Disney+, Hawkeye - Kate Bishop is My New Favorite MCU Super Hero (Well Second Favorite)

I have always been an MCU Hawkeye fan. I think it kind of sucks that Jeremy Renner's character gets all the jokes as the least effective Avenger when Black Widow is similarly underpowered. Though I do like the eleven arrow joke Renner did during a special guest appearance on Saturday Night Live. So great that he not only sees the humor but leans into it as well.

What I like about Clint Barton is that he's simply a reliable worker who usually gets the job done, without fanfare or any need to be in the spotlight... and most of the time eleven arrows is enough!

I feel his character, until the new Hawkeye Disney+ series was best summed up by the scene in Avengers, Age of Ultron, where he gives Wanda the speech about being an Avenger.

Speaking of the Hawkeye Disney+ series, after just two episodes, Kate Bishop is my new second favorite Avenger (even though she's not actually an Avenger yet).

Hailee Steinfeld's performance as the character is amazing. She really sells that Kate is talented and intelligent but isn't devoid of a few shortcomings either. What's equally impressive is how the show streamlines the case for her advanced skills so that by the time we see her scaling walls and firing arrows, we totally get she's more than capable of what we're seeing her do.

If anything, episode one's opening title montage, that does most of the heavy lifting on showing Kate's achievements as she grows up, is a roadmap for kids to stay in school, get involved in every physical sport you can, so that you too can one day be an Avenger.

It's a somewhat achievable pathway, though I wonder how many of those activities her Mom had to drive her to every week as a young child?

Honestly, I could watch episode two of Hawkeye over and over. The transition from Kate as a Hawkeye super fan to relatively capable superhero protégé is as compelling as Clint going from trying to be an apathetic problem fixer to reluctant mentor. Both of which are further solidified with the events of episode three.

I've heard a few people say that the Hawkeye series, so far (at the time of writing three episodes are available) is a little slow, and a little like the Netflix MCU. I can see that, however the character development and rapport between Clint and Kate more than make up for a steady stream of action pieces. Plus the humor of the show is well done too (I'm kind of liking the Tracksuit Mafia as a low level group of bad guys).

I'll be doing a full review of the series when all six episodes have aired. If you're not watching Hawkeye I think you're really missing out on a very unique superhero show about a stand up guy and a wanna be vigilante crossing paths and discovering what it actually means to be a superhero.

It could easily become your annual Christmas series watch tradition.