The Avengers Movie Has Its Hawkeye

By Ryan Fleming June 4, 2010

Comic book fans are a notoriously demanding bunch, especially when it comes to the development of a property they love- and with good reason. Years of visual abuse of beloved properties at the hands of Hollywood have been enough to make even the most optimistic fans curtail their enthusiasm with a dose of well earned cynicism. That being said, another piece of casting news from the Avengers movie should help assuage some of the fears that the movie will suck.

After months of rumors, the Hollywood Reporter is confirming that Academy Award Best Actor Nominee Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker, 28 Weeks Later) is officially in negotiations to take up the mantle of avenger Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye.

Renner will join a packed cast that includes Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Don Cheadle as James Rhodes/War Machine, Scarlet Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. The door is also open for Ed Norton to reprise his role as Bruce Banner/Hulk, but no deal is in place. Joss Whedon is set to direct.

There are also rumors (big emphasis on the “rumor” part) that Nathan Fillion (Firefly, Castle) will play Hank Pym/Ant-Man and Malin Ackerman (Watchmen, Couples Retreat) will play Janet van Dyne/Wasp. Take those with a healthy grain of salt though, as both are totally unconfirmed.

In the original Avengers history, Hawkeye began as a villain alongside the Black Widow, before he switched sides and joined the second lineup of the Avengers. However the movies seem to be following more closely to some of the principals of the Ultimates, which re-imagined the origin of Hawkeye and cast him as a black-ops soldier for Nick Fury, who worked with the Black Widow to take on the dirty jobs that the Ultimates could not be seen doing.

It has been a big week for Avengers news. First Captain America’s costume was leaked, followed by a look at what Thor will look like in costume.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…

Entertainment

Don’t watch the awful Marvel film Madame Web. Watch this underrated movie instead

Dakota Johnson looks through a spiderweb in an image from Madame Web

If you've already seen Madame Web this week, don't say that we didn't try to warn you. Even when the MCU has faltered, Marvel Studios' movies have been better than Sony's half-hearted Spider-Man-adjacent knockoffs. Now Madame Web gets to live on next to Morbius among the biggest comic book movie busts of all-time. Perhaps they should save a spot for Kraven the Hunter to join them this summer.

Look, if you really want to see a bad superhero movie like Madame Web in theaters, don't let us stop you. But if you want a better viewing option without leaving the comfort of your own home, we're suggesting that you watch an underrated superhero movie from 2003: Daredevil. While it's true that Daredevil was maligned at the time of its release, it sure looks a lot better in retrospect 21 years later, especially if you've seen Mark Steven Johnson's director's cut. Daredevil was also upstaged by Marvel's Daredevil TV series that premiered in 2015, which ranks among the all-time great comic book adaptations. But once you read our reasons why we're recommending the Daredevil movie, you may see the film in a different light.
Daredevil has a terrific cast

Entertainment

MCU’s Fantastic Four: 4 movies starring the cast you need to watch now

The cast of "The Fantastic Four."

After years of waiting, Marvel Studios has finally announced the main cast of its upcoming Fantastic Four film. Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us, The Mandalorian) will lead the titular team as Mister Fantastic, with Vanessa Kirby (Napoleon), Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things), and Ebon-Moss Bachrach (The Bear) playing the Invisible Woman, the Human Torch, and the Thing, respectively.

This casting announcement has placed millions of eyes on these four actors, essentially making them some of the biggest actors in the world right now. For those interested in catching more of these four famous faces on the silver screen, they can watch them in these must-see films.
Pedro Pascal: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)

Entertainment

How many Fantastic Four movies are there and where can you watch them?

The cast of the 2005 Fantastic Four movie.

It's been nearly a decade since the last Fantastic Four reboot, but the next one is just around the corner. Marvel Studios has announced the cast of The Fantastic Four, which will arrive in theaters on July 25, 2025. Since that's over a year away, we're taking the opportunity to look back at all four of the previous Fantastic Four movies to date, including the unreleased version from 1994.

None of these films have fully captured the spirit of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four comic books, which laid the foundations for the Marvel Universe as we know it. But most of the films have some redeeming qualities, even the 1994 Fantastic Four movie. And because all four of these movies are now streaming, we're also going to tell you where you can watch them.
The Fantastic Four (1994)