Why Hawkeye Is Still An Avenger In Phase 4
Though Clint Barton has seemingly retired from the superhero life, it was said in Hawkeye episode 5 that he’s still an Avenger. What does that mean?
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Warning: This article contains spoilers for Hawkeye episode 5.
Hawkeye episode 5 revealed that Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton is still counted as an Avenger in Phase 4. At this point in the MCU’s timeline, it seemed that Clint’s association with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes was over. For a while, it wasn’t abundantly clear if the MCU even had an Avengers team anymore.
The status of the Avengers has been in question ever since the team reversed the snap and stopped Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. With Black Widow and Iron Man dead, Captain America off the table for good, and Thor off-world with the Guardians, there was an impression that the Avengers had disbanded. Afterward, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings indicated that there actually is an Avengers team in Phase 4. However, there was no reason to think that Hawkeye was on it. Clint retired after Avengers: Age of Ultron, and only got back into action because certain circumstances made it necessary. For that reason, it made sense that Hawkeye had simply resumed his retirement.
A line in Hawkeye episode 5 suggested that Clint’s connection to the team hasn’t been severed after all. While defending Hawkeye to Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) claimed that Clint is still an Avenger. But, this doesn’t mean Clint is currently on the group’s roster. It’s likely that being an Avenger in the MCU isn’t that different from the way things worked in the classic comics. Traditionally, the Avengers operated with a small lineup of heroes, with many coming and going as the years passed. But those that left didn’t cease being Avengers. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes had dozens of members who weren’t on active duty. Some would be on the bench for years but were still considered Avengers by their fellow superheroes.
The title of Avenger isn’t exclusive to the characters on the current team. Instead, it’s something that lasts forever. In the comics, it was only lost if their membership was officially revoked for a good reason. The same could very well be the case for the MCU incarnation of the Avengers. In other words, Hawkeye is an Avenger now and will continue to be one years into the future. He may not be out there protecting the world on a daily basis, but his actions in Disney+’s Hawkeye series show that despite his retirement, Clint is still willing to step up and fight when the situation calls for it. That’s why it’s fitting for characters like Hawkeye to continue receiving this sort of recognition.
At the same time, Clint’s unending ties to the Avengers in Hawkeye and Phase 4 represent a tragic element of his character in the MCU. While his comic counterpart viewed the Avengers as his family and deeply valued his membership with the group in the Silver and Bronze Ages, the MCU’s take on Hawkeye has a very different goal. Clint has tried – and failed – to move on from the superhero life. He may want a quiet and peaceful existence with his family, but can’t seem to escape his history as Hawkeye, Ronin, or a member of the Avengers.
Link Source : https://screenrant.com/hawkeye-avenger-phase-4-retired/