The Hawkeye miniseries premiered last week on Disney+, and it’s pretty evident that the ghosts of the past, or should I say ‘Bros’ of the past, are here to haunt Hawkeye, who just wants to have one family Christmas as Clint Barton.
The show wastes no time to introduce Kate Bishop, the world’s greatest archer. A 22-year old who gets herself into a mess that involves Ronin and the infamous Tracksuit Mafia.
Between the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, Hawkeye turned into Ronin to ‘avenge’ his family as he laid waste to gangs and mafiosos all over the world. One of these gangs was the Tracksuit Mafia, also known as the Tracksuit Dracula.
Now, after the blip, Clint’s dark past is catching up to him, as the tracksuit mafia are hunting for the Hawkeye and, more importantly, the Ronin. But what personal rivalry do they have against the Ronin? What did he do to them, and who is behind all this?
Kingpin, aka Wilson Fisk, could be the man behind the Tracksuit Mafia. While we see Echo leading them, both Kazi (The Clown) and Clint mention a person above her. Kazi refers to her uncle whereas Clint says the man above is someone you don’t want to mess with.
During Hawkeye’s time as Ronin, he had encountered the Tracksuit Mafia and also stirred the upper management of the TM Bros. In this encounter, we see him kill Echo’s father as she witnesses the murder. So now, Echo and possibly Kingpin are looking for Ronin to settle the scores.
We also see a hand with a black suit stroke the cheek of a young Echo/Maya. This person could be Kingpin too. With all these hints and also the mention of Sloan Limited, which seems like a front for some company, there’s a good chance the Kingpin will make an entrance in the Hawkeye series.
Furthermore, Vincent D ‘Onofrio even tweeted how much he loves ‘these marvel series’ in reply to Hawkeye’s announcement.
In the comics, Kingpin raised Echo. However, Echo never worked with the ‘Bros’ in red jumpsuits in comics, so this connection is quite fascinating, and we’ll see how it unfolds.
For those who don’t know, Echo/Maya Lopez is the adoptive daughter of Kingpin, who was treated as a pawn in all his nefarious activities. She is deaf and possesses the power of photographic reflexes, which means she can watch and imitate anyone else’s fighting style and skills. A power we saw in the Taskmaster in Black Widow.
Beyond all this, she was first introduced as the Ronin before revealing her identity as Maya Lopez in the comics.
On the other hand, the Tracksuit Mafia or the Bros are Hawkeye’s nemesis in the comics. Led by Ivan Banionis, a mobster, this gang encounters Clint Barton when he becomes a tenant in the building owned by Ivan. They are ruthless when it comes to hassling their tenants for money and notorious for increasing the rent to extreme prices. This becomes the foundation of Clint and their rivalry, which later on introduces more gangs and villains such as The Clown.
Now, hang in there a second before you get overwhelmed with all these details. Take a second as I talk about their role in the latest MCU series, Hawkeye.
In the show, we still don’t know much about these characters and how their paths have crossed in the past.
The Tracksuit Mafia is introduced as a mob looking for a watch as they break into a black market auction that involves Kate Bishop’s would-be stepdad Jack Duquesne and his father Armand Duquesne III. Ronin’s samurai sword and suit were being auctioned off here.
When the break-in happens, everyone tries to flee, as Jack steals the Ronin sword, and Kate Bishop, who is snooping around there, wears the Ronin suit to fight the bros. Thus the paths of Ronin (who is actually Kate Bishop) and the Tracksuit Mafia cross.
Kate later finds Armand murdered in his home, and Hawkeye goes behind this imposter Ronin, only to find out she is a 22-year old rich brat who idolizes him.
While a bigger conspiracy involves Eleanor Bishop (Kate’s mother), Jack, Armand, and perhaps more other people behind, the show, for now, focuses only on the guys in red jumpsuits and their boss Echo, aka Maya Lopez. Also, if you didn’t notice, The Clown (played by Fra Free) also appears in episode 2 of the series, sitting alongside the Bros.
Considering all these characters and their backstories, the dots are hard to connect, but honestly, I can’t wait to find out what happens next. I’d also love to see The Clown’s role in the show while hoping the Kingpin reveals himself.
The MCU also has Echo’s own spin-off series coming soon. So it is safe to say that her tale will not be wrapped up in the next four episodes, and we’ll be seeing more of her. In the comics, she changes from a villain to a superhero who joins the New Avengers. I know, right! I saved this tiny little detail for the end.
So let’s just hold on to our hats as we wait for the next episode, which just might blow our minds (hopefully not ears) and leave us in a state of desperation as we wait for the episode after.
About Hawkeye
Hawkeye is an upcoming television miniseries for the Disney+ streaming service. Created by Jonathan Igla, it is based on the Marvel comic character of the same name. The show will feature Clint Barton aka. Hawkeye and newcomer Kate Bishop who will eventually become the next Hawkeye.
Cast members include Jeremy Renner who will be reprising his role as Barton, and Hailee Steinfeld will be playing Kate Bishop. Additional cast includes Vera Farmiga, Fra Fee, and Florence Pugh, who too will reprise her role from the unreleased “Black Widow”. Hawkeye is scheduled to be released in November 2021.
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