In 2021, Marvel has fed us a constant stream of media. As the last loose ties of the year are resolved, the Hawkeye show is also brought to an end. One thing that nobody can deny is that Disney knows how to take its final bow of the season, and the bang they go out with is certainly worthy of a mention. 

The six-episodes are centered around everyone’s least favorite version of Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner). Our first look at Clint entails watching him squirm in his theatre seat. There we are promptly revealed his greatest feat: his ability to escape Broadway music. Our other protagonist, Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfield), isn’t far behind. Staying true to the hero trope, she has a dead dad, a complicated mother, and a step-father that rests on the thin blade between being a sword-loving, fun guy and a man who spins around in a wheely-chair and refers to you as his arch-nemesis while petting a fluffy white cat. The series opens with a proper introduction to her personality: her eavesdropping on her parents. Truly a Hawkeye in the making. This value is reinforced when 10 minutes into the first episode. We see Kate accidentally collapsing a tower at her university with the aid of a single arrow. Albeit, a bet gone wrong, but impressive nonetheless. With the talent of directors such as Rhys Thomas, we are privy to her deepest flaws and desires: her recklessness, and her wish to impress.

One of the most captivating details in Hawkeye is the entirety of its beginning credits. So much backstory is packed into just a few seconds. They are a wordless way of communicating our heroes’ hopes, and mistakes from the past, and it lets us into a deeper analysis of the protagonists. Kate’s many competition successes are captured in faded out frames, highlighting how she is the mirror of our very own archer. 

Cinematography isn’t the only thing that makes this new Marvel series stand out. As the second episode folds, a new character is introduced, one that is set to become fully fledged by the end of the series. Maya Lopez. Our antagonist, and also indigenous, deaf, and disabled. She is played by Alaqua Cox, a 24 year old actress who is part of the Menominee tribe, and shares her traits. Although Disney has come further in its recent years than it ever has before, crumbs of representation are few, and are often half-assed attempts at pleasing viewers while not startling conservative shareholders. 

Maya was beloved by fans ever since she was presented onto the screen. So beloved, in fact, that she is set to receive her own show. While Echo does not have a set release date on Disney+, it’s been confirmed that it is in the writing process. As a Phase Four series that ties beautifully with Marvel’s Daredevil and other Defenders shows, it has the potential to introduce old characters in a new and exciting way.

The series finale premiered on December 22, and it is not to be dismissed. Without any major spoilers, it features cameos of Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and Wilson Frisk (Vincent D’Onofrio).

 Marvel shoots back into the world of cinematography with a swing of violence and a fantabulous musical number based on the Battle of New York.