Summary

  • Clint Barton's story in Hawkeye sets the stage for him to adopt a new superhero identity after ing on the Hawkeye mantle to Kate Bishop.
  • The possibility of Clint becoming Goliath in the MCU is hinted at through his familiarity with the Pym Particles and his involvement with the West Coast Avengers.
  • Clint has previously taken on the Goliath identity in Marvel Comics, and with the Multiverse Saga unfolding, a Goliath vs Kang the Conqueror fight could happen in Phase 6.

Clint Barton could get a new superhero identity after Hawkeye, as the show paved the way for him to become a new hero. It took more than a decade for the Marvel Cinematic Universe to make Jeremy Renner's hero the lead role of a project. Hawkeye proved to be well worth the wait when it came to exploring Clint Barton's life and future. The 2021 Disney+ series ultimately allowed Marvel to explore his family, his grief after losing them and Black Widow, and a new mentorship of Kate Bishop. It was through this approach that Hawkeye attempted to cover the entirety of Clint's superhero career and set up the future.

Hawkeye's ending leaves Jeremy Renner's character in a precarious position for the future, as he might not be Hawkeye anymore. After multiple attempted retirements, it seems that Clint has finally found a way to step away from the superhero game. Clint raining Kate Bishop and seeing her talent as an archer meant that she took on the Hawkeye name officially in the end. While the MCU used Phase 4 to introduce other Avengers replacements to take on existing monikers, Hawkeye's ending is different since Clint Barton is expected to still play a role going forward. That might be why the series could have teased Hawkeye's new superhero identity.

Clint Barton Could Become The MCU’s Goliath After Hawkeye

Clint Barton in his Ronin uniform in Hawkeye

Now that Kate Bishop is Hawkeye, Clint Barton could become Goliath and take on this new superhero identity in the MCU. Avengers: Endgame introduced the idea that Clint is willing to take on other monikers by making him Ronin, but he wants to redeem himself for those actions during Hawkeye. The Disney+ show uses a few different moments to tease Clint's possible MCU future, including being part of the West Coast Avengers. However, it is Hawkeye's Pym Particles arrows that are important here. His access and familiarity with the growing/shrinking technology could be expanded upon in another project to make Clint Barton the MCU's Goliath.

There is a precedence for Clint Barton being Goliath in the pages of Marvel Comics. It happened back in 1969 at a time when Clint abandoned his Hawkeye persona, leading him to use Hank Pym's serum to gain growth powers. Clint's time as Goliath came when he was no longer part of the Avengers and is when he developed his hearing loss, which Hawkeye incorporated. Noticeably, Clint Barton taking on the superhero identity of Goliath also occurred when he first fought Kang the Conqueror. With the Multiverse Saga in full effect, a Goliath vs Kang fight in the MCU could be realized in Phase 6.

It's Not Too Late For Clint Barton To Become Goliath

Jeremy Renner in Hawkeye

Though many speculated that Ant-Man or the Wasp would meet their end in Quantumania, both survived and were ed by Cassie Lang as the active Pym-tech-powered heroes in the MCU. However, this doesn't mean that Clint can't still become Goliath. As of now, Clint Barton is unique in that he's the only hero who has (seemingly) ed on his superhero mantle while still being alive and able to fight. That being the case, unlike Black Panther and Captain America, the original Hawkeye would need a new name to operate under if he does indeed appear again.

Bill Foster was introduced in Ant-Man and the Wasp, but he's long been retired and shows no sign of suddenly becoming a crime-fighter. That leaves the name Goliath open for the taking. The Goliath Project was also teased by name in Iron Man 2, so it's clearly a matter of semi-public record. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch for Clint to either find or retroactively be given a connection to the project in Hawkeye season 2 or another Marvel project.

Key Release Dates