Hawkeye Season 2 Is Happening Even Without Jeremy Renner

Jeremy Renner’s TV series Hawkeye was well-received. However, its second season is reportedly happening without him.

Renner debuted as Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, in Thor (2011). Barton was recruited by Nick Fury to join S.H.I.E.L.D. due to his exceptional archery skills. Renner has reprised the role in multiple films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), including Avengers (2012), Age of Ultron (2015), Civil War (2016), and Endgame (2019). In 2021, his stand-alone TV show Hawkeye premiered on Disney Plus. However, Renner recently said he turned down the offer to do Season 2 because he was offered only “half the money.” An insider claimed that Hawkeye Season 2 is still happening even without Renner.

There are fears that Hawkeye Season 2 will not happen because Renner already said he would not return due to a pay dispute. Renner plays the titular character, so it’s unlikely for Disney Plus to push through the show without him. However, entertainment insider @MyTimeToShine shared some updates about the Hawkeye series following Renner’s statement. According to him, it is still happening, but it will have a new lead — Renner’s co-star Hailee Steinfeld, who portrays Hawkeye’s protege Kate Bishop. The scooper wrote:

According to Renner, he didn’t even ask for an increase. It was okay for him to receive the same salary as in the first season. So, he found it “disheartening” to receive an “insult offer.” Since the show sets up Kate as the next Hawkeye in the MCU, it can likely go on without Renner. Also, Steinfeld is open to reprising her role in the Disney Plus series. She even previously said she wanted to reunite with Florence Pugh’s Yelena in the show. In the first season of Hawkeye, the pair’s scenes featured a blend of humor and tension, and fans loved their tandem. Steinfeld, herself, loves their interaction. She found Pugh “wonderful” and “a powerhouse.” She also said they had a lot of fun, so she “would do anything to work more with Florence.”

A Hawkeye series without Renner is possible, but it’s undeniably lacking without him. Renner has been playing Hawkeye for over a decade already in multiple MCU projects, so the name will always be associated with him. Even if the Disney Show has set up Kate as the next expert archer in the MCU and potentially the next Hawkeye, it’s difficult for fans to isolate the character from Renner. Also, the Wind River star has expressed love for his MCU character, even saying that he still wants to play the role, of course, with the right pay. Since Renner is still very much into the character, it will be heartbreaking to take Hawkeye away from him, which is seemingly the case if the show pushes through without him.

MCU fans love Renner’s take on Hawkeye. In fact, many of them want to see him reprise the role in Avengers: Doomsday. This makes sense, considering that he is one of the original Avengers, including Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson). Hopefully, Renner will get the pay he deserves and join Hawkeye Season 2 because his absence will surely be felt and the show will be incomplete.

Hawkeye streams on Disney Plus.

Source: @MyTimeToShineH/X