When the opening credits of Hawkeye appeared on my small iPad screen, the joy of the theatre came back to me. 

Lately, Marvel has been at the top of their game, each new show and movie seemingly perfect. I am even more in love with the universe of superheroes, so obviously, I had high expectations for the new Hawkeye show on Disney+. 

I clicked on the first episode and excitedly watched a young Katie Bishop see her hero, Clint Barton (Jermey Renner)— also known as Hawkeye—for the first time. After watching Barton help the other Avengers save the world against an alien invasion, young Katie decides she will become exactly like her hero. I watched an animated opening scene of her achieving this said goal. 

I was intrigued by young Katie and enjoyed seeing the real impact the superheroes had on the people and world around them.  Older Katie (Hailee Steinfield), a college student, appeared on the screen replacing her young counterpart. I had a difficult time deciding my opinion on her character. She is a rich kid who believes she is invincible and pushes her luck constantly. I was considerably annoyed as she continued to get away with every little thing, and though she tried to “sneak around,” she was no spy and should have been caught multiple times. 

Yet, it was refreshing to see Katie not start off being completely amazing. You could tell she was having a rough workout with every complex twist and punch she maneuvered. It was clear from the beginning of the episode that Katie was in way over her head, and it was riveting. 

Another aspect of the show I enjoyed was Clint Barton becoming a family man. It has been shown in previous movies that Clint spends less time desired with his wife and three children, but right off the bat, the show depicts him with his kids. 

I was also thrilled to see Clint with his hearing aids; in other Marvel movies, he was not shown with the disability he was written of within the comics. The diversification coming into Marvel is heartwarming, to say the least. Marvel is taking the step the rest of society must take. 

There were other aspects of Clint’s character arc I enjoyed. Another example is Clint’s past catching up with him. I am a sucker for damaged characters, and Clint having obvious trauma and grief is so real. Renner did an excellent acting job and truly showed the pain Clint is going through, and he expertly showcased how Clint tried to hide said pain from his children. 

Other characters in the show have the potential to be astonishing. I only viewed the first episode, but I look forward to every Wednesday when a new episode comes out. 

The show, characters, and the plot have potential to be another masterpiece from the Marvel cinematic universe. My main hope for the show is more character development, especially with Katie. I also look forward to seeing Clint’s kids be a more present part of his life. 

Marvel pushed through, and my expectations for the show were definitely met.