?

Who is directing Hawkeye?

In July 2020, Troop Zero filmmakers Amber Finlayson and Katie Ellwood (known professionally as Bert and Bertie) signed on for directorial duties on a batch of episodes, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Also pulling the strings for part of the series will be Welsh director Rhys Thomas, whose previous credits include Comrade Detective, Documentary Now and John Mulaney & the Sack Lunch Bunch.

It is unclear which other directors will be involved in the series, but based on the first names to be unveiled it appears as if the studio are opting for filmmakers with comedic backgrounds – which could tell us something about the tone of the series.

• For the latest news and expert tips on getting the best deals this year, take a look at our Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 guides.

Hawkeye trailers

The first trailer for Marvel's Hawkeye dropped in September 2021, giving fans their first look at Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop, and the return of Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton after more than two years away.

Previously, Marvel had revealed an early look at what the opening credits sequence for the series could look like, which surfaced on Twitter and received a positive reception.

Another trailer was released on November 18 to increase the anticipation of the series a week ahead of its release.

Hawkeye will premiere on Disney Plus on Wednesday 24th November 2021. Sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year.

If you're looking for something else to watch, check out our guide to the best series on Disney Plus, or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.