The MCU Bringing Back This Original Avenger Could Fix A Major Phase 4 & 5 Problem

The Marvel Cinematic Universe can easily fix one of its current problems by bringing back an original Avenger. In the franchise’s first major team-up film, the Avengers consisted of Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye. Now that the MCU is well into the Multiverse Saga, the core six don’t play as big of a role in the franchise anymore, and there’s little connectivity from the early MCU to the more recent and upcoming Marvel movie timeline. However, the return of one core Avenger could help tie together the new generation of heroes with the originals.

Hawkeye was Jeremy Renner’s last MCU appearance before the actor suffered a near-fatal snow plow accident at the beginning of 2023. He has since been recovering well, and Renner recently said that he would gladly return to the MCU. While Thor and Hulk are still active in the MCU, Clint Barton makes the most sense to play an active role in developing the next generation of MCU heroes.

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Hawkeye Can Add A Stronger Connection Between The MCU’s Two Sagas

The status of the Avengers in the MCU is currently unknown. While some heroes from the Infinity Saga are still around, and new characters are clearly being set up to join the team, there hasn’t been much actual mention of the Avengers in the Multiverse Saga yet. What the team is currently lacking is a leader-like figure, and Hawkeye’s return could bring the new era of Avengers the cohesion that they need. His time with the Avengers in the Infinity Saga and his ties to characters in the Multiverse Saga can ensure some stability between MCU sagas.

Out of the original Avengers, Hulk andHawkeye currently have the highest chance of returning to the MCU. Since Hulk’s future storyline will likely tie into his discovery of Skaar, Clint is the hero with the most availability. Clint would be a clear guiding presence for the new Avengers as he already has relationships with the new generation, like Kate Bishop and Yelena Belova. Hawkeye was a prime example of how effective introducing a new hero alongside an established character is, and Clint’s presence in the Multiverse Saga should have the same effect.

Bringing Back Hawkeye Wouldn’t Ruin Any Of Endgame’s Meaningful Moments

It’s understandable to miss the original six Avengers, and the introduction of the multiverse gives the studio an easy way to bring them back. However, bringing back Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man or Chris Evans’ Captain America would ruin their endings and lessen the stakes of Avengers: Endgame. On the other hand, Clint has already had a post-Infinity Saga storyline, and bringing back Hawkeye for good wouldn’t ruin any of Endgame’s meaningful moments. Marvel wouldn’t have to jump through hoops to explain some sort of Hawkeye variant and can simply use the character that is still around in the MCU.

With so many heroes being introduced into the Multiverse Saga, it’ll be hard for the MCU to truly bring everyone together in a cohesive manner. The status of the Avengers is currently up in the air as most of the founding members have moved on, but Hawkeye still remains, and the MCU should make the most of his character considering Renner’s enthusiasm to return to the role. Hawkeye can use his ties to both the old and new eras of heroes to bridge the gap between generations, offering the MCU the cohesion between phases that they’ve been struggling to find.