Of the bonds that are set to be tested in the upcomingCaptain America: Civil War, perhaps none has such intimate tension as the relationship betweenJeremy Renner’s Hawkeye andScarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, the Avengers team’s least supernatural members. From what we’ve seen, Renner’s character will side withChris Evans' Captain America while Black Widow will back-upRobert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man, and the rift in their partnership is one element of the upcoming film that has yet to be ruined by the marketing for the thirdCaptain Americafilm.
This will bring Renner’s talent for finding the sensitivity in daredevil characters (see:Kathryn Bigelow’s still-brilliantThe Hurt Locker) out in front, but at Silicon Valley Comic Con, Renner suggested that his character could be even more defined. As reported byCB, the actor mentioned that he would be open to have his character move from big Marvel movies to the more character-centric storytelling of the Netflix model, which has just produced the second season ofDaredevil, the best adaptation of a Marvel property alongsideJessica Jones.
The character certainly would work in such an intimate venue asDaredevilandJessica Jones, and the hugely anticipatedLuke Cageseries that will premiere later this year. WhereDaredevilplumbs major concepts of justice, guilt, and faith, andJessica Jonesdigs into ideas about feminine survival and abusive relationships, Hawkeye could tentatively look at weaponry and military training in similarly philosophically attuned ways; the Punisher storyline on season 2 ofDaredevilflirted with concepts of militaristic identity already. It’s a great idea that could build a strong narrative but as Renner even points out in his comments, it’s not his call even kinda.
Here’s what Renner had to say at Silicon Valley Comic Con:
“I think that’s actually a really great model, if there’s ever a way to explore the character, maybe it’s in that world. These are things that are really not in my control, but I’d be open to it. I’ve really enjoyed getting to explore the character more recently. The Netflix model is where all the character drama goes to now, you’re doing a superhero movie or a Netflix or HBO kind of model. So I’d be open to it. Not up to me, though.”
