The losses of Infinity War were devastating, but the surviving heroes aren't giving up
without a fight.
Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, is coming back to help finish the job in round two, Avengers:
Endgame.
But this time around, he's bringing a different, darker attitude, and perhaps even a whole
new name.
Here's why this overlooked Avenger will be more important than you think.
Potential spoilers ahead!
Everything went wrong at the end of Infinity War.
Just like that, half the universe was dead and dusted, including, we can assume, Clint
Barton's entire family.
At least, that's what the first trailer for Avengers: Endgame seems to want us to think,
cutting to Barton in the streets of Japan while Captain America's voice over discusses
the family members people lost to Thanos' decimation.
This Clint looks like a man with a sunken soul, a murderous mood, and nothing left to
lose.
He's also got a kickass samurai-inspired new outfit, with a sword as his weapon and no
arrows in sight.
If you're familiar with his whole story in the comics, you know he's probably not going
by Hawkeye anymore.
That's right, folks, it's time to meet a new hero.
Goodbye, Hawkeye.
Hello, Ronin.
While he's more popularly known as Hawkeye, Barton has taken on other names before, including
a brief stint as the size-changing Goliath in the 1960s.
In 2007, he took up the mantle of another hero in the pages of The New Avengers, adopting
the role of Ronin.
As Ronin, Barton showed off his combat skills beyond the bow, taking coaching and encouragement
he had previously received from Captain America and putting it to good use as a more well-rounded
fighter.
After three years in the Ronin role, he returned to his Hawkeye roots in 2010.
While Comics Clint was in the Ronin identity, he and the other Avengers faced off against
a new threat: the shape-shifting Skrulls, aka why Captain Marvel punches an old lady
in those trailers.
In this storyline, many superheroes and their allies turn out to secretly be Skrulls, wearing
the faces of established heroes to further a nefarious invasion plot.
Ronin is one of the heroes who helps beat the threat back.
Considering the timing, we have to wonder, is that what the movie Ronin is up to as well?
Maybe!
The "Ronin vs. Skrulls in Japan" rumors stem from a casting notice for Endgame which called
for actors who were comfortable wearing facial prosthetics, which could indicate a lot of
things besides an alien Skrull presence, since this is a comic book movie we're talking about.
Some online chatter indicates that Ronin will play a huge role when it comes to ultimately
defeating Thanos, which seems far-fetched, considering Barton's recent absence in the
MCU.
"You couldn't have done it without me."
But let's explore the speculation!
One Reddit-based rumor says that Ronin will be involved with a plot to build a second
Infinity Gauntlet.
After creating a second gauntlet, the Avengers will hop through time to capture different
Infinity Stones before Thanos gets his hands on them, something that, based on leaked location
photos of past setpieces being recreated for Endgame, like the Battle of New York from
the first Avengers flick, seems very plausible.
Specifically, it's rumored that Ronin will have a scene in which he is forced to defend
the new gauntlet from Thanos' minions.
A perfect opportunity for Ronin to show off his new skills.
Regardless of whether or not Clint spends Endgame fighting Skrulls or building a new
golden glove, there's reason to believe he'll be essential to setting up the next phase
of the MCU.
After all, Endgame is an end of an era.
It's like Tony Stark says:
"Part of the journey is the end."
For the first time in series history, it's time for a new generation of young Avengers
to take over, and in the comics, Hawkeye has one heck of a protégé.
While Clint Barton is Marvel Comics' first Hawkeye, he's not the only one.
Since 2005, Barton has had a mentor/mentee relationship with a younger archer named Kate
Bishop, an equally powerful wielder of the bow and arrow.
Since her first appearance in the pages of Young Avengers, she's popped up in a wide
array of Marvel comics, even headlining her own series starting in 2016.
It was reported in October that Katherine Langford from 13 Reasons Why was secretly
cast in Endgame in an undisclosed role.
We know what character she looks like, but whether she'll pick up the bow as Kate Bishop
is still yet to be determined.
Our thoughts are somewhere between "maybe" and "probably."
Maybe Clint won't pass on his Hawkeye mantle in Endgame.
After all, there's already a lot going on in this story.
But what about what comes after?
MCU Cosmic reported that a project for the upcoming Disney+ streaming service is being
developed for the two Hawkeyes, with a plot centering on Clint Barton training a successor
who could, based on the comics, really only be Kate Bishop.
In other words, we're pretty sure that Barton is going to survive Endgame.
And while he may retire afterwards, he won't do it without passing on the bow to another
hero, one who will likely carry on his legacy into MCU Phase 4 and beyond.
It's worth remembering that these are still just rumors and reports, with nothing official
announced, but keep an eye on these developments.
Not only does it feel pretty believable, it also sounds really, really fun.