Avengers 4: Has Hawkeye's Role Just Been Revealed?
The Skrulls are coming to town, and Clint Barton might just have the answer...
Though Avengers fans were a little disheartened by the fact that Jeremy Renner's Clint Barton didn't appear in Infinity War, the film's directors - Anthony and Joe Russo - have been keen to emphasise the archer's role in Avengers 4 (which still doesn't have a title).
Previous rumours have stated that a decidedly darker story is in mind for Hawkeye, with his family having obviously already been imperilled by Thanos' snap, and the fact that Renner himself has been spotted on set in darker threads, inspired by the character's stint as Ronin in the comics. On top of this, there've also been rumours stating that the story will involve the Yakuza, with Black Widow herself said to be involved.
Now, thanks to a compelling rumour from MCU Cosmic, the character's role may have just been made clearer. According to writer Jeremy Conrad, the extraterrestrial signals Nick Fury and Maria Hill were tracking in Infinity War weren't actually the Outriders from Thanos' Black Order, but the Skrulls instead. We know for a fact that Fury will play an integral role in 2019's Captain Marvel, a prequel that will feature the Skrulls in an ancillary role and also influence Avengers 4 heavily, so this would actually make a great deal of sense.
Conrad later reports that the Skrulls are also the reason for why Hawkeye is in his Ronin guise, with the archer hunting down the shape-shifters who've managed to infiltrate the Yakuza. This would also check out, owing to Barton and Fury's close relationship, along with Clint's new covert identity that, lest we forget, has no association with the Avengers themselves.
As far as rumours go, this one is actually rather exciting. While the infamous Secret Invasion storyline certainly presents its challenges, introducing the Skrulls in the present as a minor threat would further intimate Captain Marvel's influence, and elevate Hawkeye's importance in the process. For an Avenger who certainly has his critics, that's pretty big, and in putting to bed the #WhereIsHawkeye fiasco, the character could finally be on the path to redemption.
Oh, and there's also the fact the character wore his Ronin outfit in Secret Invasion, so take that as you will.