It's fair to say that the MCU has never given Hawkeye as much attention as the other original Avengers. Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, and Thor have all had solo movies and been given plenty of focus during team-up flicks. Even Black Widow, who also suffers from getting overlooked at times, is given more respect by Marvel.
Fans have noticed the lack of spotlight he gets as they've made it the subject of many of their best Hawkeye memes. However, during Clint Barton's lengthy spell in the series, he's still managed to shine. Which begs the question, in what movie did he make the most impact?
5 Thor (2011)
Hawkeye's introduction into the MCU is less glamorous than most. Instead of having a full movie dedicated to him or participating in a memorable action sequence, he simply makes a cameo in 2011's Thor.
When the God of Thunder is fighting through an abundance of S.H.I.E.L.D's operatives, Barton is perched up high, aiming his bow at the titular character. He never fires an arrow during the scene, nor does Thor even realize he's there.
The rest of the movie is about Thor living among humans and improving as a person. His brother, Loki, on the other hand, spends his time scheming in Asgard. Hawkeye's presence doesn't have any impact on the main plotlines of the movie. It seems the only reason he is there is to show people that he exists before the first Avengers film.
4 Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Captain America: Civil War isn't about the Earth's mightiest heroes defending themselves against one of the strongest villains in the series. Instead, it's focused on the disharmony within the Avengers caused by the Sokovia Accords and accusations made against Bucky.
The main group gets split into two, with Captain America and Iron Man serving as the leaders of each. Hawkeye joins Cap's team. However, he doesn't stick out in the movie as there's no specific Barton plotline. Even Steve Rodgers convincing him to come out of retirement and join his side happens off-screen.
In this case, Hawkeye's minimal role is understandable as most of the adventure is about Captain America versus Iron Man, and the archer isn't super close with either of them. If Natasha Romanoff was the person facing off against Rodgers, Barton would probably play a larger part.
3 Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Barton is absent for one of the best MCU movies in Infinity War, but he returns for its equally good sequel, Endgame. However, the Hawkeye in the fourth Avengers adventure is very different. Heartbroken over the loss of his family, Barton becomes an angry vigilante known as Ronin. His new persona and thirst for revenge help him stand out amongst the crowd.
The main plot revolves around the remaining heroes trying to bring back their friends while stopping Thanos from wiping out those left. The biggest contribution Hawkeye makes to the cause is when he and Romanoff go to Vormir to retrieve the Soul Stone.
Yet, he still isn't as prominent in the overall narrative as Captain America or Iron Man. Certain heroes needed big roles in Endgame, though, as it's their last appearance in the MCU. Hawkeye should still have future chances to shine.
2 The Avengers (2012)
The first Avengers movie is an interesting one for Hawkeye. For the first half of the film, he's fighting on the wrong side as Loki uses his Scepter to control Barton's mind. While under the weapon's spell, he serves as Loki's second-in-command and helps the villain with his evil invasion plan.
He might not be in control of his mental facilities, but he does play a significant role in the early parts of the movie. Once he gets free will again, his influence on the plot diminishes. However, he participates in the Battle of New York and kills plenty of Chitauri in the process.
As his only appearance before the first Avengers was the cameo in Thor, he deserved more non-mind controlled screen time to establish himself. Still, by the end of the film, it feels like he deserves his place in the Avengers team. If only he'd have gotten one shot in on Loki as revenge for the Scepter incident.
1 Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)
Unlike in the first Avengers, Hawkeye manages to avoid getting his mind messed with in the sequel. Unfortunately, though, his allies' thoughts are compromised by Wanda Maximoff. When the team is mentally down, Barton takes them to his home to lay low.
While there, fans learn more about the archer than they had ever done before. For instance, Barton has a wife and children. Plus, the Avengers' time at his place is significant to the overall plot as that's where they get over their defeat and plan their next move.
Later in the movie, Barton makes himself useful once again as he convinces Wanda to contribute to the war against Ultron. The superhuman woman goes on to cause plenty of heroic destruction before dealing one of the biggest blows to the main antagonist. Overall, Hawkeye has an important role to play in the movie, even if it's still in a supporting capacity.