Jeremy Renner Has Dropped a Mysterious Hawkeye Tease
It’s been five years since Clint Barton last picked up the bow in the MCU, but Jeremy Renner may be getting ready to put the Hawkeye suit back on.
Renner recently posted a close-up photo of his Hawkeye costume to his Instagram Story with absolutely no explanation attached. No caption. Just the suit.
For Marvel fans, this is more than enough to get the speculation rolling.
Renner’s Clint Barton hasn’t appeared in the MCU since Hawkeye wrapped up its Disney+ run in 2021. The series paired the veteran Avenger with Kate Bishop and gave Clint a more personal story centered around his family, his past as Ronin, and his attempts to finally get home for Christmas.
Marvel hasn’t announced Hawkeye Season 2, but Renner has previously made it clear that continuing Clint’s story was part of the original thinking.
"It's really not my decision to make," Renner said. "For a second season, that was always the idea to continue that narrative, even in the Christmas framework of it all, too, because they love that world in New York."
Of course, things apparently got more complicated when discussions about another season actually happened.
Renner revealed that he was approached about returning for Season 2, but the financial offer wasn’t something he was willing to accept.
"They asked me to do season 2, and they offered me half the money," he commented. "I'm like, 'Well, it's going to take me twice the amount of work for half the amount of money, and eight months of my time, essentially, to do it for half the amount'."
Renner also connected the situation to his recovery from the devastating 2023 snowplow accident that nearly killed him.
"I'm like, 'I'm sorry? Why? Did you think I'm only half the Jeremy because I got ran over? Maybe that's why you want to pay me half of what I made on the first season.'"
So what exactly is Renner teasing with this new Hawkeye costume photo? There’s no confirmed answer yet. Renner wasn’t included in Marvel’s announced cast for Avengers: Doomsday, and Marvel hasn’t revealed a complete lineup for Avengers: Secret Wars either.
With the MCU heading toward two massive Avengers movies, there’s certainly room for Clint Barton to make his way back into the action.
There’s also a much simpler possibility. The costume post could be connected to the upcoming theatrical release of Avengers: Endgame Encore, which would make the timing of Renner digging out some Hawkeye imagery pretty fitting.
Still, it’s hard not to wonder whether Marvel has something else cooking. Clint is one of the MCU’s original Avengers, and unlike several members of that first team, he’s still around.
Renner has also continued talking about the character and the possibility of returning, so Hawkeye showing up again wouldn’t exactly come out of nowhere.
Whether this Instagram post is an actual MCU tease, an Endgame Encore nod, or simply Renner having a little fun with fans remains a mystery. Hopefully it isn’t another five years before we see Hawkeye firing trick arrows at somebody who absolutely deserves it.
Avengers: Doomsday arrives December 18.