Disney+'s Marvel Cinematic Universe, giving the Avengers' most underdeveloped hero a chance to shine in his own spinoff series, all while introducing fans to a brand new hero in Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop, who teams up with the original Hawkeye to stop the mysterious plans of New York's biggest gang boss.
With the series's heavy reliance on the archery skills of its main characters and the gritty street-level action that the MCU so often lacks, it is difficult for audiences not to draw parallels between Hawkeye and the CW's Arrowverse. In fact, certain characters have a clear counterpart in the other universe.
Kazi - Sebastian Blood
Kazi, played by Fra Free, is Maya Lopez's lieutenant, who helps her track down the Ronin after he murdered her father in the Blip. However, the character proves to be more duplicitous than originally thought, as Hawkeye's fifth episode implied that he had been aware of Ronin's attack beforehand, and perhaps complicit in the death of Maya's father.
As a result of Kazi's backstabbing nature, he begins to resemble Kevin Alejandro's Sebastian Blood from season 2 of Arrow. Both Kazi and Sebastian make unwise alliances in their bid for victory, and though Kazi's fate has yet to be revealed, it is not unlikely that he will face a defeat similar to Blood's unceremonious death at the hands of Isabel Rochev.
Jack Duquesne - Morgan Edge
Tony Dalton, known for his roles in Better Call Saul and various popular Mexican films and series, plays the surreptitiously suspicious Jack Duquesne, Eleanor Bishop's fiance and the primary suspect of Kate and Clint's investigation. Jack has been somewhat puzzling for viewers, as he clearly seems involved in the dastardly plans of the series's villains, but also displays every tell-tale sign of a red herring meant to distract people from the true big bad.
When he is at his best and most condescending, Jack becomes reminiscent of Morgan Edge, the main villain of Superman and Lois's season 1. While it is almost certain that Jack is not secretly a Kryptonian in disguise, he certainly shares Edge's "businessman with unseemly intentions" vibe.
Laura Barton - Alex Danvers
Linda Cardellini returns to the MCU as Clint Barton's wife, Laura. Though previous appearances have done nothing to suggest that Laura was anything other than a regular human among superheroes, Hawkeye has hinted that she may have a more irregular past than previous thought, perhaps even as a spy alongside Clint in his glory days.
With the recent implications of Laura's more complicated history, she begins to resemble Alex Danvers, a character who has had plenty of iconic scenes over Supergirl's six seasons. Like Laura is to Clint, Alex is Kara Zor-El's closest confidant and emotional , making both characters integral to their respective series.
Yelena Belova - Sara Lance
Yelena Belova, Black Widow, where she was set up to take on the titular mantle from her sister Natasha Romanov. However, before she can adopt the title, she is sent on a revenge mission to kill Clint Barton for letting Natasha die.
In her recent appearance, Yelena begins to resemble the Arrowverse's Sara Lance, the captain of the Waverider in Legends of Tomorrow. Both characters have tragic histories wherein years of their lives were stolen by someone else who trained them to become a living weapon, only to aim them at the wrong people. Fans can only hope that, like Sara, Yelena comes through this history as a hero.
Maya Lopez - Emiko Queen
Maya Lopez, also known as Echo, is a brand-new addition to the MCU, and one of several deaf characters that Marvel has included in its recent projects. Played by Alaqua Cox, Maya seeks revenge on the Ronin for killing her father, only to find out that there were more hands involved than previously thought.
Maya draws several parallels to Emiko Queen, Oliver Queen's long-lost sister from Arrow's season 7. Like Maya, Emiko feels robbed of her potential future after becoming an orphan, leading her to take her aggression out on the wrong people. Unlike Emiko, Echo seems poised to see the light in time to save her own life, as she has already been confirmed to be appearing in her own self-titled series sometime in the next few years.
Grills - Chester P. Runk
Grills is the lovable volunteer firefighter moonlighting as a samurai LARPer, who gets caught up in Clint's war with the Track Suit Mafia after coming into possession of the Ronin suit. He has made a few appearances since then, hinting both at having a name for the pizza dog and at a new costume for Clint.
Though Grills has a comparatively very small role in Hawkeye, he does have a few parallels to Chester P. Runk, one of the newer on Team Flash. Both characters have an unmatched enthusiasm for the superhero antics that their friends get up to, without getting too involved themselves. Both are also quite intelligent, though others often fail to recognize this fact.
Wilson Fisk - Tobias Whale
Much to fans' excitement and glee, Vincent D'Onofrio has finally been confirmed to be returning to his role as Wilson Fisk, a.k.a. Kingpin, in the finale of Hawkeye, three years after last appearing in the role in season 3 of where in the MCU the Kingpin will show up next.
The closest thing that the Arrowverse has to a Wilson Fisk is Black Lightning's arch-nemesis Tobias Whale. Played by the actor/rapper known as Krondon, Whale is just as untouchable as Fisk, and just as physically imposing. Both act as the terrifying nemesis to a street-level hero who wants nothing more than to be rid of their scheming forever.
Eleanor Bishop - Moira Queen
Vera Farmiga plays the role of Eleanor Bishop, Kate's mother and the wealthy CEO of a prestigious security company. The series has hinted at her less-than-altruistic motivations, with the final scene of episode 5 revealing that she is in league with none other than the Kingpin of Crime.
In a similarly scheming motherly role is Moira Queen, the mother of Oliver and Thea. Over the course of Arrow's season 1, it is slowly revealed the hand that Moira played in the death of her husband and Malcolm Merlyn's U=undertaking that shortly followed. While Moira was eventually redeemed in the following season, it is unknown just how villainous Eleanor will remain by Hawkeye's end.
Kate Bishop - Roy Harper
Hailee Steinfeld makes her MCU debut in Hawkeye as Kate Bishop, Clint Barton's partner, and trainee over the course of the series. Her presence and chemistry with Jeremy Renner's Barton perfectly replicate Kate and Clint's relationship from the comics, making her character one of the best parts of the Disney+ series.
Kate harkens back to a character from Arrow's early days. Like Kate Bishop, Roy Harper idolized his city's premiere archer after being saved by him, leading the young wannabe hero to put himself in harm's way in order to find that hero once more. Eventually, both Kate and Roy are taken under the wing of their idol, being trained to take on the mantle themselves one day.
Clint Barton - Oliver Queen
Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye has been an integral part of the MCU since his debut in the first Thor film. Despite often being maligned as the least interesting Avenger, Hawkeye has been given a chance to shine in leading his own series, which does the legwork in making him an appealing main character.
In the world of Hawkeye, there is no doubting the parallels between Clint Barton and Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow. Both are tired heroes who rarely get what they want or deserve out of life. With Clint's horrific history as the Ronin, he also shares a tortured past with Oliver, who did countless unspeakable things himself. Nonetheless, both are considered heroes in their own right, worthy to protect their cities and those whom they love.