Ever since the release of 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, Marvel fans have had the opportunity to watch some of their favorite superheroes in their own standalone movie. Over the past few years, both Black Panther and Spider-Man have received their own big screen treatments, with the former’s film racking up three Academy Awards in the process.
Of course, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for every single Avenger. While he did make an appearance in Civil War, sharpshooter Hawkeye hasn’t shown up in a Marvel film for nearly three years. That’s all about to change in Avengers: Endgame, though moviegoers might be surprised at Clint Barton’s new name and appearance.
Fans might remember that Hawkeye was absent from last year’s Avengers: Infinity War. While the rest of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes were off trying to take down Thanos, both Clint and Scott Lang/Ant-Man were relegated to house arrest, after the two took plea deals as a result of the Sokovia Accords. Needless to say, things have changed following Thanos’ destruction of half the universe, and it seems Hawkeye will be coming out of retirement for Avengers: Endgame, albeit with a different appearance.
As reported by ComicBook.com, Marvel Studios has revealed that they’ll be referring to Clint Barton as Ronin in Avengers: Endgame. This might not come as a shock to longtime fans – previous leaks of toys and action figures have shown off Barton’s new look – but this is the first time that Marvel has officially confirmed the change.
While it’s not entirely clear what happened to Barton after Thanos’ universe-shattering snap (maybe he lost his family and loved ones?), one thing is for certain. Ronin’s appearance and costume are certainly darker and grittier than Hawkeye’s, which could signal a change in tone for Barton’s character as a whole. Thankfully, we won’t have to wait too long to find out what happened to Clint, as Avengers: Endgame will be hitting theaters on April 26th.