My introduction to Marvel Comics was “The Children’s Crusade,” so I was both ecstatic and slightly nervous to see that “Hawkeye” would feature Kate Bishop. Not only did I hope this series would provide the insight into Clint Barton we were previously lacking, I also hoped it would be a promising start to the introduction of Young Avengers into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

“Hawkeye” introduces us to Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfield), a young college student with a knack for martial arts, gymnastics and archery. She’s also prone to getting herself into trouble, but that’s nothing her mother’s fortune can’t fix. That is until Bishop finds herself in trouble with the Ronin’s enemies when she mistakenly dons his suit and gets mixed up with Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) himself in the process.

Bishop begins to worry that her family is in danger as Barton and Bishop work together to clear Bishop’s name and put an end to the organizations that are pursuing them. Between a mysterious murder, distant mother and shady fiancé, Bishop has a lot on her plate. Not to mention trying to convince Barton that she’s superhero material. 

This series is an exciting introduction to a new generation of heroes as well as an encouraging move in the right direction in terms of diversity and inclusion. 

One of the most exciting things for me watching this series was they finally gave Barton his hearing aids from the comics and confirmed that MCU Barton is deaf. American Sign Language is also featured extensively throughout the show. For years, the MCU has ignored this opportunity for representation and diversification. This is a very positive and long-awaited change, especially for the Marvel fans who may be in the deaf community themselves. 

Almost equally as exciting for me was the introduction of a new hero, Kate Bishop. Steinfeld does a phenomenal job of making her character feel authentic and likable. You can feel that she is in the confusing and awkward limbo between being a teenager and an adult. Part of this is influenced by her privilege in terms of wealth, something that the show addresses tactfully. 

I will say that Bishop’s characterization was somewhat different from the Kate Bishop of the comics. I remember her to be more level headed and serious, the voice of reason for the Young Avengers. However, Steinfeld’s fresh take on the character wasn’t an unwelcome one. The beauty of the MCU and Marvel Comics is there’s so much source material to take inspiration from with so many interpretations of characters. Every time a character appears in a comic issue, film, show or game, there will be some sort of fun spin on them. 

If you’re one of the few people who aren’t fans of holiday movies or shows, I’m right there with you. I was a little dubious about the Christmas theme for the series. However, I was pleasantly surprised. 

I’m not a total Scrooge, so the series had just the right amount of cheer that it felt festive but not in-your-face cheesy. The contrast between the holly jolly setting and the intense scenes of fighting and murder attempts added to the air of humor about the show. 

My favoritism for all of the Young Avengers aside, this series was still objectively good. It wasn’t as dazzling as some of Marvel’s other releases — I’m looking at you, “WandaVision” and “Loki” — but it does a good job of shining a light on an often overlooked character while giving a glimpse into the MCU’s future. On a star scale, I would give the series a 3.75/5.

With the MCU finally giving signs of not shying away from comic book diversity, I am all the more excited to see what they do with America Chavez in “Multiverse of Madness” and Kamala Khan in “Ms. Marvel.”  It’s comforting to see the MCU still moving in a positive direction as it moves away from one of it’s most iconic phases.