The MCU Failed Clint Barton And Here’s Why
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Each Avenger has come with their own skillset. We’ve got Thor who’s the mythical lord of thunder. Captain America who’s a super soldier medically enhanced. Iron Man with more money than he knows what to do with and a brain that seemingly knows all. The Hulk was given his powers by science. Black Widow, the image of female seduction and espionage. Finally, forgotten by most, there is Hawkeye. Hawkeye is just the family man with a bow and arrow.
Clint Barton could have been so much more.
What many people don’t realize is that Hawkeye has been a member of the Avengers since 1964. The purple loving hero was originally created by Stan Lee and Don Heck. His history is one that is arguably almost as fascinating as those gods and enhanced metahumans we love to read about.
But who is Hawkeye and why did the MCU decide to belittle him down from the potential he had?
An Early Life Of Turmoil
One of the things that makes a superhero so relatable is that they go through a relatable struggle.
While we have yet to see the history that the MCU’s Hawkeye faced, the Clint in the comics has quite a beginning.
Clinton Francis Barton was orphaned at a young age.
While this may be the beginning for most superheroes, Clint is a bit different. Raised by a loving mother, Clint’s father was not the same. An abusive alcoholic, Clint’s father took his anger out on his wife and two boys.
By the time Clint was 4, his mother and father had passed in a car accident. Clint and his older brother Barney were tossed into an orphanage.
It wasn’t long after that Clint and Barney ran away and joined the circus.
Why is any of this important?
According to SOS-USA.org, “an estimated 153 million children worldwide are orphans”. These children are the ones who could use a hero who overcame the obstacles they face every day. They’re the ones who could benefit from seeing a hero who’s built himself from the ground up when he’s felt lost and alone.
Marvel had an open door to usher in relatability. They could have targeted a demographic that could have used the support.
