Watching him hold his own against Echo further cements that this reluctant, grumpy old hero is still a formidable fighter in his own right, even if he doesn't want to be any more. Little was made of his almost inhuman marksmanship, not to mention the impressive array of trick arrows that he wields in the comics.Д®arly on in episode three, Hawkeye reminds us of Clint's prowess with a stunning shot that simultaneously cuts Kate's captor and frees her all at the same time. Even when Hawkeye was fighting against Ultron's robots or the forces of Thanos, his fighting skills were often reduced to explosive arrows and the occasional grappling hook. While Kate has idolised Clint from the very start, Marvel fans have struggled to do the same, and not just because he was brainwashed for most of the first movie. In the Avengersfilms, however, that was never as impressive as it should have been. Part of Hawkeye's appeal has always been that he's just a regular guy with a bow and arrow, yet still he's able to hold his own in fights against mad titans and actual gods. It's not just the character work that's improved here either.

And while episodes one and two ventured into these aspects of his character quite gradually, the latest instalment has delved far deeper, rounding Clint out in ways that make him far more compelling than ever before. From Clint's grief over Natasha and his guilt over Ronin to his experience as someone who is hard of hearing, Hawkeye is actually far more interesting than the MCU has given him credit for up until now.

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