MCU: 12 Things You Learn Rewatching Avengers: Age Of Ultron

5. Hawkeye's Family Subplot Is Too Damn Long

Avengers Age Of Ultron Hawkeye Linda Cardellini
Marvel Studios

After fans and even Jeremy Renner himself complained about Hawkeye's piecemeal treatment in the first Avengers movie, Joss Whedon hugely overcompensated in Age of Ultron by devoting a disproportionate amount of screen time to him and his family.

While it certainly wasn't a bad idea to develop Hawkeye more as a character and a human being, the 15-plus-minute sequence at his "safe house" grinds the film to a near-dead halt and drags on far too long.

More than anything, it feels like this sequence was Whedon's overblown attempt to convince the audience that Hawkeye would die in the finale - as he insists this is his "one last job" - only so we can get a fairly smug subversion of this with Quicksilver's sacrificial "You didn't see that coming?" demise.

Sure, there needed to be some sort of bridge between the Hulkbuster and Cradle set-pieces, but of all the narrative bloat this movie is packed with, this sequence clearly should've shed at least a few minutes in editing.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.