2011’s Thor marked the first MCU appearance of Hawkeye, yet the film entirely wasted the character. The cast of the Thor movie was spearheaded by Chris Hemsworth, also marking his first role in the now-sprawling MCU. What I often forget, however, is that Clint Barton was introduced in this movie too, setting up his role in 2012’s The Avengers. One harsh reality of watching the Thor movies is just how little a role Barton played in the first entry of the Asgardian saga, though subsequent films in the MCU have thankfully redeemed him.
Since then, Hawkeye’s vast MCU timeline has allowed him to shine in ways many – myself included – did not think possible after his Thor cameo. Be it his excellent roles in the likes of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Endgame to his own solo MCU TV show, Hawkeye has grown into an integral MCU figure. Nonetheless, Thor wasted the character in a way I still cannot believe, especially given the potential the movie had to make Hawkeye’s introduction to the MCU way more exciting than it was.
Hawkeye’s Thor Movie Introduction Initially Looks Like The Perfect Way To Introduce The Character
The Set-Up Is Excellent
Firstly, it is worth exploring the first few moments in which Hawkeye appears in Thor to outline my disappointment with how the character was handled. The scene comes as Thor is rampaging through a SHIELD facility to reach Mjolnir and restore his powers. As Thor tears through several agents of SHIELD, Phil Coulson states that he needs “eyes up high… with a gun.” An unseen character is then shown reaching for a gun before the camera pans to a compound bow.
Marvel diehards will have immediately known this was Hawkeye, but the film was well-directed and kept his face hidden. Hawkeye is then shown running and jumping into a lift, flying over the compound, and keeping his eyes on Thor. As Coulson refers to him as Barton, Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye is shown in full view for the first time, confidently asking if he should neutralize Thor before the latter takes down any more of SHIELD’s men. This setup is incredibly well done and marks a genuinely exciting, well-constructed introduction to the character of Hawkeye, but the succeeding moments fail him.
Hawkeye Doesn’t Really Get To Actually Do Anything In His MCU Thor Introduction
Hawkeye’s Electric Introduction Quickly Fizzles Out
Hawkeye’s confident introduction does not change as he eyes up Thor, awaiting the mark to take down who audiences know as the God of Thunder. However, this excitement quickly diminishes when Coulson orders Thor to be arrested rather than taken out. This leaves Hawkeye stranded on his perch doing nothing, with the character being absent from the entire movie beyond this scene. Hawkeye is resigned to simply watching Thor, only to be forgotten shortly after.
The movie is not overly long, meaning more of a focus could have been placed on Hawkeye, at least for that one scene before returning to tell Thor’s origin…
Although this somewhat makes sense due to the movie’s focus on Thor, it is a disappointing ending to what could have been a perfect Hawkeye introduction. The movie is not overly long, meaning more of a focus could have been placed on Hawkeye, at least for that one scene before returning to tell Thor’s origin story. As it is, though, Thor fails to capitalize on introducing another major Avenger, with even The Avengers having him be a robotic subject of Loki one year later.
The MCU Came So Close To Giving Hawkeye His Coolest Possible Introduction
Perhaps the reason why I find this introduction for Hawkeye in Thor so wasteful links to the character’s overall perception pre-Avengers: Age of Ultron. As alluded to, Hawkeye was not a character that was overtly loved before the 2015 film due to his lack of characterization and the fact that he was one of the few non-superpowered MCU main characters. If his introduction in Thor had capitalized on his first few scenes, however, this could have changed immeasurably.
At the time of Thor‘s release in 2011, the main characters introduced to the franchise were major superpowered beings like Iron Man – thanks to the suit of armor – Hulk, and Thor. Black Widow was also introduced, but Iron Man 2 adequately showcased her skill level as a fighter. Thor failed to do so with Hawkeye, yet the film had the opportunity to show that he did not need an Iron Man suit, god-like powers, or a rageful alter ego to be an Avenger. Thor could have shown that through his cunning, skill, and almost arrogant confidence, Hawkeye is just as much of a hero as anyone.
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Marvel Already Explained Why Hawkeye Is REALLY on the Avengers (Despite Being “Useless”)
Hawkeye is far from the most powerful Avenger, but there’s a pretty funny reason as to why Earth’s Mightiest Heroes still keep him around.
Thor could have done so by taking the aforementioned scene one step further and allowing Hawkeye to actually face off against Thor. This way, his strength and bravery as an Avenger would have been established long before Avengers: Age of Ultron. After all, the scene resulted in Thor being detained anyway, meaning it makes little sense not to have it be Hawkeye who overpowered him. This would have allowed the perfect introductory moments for Hawkeye’s character in Thor to have an equally satisfying payoff than the one that was provided, changing his disappointing debut into a promising tease for the future.
