Jeremy Renner teases his potential appearance in Captain America 3

CAPTAIN AMERICA 3 has high expectations surrounding it. After the excellent CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER, returning directors Joe and Anthony Russo have teased a major event in the third film that will alter the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With shooting slated to begin in April of next year, everything needs to fall in place over the next few months, including casting.

Jeremy Renner was initially supposed to appear in CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER, but the scene was cut. Now, he may be joining Steve Rogers in CAPTAIN AMERICA 3. Having wrapped AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON and now working on MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 5, Renner has a busy schedule, but he did tease to MTV News his feelings about that often rumored Hawkeye/Black Widow solo film.

“I’m happy to be the ensemble. I’m not scratching or clawing to do a solo movie by any means.” Rather, Renner said he sees Hawkeye as “a utility guy that can bounce around into other people’s universes a little bit,” before adding with an exaggerated, cartoon wink: “Especially like Cap 3.”

Did you see that right there? That wink at the end to CAPTAIN AMERICA 3? I wouldn’t think Renner would be kidding around about the appearance having been asked countless times, but you never know. Of any of the AVENGERS characters we have seen so far, Hawkeye and Black Widow fit in best with the S.H.I.E.L.D.-centric CAPTAIN AMERICA franchise. With that organization now defunct, Rogers will need to keep his friends close. Events in AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON could help determine the direction CAPTAIN AMERICA 3 will be going in, but until then we just need to wait and see.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER is slated to hit theaters on May 6, 2015.