**Spoilers Ahead**
The third episode of Hawkeye is live on Disney+ and it may be the series’ best hour yet. We continue to see the development of Marvel’s two favorite archers, and it’s sad to think we’re already halfway through this mini series.
Hailee Steinfeld continues to be the heart and soul of this series, and continues to establish why her character Kate Bishop the perfect choice to help lead Marvel into the next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The scene where she connected with Clint (Jeremy Renner) and helped him speak to his son when his hearing aid was broken was particularly poignant, and a great reminder of what great chemistry these two actors have had through this whole series so far.
It’s also great to see that Marvel continues to develop Clint’s character, as he was so often left in the background of the MCU. We got a very emotional look at the toll that being a superhero would really mean, and how it has impacted the character’s family in a very tangible way. The fact that he referenced the death of his Ronan alter-ego at the hands of Black Widow was a poignant callback to the impact Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) had on the MCU.
We were also introduced to the head of the tracksuit mafia, Maya Lopez, also known as Echo (Alaqua Cox). Even in just one episode, Cox absolutely shone in what is her debut role. Out of the gate, she established herself as a fearless leader, and a woman absolutely not to be meddled with. Her distinct badassery is balanced to perfection with her humanity and heart. This character is a great response to Marvel’s villain problem, and she will hopefully be around and developed as an integral part of the MCU. Hopefully Marvel will continue to include actors with disabilities in major roles like this one.
On that note, Marvel teased the return of Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpin, and we know for sure we heard Vincent D’Onofrio’s voice talking to Maya, his beloved niece as a child. This would certainly be in line with what appears to be Marvel’s plan to incorporate Daredevil officially into the MCU. Kingpin is among the best Marvel villains that’s been played on screen, and his appearance in Hawkeye would be absolutely incredible to see. He and Echo would make such a perfect team causing chaos at every opportunity.
Fans also finally got to see a comprehensive rundown of Clint’s trick arrows. The Putty Arrow releases a goo-like purple putty, the Plunger Arrow shoots a plunger out of the end of it, the Explosion Arrow causes a small explosion wherever it impacts, the Octo Arrow shoots out multiple lines of rope to aid in climbing an maneuvering, the Acid Arrow shoots acid (shocking), and the Smoke Bomb Arrow causes a smoke bomb of purple smoke. The best arrows by far had to be the Pym Arrow using Pym technology to enlarge objects, and the USB Arrow. We’re still not 100% what it’s for, but we love it and we know it will help our heroes someday.
This Hawkeye episode continued to give us a slower pace, and an increased focus on character development. Although this episode did have some of the most action we’ve seen out of the series yet, it still feels very contained and toned down compared to other major Marvel set pieces. This is yet another reason Daredevil will make a good entry into the MCU, as it would give fans a chance to see longer, serialized stories with more depth.
While we didn’t get a chance to see Florence Pugh reprise her role as Yelena Balova in this week’s episode, it looks like we may get to see her next week. Hawkeye will no doubt have even more for fans in the second half of this season, and could be game changing if we see two of Marvel’s strongest characters make a return to the small screen.
New episodes of Hawkeye air Wednesdays on Disney+.