As the biggest franchise in the world, the MCU is the place to be for any actor. It has turned people into mega stars, and it has given new life to other performer’s careers. Over the years, Jeremy Renner has benefited greatly from appearing in the MCU. Though his future in the franchise has been questioned, it does look like he will be around for the long haul, which is going to please a lot of MCU fans who love continuity.
It is easy to see how things turned out for Renner, but if he had it his way, none of this would have happened with him on board. His initial foray into the now iconic franchise was not as smooth as some would like to think, and there was a legitimate point when he seemed ready to walk away.
So, what exactly happened with Jeremy Renner in the MCU? Let’s dive in and see!
Renner Stars In The Avengers
Back in 2012, the MCU was in full force, and it had been turning its wheels for 4 years. Finally, it was time for the most ambitious team-up in history at the time, as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes would assemble for the very first time.
The Avengers was the culmination of several years worth of films and storylines all leading to one event, and this was something that was quite the feat at the time. The film was poised to be a massive success, and this came on the backs of the MCU films that had been paving the way for 4 years at that point.
As the MCU was expanding, it was time to bring new people into the fold, and Jeremy Renner would land himself the role of Hawkeye. Despite not being the most popular character in the comics, Hawkeye was someone that had enough fame to make his way into the MCU, and Jeremy Renner was a solid fit as the character.
Once the film hit theaters, it wound up being a far bigger success than anyone was expecting. The Avengers wound up netting a cool $1.5 billion worldwide at the box office, making it a colossal success that pushed the MCU forward in a major way.
People really enjoyed what Jeremy Renner brought to the character of Hawkeye, and he was clearly part of the MCU’s plans moving forward. However, things were not nearly as nice or as smooth behind the scenes of the film.
He Hated Making The Film
It can be easy to look at the success of The Avengers and assume that every person had a great time making the movie, but the truth was that Jeremy Renner had a pretty rotten time playing Hawkeye for the first time.
When speaking at a Comic Con, Jeremy Renner would open up about his experience on set, focusing on how he was quite open about his character being taken out in the film.
Renner would say, “I just had a heart attack in every scene – I’d just be walking with… Scarlett Johansson, and just like be ugh. And they said, ‘what are you doing man? I’m giving you an option, if you just want to kick me out of this movie. Just you know, at any given moment, if you wanna kill me off, daddy’s gonna be having a heart attack.”
Those are pretty strong words by Renner, who was the new kid on the block in the MCU at that point. It’s a good thing that Marvel had some serious plans for the character, cause Renner would have missed out on making millions in the greatest cinematic feat in history.
Turns out, Renner was quite unhappy about his character’s lack of story, and during that same panel, he would share his thoughts on that.
He would tell the audience, “I never really told anybody this, but in the first Avengers… I was just getting to know who Hawkeye was, and then zap, I go round like a zombie, I’m like Loki’s minion.”
Strong words by Renner, but clearly, things worked out over time.
His MCU Run Moved Forward
Over time, Jeremy Renner would find his footing in the MCU, as a little more was revealed about Hawkeye’s character.
Since his time in that first film, he has appeared in 3 MCU movies, including Avengers: Endgame. Despite the rocky start, Renner has been able to find his groove in the franchise while turning Hawkeye into someone that people are really starting to enjoy.
According to IMDb, Renner is going to be taking the lead on the Hawkeye series that’s coming to Disney+. This will be the perfect chance for him to have a say in his character’s story and to be able to be the true star of an MCU project.
It is going to be some time before we see Jeremy Renner back in the MCU as Hawkeye, but the future is certainly looking bright. His rough start notwithstanding, Renner has been a huge piece of the MCU and he is poised for greater success.