Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye was intended to be a film before it went to Disney+

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

When planning a cinematic universe as vast and all-encompassing as the MCU, you had better believe that each project goes through a myriad of changes throughout the creative process before finally arriving on the big screen. With Disney poised to launch their exclusive streaming service, Disney+, next week, it's to be understood that Marvel executives have been working around the clock to make certain that their original series for the platform are as exciting as anything they'd deem worthy of a full theatrical release. That's just how Marvel and Disney roll, ladies and gentlemen. Quality. Substance. Star power. All the things.

Back in July during Marvel Studios' grand presentation at San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that a solo series centered around Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye was aiming for a Fall 2021 release on Disney+. At the time that Marvel allowed the news to fly, it was teased that the show would feature Renner's Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, passing the torch to Kate Bishop, another Marvel hero who's just as skilled with a bow-and-arrow as Marvel's sharp-shooting Avenger. However, Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige, recently spoke with Bloomberg about the upcoming project and revealed that Renner was originally meant to star in his own standalone film, before the decision was made to move the venture to Disney+.

“In April 2018, when the cast of Avengers: Infinity War was in town for the film’s premiere, Feige convened a meeting to talk up his ideas. His audience included Tom Hiddleston, who plays Loki, and Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany, who portray Wanda Maximoff (aka the Scarlet Witch) and the Vision,” Bloomberg reported.

“Among other ideas, Feige laid out his plans for the Loki series and another called WandaVision, focused on the other two characters, who are romantically entwined. Everyone, he says, was stoked. Feige was more nervous about his pitch to Jeremy Renner, who plays The Avengers’ Hawkeye. Marvel had a deal for Renner to star in a movie based on the character, but Feige wanted to turn the project into a Disney+ series. Renner turned out to be fine with the change," the outlet added.

“He totally got it and said, ‘Let’s do it,’” Feige recalled.

When Bloomberg reached out to Renner for confirmation about what they'd been told, the bullseye-sniping bro failed to respond. One reason for Renner's silence could be that the Avengers alum is currently experiencing personal and legal troubles, after recently being accused of having drug problems as well as physically abusing his ex-wife, Sonnie Pacheco, and their daughter, Ava. The former couple are currently entangled in a nasty custody battle, in which both parties are in denial about the claims that have been filed against them. Since the filing, Renner has cited Pacheco as an "unstable liar" in documents related to the ongoing case. For the moment, Disney has yet to pull the plug on Renner's HAWKEYE series, though recently, Hailee Steinfeld, who's been in talks for the role of Kate Bishop for the series, has stated that she's now uncertain about her participation.

“That’s not something that’s necessarily happening,” Steinfeld told RadioTimes when asked if she’s gearing up for her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut. “We’re going to wait and find out, I guess,” Steinfeld added.

For the time being, Disney still plans to pull HAWKEYE from their Marvel quiver, and let the series fly on Disney+ come Fall 2021.