The Hawkeye series premiered last week, and it began with depicting Hailee Steinfeld as this rebellious, no bullsh*t person who is full of candor. She plays the role of Kate Bishop, who loves to challenge the thoughts and ideologies of her mom and does the exact opposite of what ‘should’ be.
In fact, when her mother, Eleanor Bishop, asks her to get ready and dress appropriately for a charity auction, she comes in a stylish full black suit which honestly suits her. This simple choice has stirred up fan theories about how Kate Bishop could be the next gay icon. So, is Kate Bishop straight or gay?
Kate Bishop is straight in the comics and might be straight even in the MCU. In the comics, she has dated multiple guys and is seen using phrases such as ‘Am I the only straight one…’. Her suit might just be a fashion choice and nothing more.
Is it just me, or do people have a very shallow idea of what sexual orientation means? I guess that’s a conversation that would take hours. But to say it simply, I don’t think Kate Bishop is gay just because she wore a suit to an auction.
Even in the comics, we see Kate Bishop date other superheroes such as Fuse, Marvel Boy, etc. While sexual orientation is discovered over time and dating history is not a solid factor, she also says things like, ‘Am I the only straight one in the group?’ This does mean that she is pretty clear about her sexual orientation.
So the question that remains is if she could possibly be gay?
Well, I feel there’s a slight chance she could be, and no, it’s not because she wore a suit to a party.
In recent times, the MCU is trying to be more inclusive and get representations right, even if it is just to be more relevant amongst the relatively more woke younger generation.
An instance of this is Loki being established as a bisexual character in his spin-off series. In The Eternals, Lauren Ridloff, who has a hearing disability, plays Makkari, a character with the same disability. Even in the Hawkeye series, we see Echo, a character who is native American and suffers from a hearing disability. She is played by Alaqua Cox, who has the same ethnicity and disability.
Considering these instances, the MCU creators might make a call to portray Kate Bishop as a gay character. However, Hailee Steinfeld is straight, so this negates the possibility of representation.
Personally, I feel trying to get the representation right is an impeccable move by the MCU, even if it is just for the sake of not receiving flak. However, taking a straight character in the comics and portraying them as gay in the cinematic universe seems like a forced move that I hope they don’t go with.
But I guess we will only have our answers with time and just have to wait until then.
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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