The 18th MCU Hot Toys figure I added to my collection was Clint Barton / Hawkeye, and it was about time!
I will admit, Hawkeye is not my most favorite comic book character, I loved what Matt Fraction did with the character in his 2012 comic book series and I had put off getting a Hawkeye figure for long enough, as he was needed for me to have all six of the original Avengers in my collection.
Hawkeye got off to a slow start within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He appeared in Thor for about 30-seconds and then spent most of The Avengers as a lackey for Loki. I thought he was sorely missed in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and at that point in time, Hawkeye probably wasn’t even amongst my Top-50 MCU characters!
Business picked up for Barton in Avengers: Age of Ultron though, and I loved Hawkeye in Captain America: Civil War. Then, he wasn’t even in Avengers: Infinity War! Finally, in Avengers: Endgame, Hawkeye got his due. I loved Jeremy Renner’s performance in that film from the opening scene with the disappearance of his family on to his time as Ronin, his volunteering to take an experimental trip through time, and all of his scenes with Black Widow, especially his mourning of her loss at the scene at the lake. Throughout that movie, I found Clint Barton to be one of the most relatable characters in the entire film.
I loved seeing Barton take on the Ronin identity in the MCU. I thought that was a really cool arc in the comics in Brian Michael Bendis’ New Avengers and when this Hot Toys figure was announced, I was actually glad that I’d waited to get a Hawkeye figure, because this was by far the best Hawkeye release that I’ve seen from them!
I received the Deluxe Edition of Hawkeye from my family for my birthday in 2021. This was one of the most jam-packed Hot Toys figure boxes that I have ever opened! You’re not just talking two head sculpt options, you’re talking two identities, as Barton can be displayed as either Hawkeye or Ronin! He also comes with extra hands, a variety of ninja throwing stars, a bunch of arrows that fit individually into his back piece, a bow, and a sword, plus the Ronin hood and jacket!
Before I got this figure, I had intended to pose him as Ronin, complete with his mask and hood, but this figure ended up having what is perhaps the single greatest face sculpt in my entire collection! It looks just like Jeremy Renner and the skin texture, and the paint applications of the hair are all perfect. Therefore, I have him posed as Hawkeye instead of as Ronin. This is a damn good figure and I have to say, despite Hawkeye not being near the top of my personal MCU list, this figure is one of the Top-10 Hot Toys figures that I own. It really is that good!
Nine-months after I received this figure for my birthday, Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye series was released on Disney+ and my appreciation for this figure increased even more, for that series (which I thought was awesome) made me love Hawkeye as a MCU character even more! I thought Jeremy Renner’s chemistry with Hailee Steinfeld was great and I really enjoyed watching him sort of mentor her and take down the Track Suit Mafia. I thought this series fully fleshed out Renner’s Barton as a character, showing what most of us comic book readers already knew: that Hawkeye is freaking awesome!
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