Hawkeye may be the least represented of the original Avengers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, yet Jeremy Renner brings gravitas to the role in his several film appearances.
To reiterate a point made in the Scarlett Johansson edition of MCU actors, Jeremy Renner has been carefully placed throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe where his character fits best. When Hawkeye is missing in action, it is not without proper clarification and when he suits up, he performs a distinct purpose. The scene in Thor where the thunder-less god fought his way through SHIELD served as a proper Hawkeye appetizer, alluding to the fact that he is more than just a typical agent of SHIELD. It set him up to join the Avengers in the first team-up film.
The Avengers is Jeremy Renner’s breakout movie as Hawkeye. He is perched up high, always on watch in case the Tesseract tests result in trouble. But before the archer has a chance to let loose an arrow, Loki uses the Mind Stone to control him. While this does constrict Barton’s character development throughout the plot, it does showcase how much of a stealthy, dangerous fighter he is with his weapon of choice to aid Loki in wreaking havoc against Earth’s mightiest heroes.
When Black Widow finally knocks him back to reality, they share a few tender moments about the risks they take with their profession, and he points out to Natasha that she is a spy, not a soldier. The pair decide to wade into war together and properly become Avengers; even without powers they have a unique set of skills and their contributions are essential.
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Hawkeye’s connection to SHIELD would have warranted an appearance in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but his absence was explained in Avengers: Age of Ultron with the reveal of his family, including a pregnant wife. He does jump back into action to take down Hydra, but an even greater threat, Ultron, can seem daunting to a man with a bow and arrow. Laura Barton rationalizes that his lack superpowers is part of the reason why the team needs him.
Renner not only conveys a heartfelt connection with Linda Cardellini, as Laura, he also demonstrates some much-needed humanity (in a movie about killer robots) opposite Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch. He delivers one of the best speeches in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe: “The city is flying, we’re fighting an army of robots, and I have a bow and arrow, none of this makes sense. But I’m going back out there because it’s my job” and then he ends it with the motivational line, “if you step out that door, you are an Avenger”.
Renner’s role in Captain America: Civil War is larger than his Thor appearance yet not as extensive as in the Avenger team-ups. In Civil War, his edginess becomes confrontational opposite Iron Man, both in the airport battle scene and again when Tony visits Team Cap at the Raft. His paternal support of Wanda continues as he helps her escape from house arrest. And his sibling-like relationship with Black Widow is further evolving, this time as they are on opposite sides of a fight, yet she never doubts that they are still friends.
Avengers: Endgame is where Renner’s gravitas is most illuminated in the MCU. His reaction to losing his family in the decimation is deeply touching and he instinctively goes rogue as killing bad guys is his cathartic way of dealing with the devastating occurrence. The moments he shares with Scarlett Johansson brings out some of the best acting in the entire franchise. The pain Hawkeye feels on Vormir when he loses his best friend is so tangible that it is almost unbearable. He somberly grieves with Wanda in the end, since they both lost people they love.
The unique aspect about Hawkeye is that it was always clear that he was a lesser Avenger despite being one of the original six; the others have their own solo films (Black Widow’s was supposed to come out last year) and Hawkeye didn’t even make it into the third Avengers movie. But what makes the archer special is that he is played by one of the best actors in the MCU. Renner’s convictions force viewers to care about him and his talents also make sure that he stands out in almost any movie he is a part of.
Jeremy Renner began his acting career in the 1990s and by the early 2000s was already starring in independent films. Some were just stepping stones to build his resume, such as the action-comedy Fish in a Barrel, while others demanded that producers and directors start taking notice, like Dahmer, where he stuns as the frightening serial killer. Renner’s subdued tenacity would stand out in generic action flicks like SWAT, or offbeat festival films such as Neo Ned, where he played a neo-nazi who falls in love with a Black woman.
Renner’s dramatic techniques are sharpened even more within the top quality filmmaking of Niki Caro’s North Country, a fabulous acting showcase all around, and Andrew Dominik’s introspective western The Assassination of Jesse James. From there, Renner segues into a wide-range of Oscar caliber performances, circling his integration into the MCU.
He brings a riveting, low-key intensity to his role as a bomb defusal expert in the award-winning Iraq War film The Hurt Locker. A year before Thor, Renner steals The Town from his co-stars in an edgy and tense turn; his most explosive performance of his career. Then, the year after The Avengers, he wins our hearts in The Immigrant and our support in American Hustle, persuading us he is the only reputable person in a cesspool of con artists. And Renner again exudes sincerity and determination as a real-life muckraker in Kill the Messenger.
After getting cast as Hawkeye, other big-budget roles were offered to Renner in the franchises of Mission Impossible, Hansel and Gretel, and Jason Bourne; for the latter he actually starred in the fourth film, The Bourne Legacy, and helped turn in a surprisingly convincing action thriller sans the titular hero. Yet his Marvel role may always be his most prized among his genre body of work.
Jeremy Renner’s Top 10 Movie Roles
1. Jem Coughlin in The Town
2. Hawkeye/Clint Barton in the MCU
3. Carmine Polito in American Hustle
4. Sergeant William James in The Hurt Locker
5. Jeffrey Dahmer in Dahmer
6. Cory Lambert in Wind River
7. Emil in The Immigrant
8. Gary Webb in Kill the Messenger
9. Bobby Sharp in North Country
10. Wood Hite in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Best Picture nominee, Arrival, doesn’t make it into Renner’s top 10 because, as good as he is in the unique alien interaction story, his performance is more scientifically transactional, with Amy Adams sapping all of the doubt and despair up for herself. On the contrary, the carefully-crafted Wind River was completely ignored during awards season, as Renner works wonders opposite his MCU co-star Elizabeth Olsen. And his role as Hawkeye definitely deserves to be near the top, with his raw emotional display over his partner’s death in Avengers: Endgame underscoring the depth Renner brought to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
After being the only original Avenger without a solo film, Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye will finally get his own show later this year, on Disney Plus. Hawkeye will see Clint Barton pass the archer Avenger baton to Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop.