This holiday season, the best gifts come with a bow as the Marvel Cinematic Universe releases its fifth TV series of the year. We’ve had the old-fashioned sitcom aesthetics of WandaVision, the political thrills of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the time-traveling crimes of Loki, and the animated alternate universes of What If…? Every show has brought something new to the table, and now, we have Hawkeye.
Our newest show features Jeremy Renner in his iconic role as Clint Barton/Hawkeye, the bow-and-arrow-wielding superhero without superpowers. He must confront the sins of his past as Ronin, teaming up with another archer named Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), a fan of Hawkeye who finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery. As enemies close in all over, the two must save the day as Clint must make it home in time for Christmas.
The first two episodes premiere on Disney+ on November 24, part of a six-episode miniseries with new episodes releasing every Wednesday in December leading up to the holidays. This is the first MCU property centered around Christmas since Iron Man 3. The decision to set this miniseries in New York City during the wintry season of Yuletide festivities works right from the get-go in the season premiere.
Our first episode does an excellent job of establishing the MCU’s newest hero, Kate Bishop. First, we see where she was as a child during the Chitauri Invasion in New York. The events of the opening sequence (which features an excellent long take) set up her motivations very well before we flash forward to her as an adult portrayed by Steinfeld.
The series then reintroduces us to the Barton family. It is their first Christmas together since Thanos’s Snap erased much of the family from existence. Naturally, Clint wants to make this the best Christmas ever for his children. However, we soon get a sense of all the enemies Clint made as Ronin during the five-year gap of Avengers: Endgame, and he finds himself in a sticky situation with Kate surrounding Ronin’s enemies.
It’s lovely to see the MCU go down a more familiar, grounded route. Over the past few years, Marvel’s reputation has led to a desire to go bigger and better with their content, telling high-stakes stories deep in mythology and large-scale battle sequences. However, the first two episodes establish a different tone from recent MCU projects, going for an Ant-Man-esque grounded story. Out of all the shows we’ve gotten this year, this is the one that takes itself the least seriously, simply wanting to have fun.
And have fun it does because we have our traditional Marvel storytelling with the jokes and the action, all juxtaposed with a lighthearted Christmas setting. So whether it’s the festive melodies or the lighting and costume choices filled with red and green, this premiere is the perfect way to establish the series’s status in the holiday season. There are a few compelling mysteries set up initially, and even though everything feels low-stakes, it’s simply fun to watch.
Villains are not the primary concern of this series, as the premiere has a laundry list of bad guys who are supposed to be more funny than threatening. The series may be taking its time to set up a more critical comic book villain, but for the time being, the first two episodes are entertaining. They will leave you wanting more from Renner and Steinfeld, who are effortlessly likable as these characters. When Hawkeye premieres on Disney+, it may be the perfect show to kick back and enjoy during the most wonderful time of the year.
