Actress Hailee Steinfeld has shared a photo on her Instagram, which appears to be taken from the set of the upcoming Disney Plus miniseries, Hawkeye. In the photo, Steinfeld can be seen resting her head on what looks like the interior of a vehicle, with the caption for the image reading, "work/life. so grateful. I hope you all are safe and well. " In the series, Steinfeld is playing Kate Bishop and while little is known about the plot for Hawkeye, Steinfeld's character appears to be a protege of the original bow and arrow wielding avenger, Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner).
In the comics, Kate Bishop is the daughter of a wealthy publishing magnate. After being held for ransom and saved by Hawkeye and The Avengers, she's impressed by what she see's, particularly from Clint Barton, a man who, unlike many superheroes, possesses no superpowers. Kate eventually becomes disillusioned with her wealthy lifestyle and wants to do more to give back, like her mother Eleanor. After the Clint Barton Hawkeye was (temporarily) killed in the comics, Bishop took up the mantle of her idol and became the new Hawkeye. During her comics run, she has been a part of various superhero teams such as the Young Avengers and the West Coast Avengers. It's unclear how close the MCU Kate Bishop will resemble her comic book counterpart, but actress Vera Farmiga has been cast in the role of her mother Elenor Bishop, so that's at least one aspect of the character's comic book origin that will appear in the Disney Plus series.
Based on previous set photos and comic book history, it does seem like Marvel Studios is introducing Bishop with the intention of her becoming the new Hawkeye. This would make sense, as Barton has already attempted to lay down the bow multiple times in the MCU. After the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Barton retires hoping to spend some time on his secluded farm with his wife and children. However, not long after, he was forced back into action during the events of Captain America: Civil War. After that film, he was placed under house arrest, but once Thanos snapped away half the universe, including Clint's family, he went on a violent bender seeking answers and vengeance.
Clint Barton has been through a lot, so it makes sense that he would step into the role of mentor and train a new, younger Hawkeye to take his place. Whether or not this means the MCU Barton will be killed like his comic book counterpart remains unknown at this time. That being said, death is always temporary for comic book characters, so maybe the MCU Barton will finally get to settle down with his family after years of fighting alien invasions and murderous robots.
Hailee Steinfeld is reportedly signed on for multiple MCU projects. However, at this point, what those projects may be beyond Hawkeye have yet to be announced.
Hawkeye is likely to premiere sometime in the latter half of 2021 on Disney Plus.
Source: Hailee Steinfeld | Instagram