Hawkeye: Right on Target?

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Mateo Cole

Having crept up on many audience members on November 24 this year, Marvel’s latest show Hawkeye on Disney+ so far hits the target, unlike other recent Marvel shows.

The show centers around the shenanigans of Clint Barton, played by Jeremy Renner, who is Hawkeye, and a new Kate Bishop, played by Hailee Steinfeld, who is a Hawkeye obsessed fan as they work to solve a mystery that endangers both their lives. Naturally this is all must be done before Christmas day so Barton can see his family.  This review will not be spoiler filled and will take a more critical focus on how the show has performed. 

I like how the show has a serious side yet still includes humor,” senior Joseph Scott said. 

The show itself is very reminiscent of the typical Marvel formula, a good mix between comedy, action, and drama. So far the show has had solid acting with the supporting cast and especially Renner and Steinfeld as the show explores the more emotional aspects of being a superhero. The main villain, the track suits, add a lot of comedy and are serviceable antagonists for the story. While this can be entertaining for any newer viewers, those who are starting to grow tired of the same styled movies may not enjoy this.

No, I have no plans of watching it… the Marvel franchise has lost its spark with how repetitive the movies have started to feel,” Citrus Valley high school senior Ghiovanni Strickland said. 

Audiences can get bored with this rinse repeat formula. This is especially true in the first two episodes of the show, and the show not picking up until the third episode. While they were mainly character development episodes, they do it in a way that is slow and uninteresting to watch. This would not be an issue, as shows tend to have several episodes. However, Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, has announced that the show will only be a total of six episodes. Making this so short can lead to others questioning the quality of the first season. 

Yes, I’ve heard of Hawkeye from previous Marvel movies that I’ve seen before… From what I know, I don’t have any friends who watch it,” senior Melanie Garcia said. 

It is hard making an incredible show for such an unknown character in such little time. However, Marvel has pulled miracles before with other shows like WandaVision, a previously unknown couple, and making them the face of Marvel. Time will tell with how the show does with both critics and audiences. 

I think it definitely has continued the quality Marvel gives because Hawkeye is a lesser appreciated mainstream Marvel character, so this show is helping Marvel fans care more about his character while also introducing another character,” said Scott.