Hawkeye star says he’s hoping to be a part of the Echo spin-off
Exclusive: Hawkeye star Fra Fee talks us through changes to his character from the comic books, and what we can expect from the final two episodes of the season.
In the Matt Fraction/David Aja Hawkeye comics that Disney Plus’ latest TV show is based on, there’s a significant villain that Clint and Kate must face off with. Dubbed Kazi Kazimierczak, alias the Clown, he’s a deadly mercenary who guns down one of Clint’s neighbours and forces him into battle – but the Disney Plus show has taken a different tack with the character.
“Here's the thing – most actors that sign on to do a Marvel job know very little about what it is that they're about to do,” Fra Fee, who plays the live-action version of Kazi, told RadioTimes.com.
“And the case was pretty much the same for me. I had an inkling that the role that I was auditioning for was the character that you're referring to. And we did discuss how he was portrayed in the comic books.”
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However, onscreen Kazi’s character was changed entirely. Now, instead of an assassin hired by the Tracksuit Mafia, he’s a senior member of the organised crime group, portrayed as a fairly bright and level-headed lieutenant to Alaqua Cox’s obsessive Maya Lopez/Echo.
“The way that they sort of brought him into this story and how he sort of connected with Maya and everything was to make him a part of the Tracksuit Mafia, which is different in the comics,” Fee said.
“It's certainly been really interesting to take stuff from the comic books, and add to it with what we've done with the TV show and sort of come up with something a bit more, I guess, original, that I can bring my own flavour to.”
Though fans disappointed by Fee’s lack of clown make-up may still have something to look forward to, the actor hinted.
“Who's to say where the character may or may not end up further down the line?” he teased, noting that the final two episodes of the series pack quite a punch.
“I can't wait for people to see it. I can't wait to see the last few episodes. It's been leading up to quite the finale. And I don't think anyone's going to be disappointed.”
And of course, Hawkeye might not be the end of Kazi anyway. It’s already been confirmed that Alaqua Cox’s Echo is getting her own spin-off – would it be so strange for her right-hand man to join her as she strikes out on her own?
“I mean, are you kidding? Of course, I would love to be part of it,” Fee told us.
“But my phone is on at the moment, and there hasn't been a phone call just yet. We'll just have to wait and see. Who knows?”
Hawkeye releases new episodes on Disney Plus on Wednesdays – sign up now for £7.99 per month or £79.90 for a full year.
For more, check out our dedicated Sci-Fi page or our full TV Guide.
Authors
Huw Fullerton is a Commissioning Editor for Radio Times magazine, covering Entertainment, Comedy and Specialist Drama.
