A decade after Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) made his first cameo appearance in “Thor,” he finally gets to suit up as Hawkeye and wield his famous bow and arrow in his own solo show on Disney Plus.

“Hawkeye,” the newest edition to the growing list of Marvel Cinematic Universe TV shows, makes for an exciting show that can be enjoyed by anyone who has wanted more from the fan-favorite character Hawkeye. 

Although the name of the show is “Hawkeye,” the majority of the six episodes focus on Hawkeye’s new apprentice Kate Bishop and her origin. This is far from a bad thing as Hailee Steinfeld pulls off a fun performance and gives fans an exciting introduction to her character.  

Kate Bishop is a young and stubborn archer who sees Hawkeye as her hero. The dynamic between the two is entertaining to watch, and the show focuses on their relationship and Kate’s journey toward becoming a hero.

Although the show mostly focuses on Kate Bishop, we still see plenty of great moments from Hawkeye. Clint Barton displays his abilities and archery skills in more creative ways than during his time with the Avengers. This show is the culmination of Clint’s character development over the last decade, making him a great mentor to Kate.

Fight scenes involving Clint and Kate’s bows and arrows are gripping, but the ones that don’t use their archery skills often feel stale by comparison. Similar to former MCU fights that contain characters without superpowers, punches don’t feel like they hit hard, and with so many people on screen at once, it can feel like a mess of people swinging their fists at each other.

“Hawkeye” takes a risk by introducing a few new characters to the MCU. It pays off, and Kate Bishop is a welcome addition to the MCU cannon, but I cannot say the same for the side characters. The narrative doesn’t leave enough time for the development of other characters, especially the villains. While future MCU projects are on the horizon for some of these characters, their role in this story doesn’t feel as compelling as it could be.  

Still, Marvel fans and casual fans alike shouldn’t feel disappointed with Hawkeye’s newest outing, and I’m excited to see where these characters will go in the future.

Final score: 7/10