Hawkeye on Disney Plus Could Bring Some Life to the Beleaguered Avengers

Marvel fans are currently enjoying a welcome respite from the franchise’s recent overabundance of releases. Spider-Man: No Way Home is crushing box office records, and Disney+ recently launched the sci-fi adventure Eternals with a bang. The icing on the cake is Oscar Isaac’s impending arrival as the Falcon in the next Avengers film.

But even with a breather, the last year has been hard for Marvel fans. First, the Marvel Cinematic Universe lost its most relatable character in Infinity War, then it got hammered by Avengers: Endgame’s climactic events. Fortunately, this week saw the premiere of a new limited series on Disney Plus that could bring some life back to the MCU’s most beleaguered hero.

The show, called Hawkeye, stars Jeremy Renner as the ace archer Clint Barton, with Hailee Steinfeld playing his daughter Kate Bishop. The two share a great, combative chemistry and approach problems from completely different perspectives. It’s a nice counterpoint to the more grounded, down-to-earth Avengers we’ve seen in the past.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen the hero take a break from his responsibilities to spend time with family and friends. The show opens on a family dinner, where Clint is irked by a grateful restaurant owner comping their meal because “he saved our city.” The episode is full of these little moments that capture the spirit of the series, which wants to be both gritty and lighthearted. The action sequences are reminiscent of a Daredevil-style series, while the dialogue pokes fun at superhero tropes.

Unfortunately, the first episode of Hawkeye fell flat on its face and was watched by a whopping 40% less than the previous live-action MCU series to debut on Disney Plus, Loki. That’s according to data from Samba TV, which tracks streaming service viewership.

Despite the low numbers, some fans are loving the show. The first episode aired on Wednesday and earned a 7.4 rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The site’s critical consensus reads, “Hawkeye is a solid start to the Marvel Plus line-up, bringing some real heart and humor to one of the MCU’s more under-appreciated heroes.”

With 14 other Marvel shows in the works for Disney+, some fans are worried that all these projects might overburden the brand. But based on the debut of Hawkeye, it seems like the studio is on to something good.

The second episode of the limited series will air on March 2. If you’re interested in learning more about the series, check out Marvel Studios: Assembled — The Making Of Hawkeye, an anthology docuseries that takes viewers behind the scenes for a look at how the show was made. It features interviews with cast members including Renner, Steinfeld, Vera Farmiga, Fra Fee, Tony Dalton, Aleks Paunovic, Brian d’Arcy James, and Florence Pugh, as well as director Rhys Thomas and co-creator Jonathan Igla. You can watch it for free on the Marvel app or on the Disney+ website. The series will also be available in 4K on the streaming service later this month.