Caution: spoilers ahead for Hawkeye episode 6
Did Marvel Easter eggs until last, or was nothing but a lump of coal under Marvel's tree this Christmas? Over 6 episodes, Hawkeye has delivered yuletide cheer, impressive trick shots and hotly-anticipated MCU encounters in plentiful supply. After the Ronin costume resurfaced thanks to prodigious archer and number 1 Hawkeye super-fan Kate Bishop, Clint Barton was forced to spend the festive season in New York City cleaning up his murderous alter ego's mess. Things escalated quickly, and the off-duty Avenger soon uncovered a criminal conspiracy headed up by none other than Kingpin.
Hawkeye episode 6 ("So This Is Christmas?") brings the Disney+ series to a dramatic conclusion, pitting the Barton and Bishop dream team against Kingpin and the Tracksuit Mafia, while Yelena Belova seeks to complete her mission of assassinating the bow-wielding Avenger. Though Hawkeye ends on a high with Kate ing the Bartons for a family Christmas, several character fates remain open-ended. Is Kingpin still alive? Where does Yelena go? And most importantly, did Jack Duquesne the LARPing society?
Hawkeye season 1 has certainly delivered in the Marvel reference stakes, featuring great callbacks to Ant-Man, Hawkeye's time in the Avengers, and Black Widow's tragic death on Vormir, but there's one last round of Easter eggnog left to drink...
Hawkeye Gives Kingpin His Traditional Weapon
As Marvel fans will no doubt be aware by now, Hawkeye marks the official debut of Wilson Fisk - a.k.a. Kingpin - in the MCU, played by Vincent D'Onofrio. The actor previously portrayed Fisk in Netflix's sort-of-MCU-at-first-but-then-completely-separate Hawkeye's final episode reveal the cane is now returned to Kingpin's side once again.
Hawkeye's "Dragons Of Despair" Is A D&D Shout-Out
One of the posters in Grills' apartment is for "Dragons of Despair." This title is most likely a nod toward the 1984 Dungeons & Dragons campaign of the same name, but while D&D and LARPing go together like Kate Bishop and sarcasm, the poster design looks separate from its role-playing namesake.
Kingpin's Exotic Shirt Is A Marvel Comic Design
Vincent D'Onofrio changes out of his traditional white and black attire for something a little more Hawaiian. Meeting with Echo and Kazi, Kingpin dons a red shirt underneath his cream suit jacket, adorned with a striking white flower design. This look is ripped straight from the front cover of Mark Waid and James Robinson's 2014 Amazing Spider-Man: Family Business comic.
Why Do Disney+'s MCU Shows Keep Referencing Goldman Sachs?
Not strictly an MCU Easter egg, but a strange quirk that connects Hawkeye to Loki nonetheless. When Tom Hiddleston's God of Mischief first found himself hauled into TVA headquarters, he met another captive who threatened the time police with, "My dad is on the board of Goldman Sachs!" One investment bank mention in a superhero franchise is odd enough, but Hawkeye goes for the double when Kingpin complains, "The Bishop woman... she thinks she can quit her job as if she works for Goldman Sachs." Simple coincidence, maybe? But Goldman Sachs does share a long association with the Walt Disney Company, including an advisory role in the acquisition of Marvel.
Hawkeye's Pym Arrows Match Ant-Man's Color-Coded Disks
In Hawkeye episode 3, Clint Barton fired a Pym-branded trick arrow that caused Kate Bishop's regular arrow to go super-size. In episode 6, Kate gets a turn, this time using a Pym arrow to shrink an oncoming Trust-A-Bro van. In an amazing example of attention to detail, the Pym logo on episode 3's arrow was blue, whereas episode 6's is red. This corresponds to the Pym particle disks Ant-Man throws in the MCU - the blue ones make stuff bigger, the reds make it smaller.
Hawkeye's Air Bag & Ice Arrows Are Familiar Weapons
As outlandish as stuffing an airbag inside an arrowhead may seem, Clint Barton has used this very weapon during his Marvel comic adventures - for example in 2010's Secret Avengers to break his fall whilst arguing with Captain America. Kate is also seen making homemade labels for "freeze" arrows, and fans of Marvel's purple archer may these from the Avengers Assemble animated TV series.
Tony Stark's MCU Presence Lives On
Previously, Hawkeye warned a disappointed Kate Bishop that trick arrows were a thing of the past, and with Tony Stark - the Avengers' main benefactor and weapons engineer - sadly deceased, it was easy to understand why. Turns out Clint was lying a little bit, and actually carries a case full of Stark-branded arrowheads, keeping Robert Downey Jr. ingrained within the MCU.
Kate Bishop Re The Battle Of New York
ing her motivation for wanting to become a superhero, Kate Bishop mentions how "aliens invaded" when she was a young girl, referencing the Chitauri from 2012's The Avengers and the Battle of New York. She recalls Hawkeye's leaping shot from the top of a skyscraper, and mentions superheroes who "fly and shoot lasers out their hands." Kate seems to be talking about Iron Man here, but her speech loses sight of how Tony Stark also lacks superpowers, and those lasers came from his genius rather than his hands.
Clint & Kate's Gala Infiltration Comes From Hawkeye's Comics
Hawkeye season 1's finale sees Clint Barton and Kate Bishop dress in their finest ballroom regalia and infiltrate a fancy gala undercover, looking to investigate and protect Kate's mother following her involvement with Kingpin. This entire setup (like much of Disney+'s Hawkeye show) is directly inspired by Matt Fraction's 2012 Marvel comic run. In that story, the archery amigos crash a hotel opening wearing similarly glamorous attire. Though their target was completely different back then, one of several Marvel villains among the comic attendees was Kingpin.
Hawkeye Performs His Trademark Bow Flick
Every Avenger has a signature move, and Hawkeye is perhaps best known for his aforementioned leap-and-turn arrow shots. We've glimpsed that maneuver several times during Clint Barton's Disney+ adventures, but in episode 6 he whips out another familiar trick - the bow flick. Holding a folded bow, a single swoosh of the wrist pops his weapon open and ready to use. Jeremy Renner has deployed the same move in The Avengers and throughout later MCU appearances.
