That Hawkeye continues to build momentum, drop plot points and introduce intriguing curveballs is to be applauded. With the arrival of Florence Pugh and everything she established in Black Widow, there is also a real sense that the final episode will hold something special. Opposite Hailee Steinfeld, she possesses the same scene stealing charm she displayed in that previous outing, but with added baggage. By adding depth through an established audience connection, she perfectly straddles the line between kooky off hand comedy and assassin level smarts. That being said, her ability to come in and hijack this show is much easier than it should have been, considering the wealth of characters already in situ.
Although Hawkeye does get slightly sidelined in this penultimate episode, there is still scope within Ronin for him to make his mark, either in standalone moments, which tie into touchstone Marvel moments, or alongside avenging angels intent on chasing shadows. Thankfully, there is also ample opportunity for Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld to continue their verbal sparring, which consistently keeps things light. Elsewhere, members of the Russian Tracksuit Mafia up Hawkeye’s comedy quota by throwing in a nice little riff that works like a charm.
However, for many people the petty larceny and cloak and dagger superhero stuff will be window dressing to the climactic reveal of the Big Guy. Unfortunately, as exciting as this prospect might be, his arrival threatens to overshadow everything else. That niggle aside, there is no denying the success of Hawkeye for audiences who decide to tune in. Florence Pugh remains the revelation she was in Black Widow, adding understated class to a role which is still growing – a fact which is guaranteed to keep the franchise fresh either in cinemas or elsewhere. There is also no denying the vibrancy Yelena brings to the MCU alongside Kate Bishop, which may prove useful further down the line.
As for Hawkeye the series, Marvel have clearly worked hard to make it relevant. There are obvious character introductions that needed making, but ultimately this still feels like his story. Jeremy Renner has not only gone some way to giving Clint additional layers, but more importantly provided some softer human edges. A fact which should see this Marvel series gain a larger audience later on.
