Hawkeye Will Finally Get His MCU Origin Story In Phase 4

Hawkeye's usage in the Avengers might vary, but what's undeniable is that Hawkeye is a character who is still ripe with creative potential, especially if certain comic book storylines are adapted and built upon.

Luckily for fans, it seems as if Marvel is doing exactly that, as it's been confirmed that the Hawkeye show will follow Clint's attempts to train young Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) to take up the mantle. While Kate technically first appeared in the pages of Young Avengers, arguably her most iconic stories come from Matt Fraction's run on Hawkeye from 2012 to 2015. In his run, Fraction expanded heavily on the relationship between Bishop and Barton as well as emphasizing the human limitations that separate Hawkeye from the rest of his Avengers compatriots. Fraction is also notable for centering Clint's hearing loss as a major part of the character, humanizing his disability and making him even more relatable.

It seems as if the Disney+ show will be taking a lot of inspiration from Fraction's run, but also several different places, with the inclusion of Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova as well as the introduction of Daredevil-adjacent vigilante Echo (Alaqua Cox). However, one story that nobody expected the show to tell is Clint Barton's own origin, as it was recently revealed that actor Tony Dalton will play Swordsman.

In the comics, Swordsman is a recurring villain for Hawkeye - one intimately tied to Barton's own origin. After Clint Barton's parents died in a car accident at a young age, he and his brother were taken in by a traveling carnival, where Clint soon quickly picked up archery. As his skills improved, he was taken under the wing of Jacques Duquesne, aka the Swordsman, another carnival attraction whose skill with bladed weapons was unrivaled. While their friendship developed, Clint discovered Jacques stealing money from the carnival, something that drove a rift between them and led the Swordsman to beating young Clint almost to death. Shortly afterwards, Jacques left the carnival and turned his skills towards becoming a villain and assassin for hire.

While we all know that the MCU version of Clint engaged in some less than savory activities before he became an Avenger, the extent of those activities remain unknown. With the Swordsman making his first MCU appearance in the show, it can only mean that he's either going to be a central villain for the series, or the showrunners are finally giving us a glimpse at Clint's backstory, something that we've never seen before. Even though movies like Age of Ultron took steps to making Clint a more human and relatable figure, we still don't yet know what events turned him on the path that led to him becoming a hero, something that Hawkeye now has a golden opportunity to do.

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