15 Ways The MCU Improved Marvel Mythology
2. Hawkeye's Importance
Hawkeye has always been something of an underrated character in the comics. This makes sense because he still uses a bow and arrow in the 21st century and this is supposed to make him as powerful as Iron Man or Thor. While he was always embroiled in major storylines, it wasn't until Matt Fraction and David Aja's exciting makeover of the character in 2012 that the comics started to take him seriously.
However, the MCU has treated him very differently and with a respect that the comics never outright gave him. Though many consider his role as a member of the Avengers to be a joke, the films set him up to be the heart and soul of the team, a central figure who doesn't lead them but is integral to keeping them together. The reveal of him being a family man in Age of Ultron is what motivates the team to rally and the loss of his family during the events of Infinity War made him the driving emotional force behind Endgame.
His brief relationship with Quicksilver was the only thing that ever gave the character any real depth and his dark turn to the Ronin persona was the most impactful way to establish how low the heroes had fallen. He may not have gotten his own movie yet, but the MCU has all but made Hawkeye a crucial player in it's grand narrative.