Disney+’s Hawkeye TV series introduces Kate Bishop, who claims to be the best archer in the world. But who is more suitable for bows? Hawkeye or Kate?
Note: Spoilers for Hawkeye episodes 1 and 2
After Hawkeye's premiere on Disney+, who can truly win the title of MCU's best archer-Clint Barton or Kate Bishop? Always the most unpopular Avenger, Hawkeye used to be relieved to be the world's greatest archery expert. Few characters in MCU dare to use bows and arrows to fight against the real gods, but Hawkeye's shooting skills and innovative arrows ensure his status as the most accurate MCU superstar. Only Taskmaster provided weak competition for Clint's crown, but her poor all-round skills meant that Hawkeye made up for his poor brand image by becoming the franchise's most important Robin Hood imitator.
However, thanks to Disney+, Hawkeye's throne was attacked by a possible usurper, who claimed to be the first archer of the MCU. Hawkeye introduced Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop-a perennial achiever in various sports and martial arts. She is a state-level fencing champion, a highly skilled fighter who can single-handedly defeat criminal gangs, and an agile gymnast who can compete with Spider-Man for rent. Kate also said without hesitation that she was "the greatest archer in the world", which she bravely announced in front of Clint Barton himself.
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Kate admits that her title is partly self-proclaimed, but still has some advantages. Steinfeld's character is very enthusiastic, but not arrogant enough to tell Hawkeye that she is a better archer if she doesn't really believe it. Kate also assured her idol that other people gave her the best label, and if we assume that these mysterious supporters know the Avengers, they must think she can beat Clint Button. Who is the better shooter at the Marvel Renaissance Expo-Button or Bishop?
Kate Bishop, played by Hailee Steinfeld, talks in Hawkeye, but she can also support her arrogant words with impressive accuracy. As a college bet, Kate's first shot in Hawkeye was a tennis arrow hitting a bell. This is a fairly simple setup. Once she compensates for the weather and crosses the stone carvings of the bell tower, most Olympic-level archers should be able to achieve this trajectory. Impressive, but not at the level of an eagle eye. However, Kate's second shot better demonstrated her skills. Fixing the clip to the tennis ball, Bishop fired a circular arrow that arched down into the tower and grabbed a rope invisible from her vantage point. This is especially true in Clint Barton's cab-Kate Bishop himself was impressed by this almost impossible lens.
When the sportswear mafia attacked her apartment, Kate made another mistake. Under Hawkeye’s gaze, Kate took aim from the stairs and released an arrow. The arrow flew past Patton, through the broken window of her building, caught the incendiary bomb in the hands of a gangster, and splashed the bomb on him. In the van behind him. The expression on Hawkeye's face showed that he was deeply impressed by this effort, and he really didn't expect his new partner to have such a talent when she was young. Not only is this angle very tricky, but shooting an object from another person’s hand requires the perfect timing to avoid hitting the bad guy or crashing the bomb into another building.
Kate Bishop's bells and incendiary bombs put her immediately among the MCU archery elite-at least one of the best archery elite. But Hawkeye's opening episode also revealed Kate's biggest weakness. Using archery in combat is more than just hitting the target-you need to understand what happens when the target is hit. This is a concept that Kate has not yet fully grasped. Her clip arrow shot down the entire bell tower, and while trying to extinguish the apartment fire with a fire extinguisher, Kate caused the jar to jump around the room unexpectedly. It is hard to imagine that Hawkeye would make the same mistake. After the Sokovia Agreement, the last thing the Avengers need is a hero who accidentally collapsed a building with a bow and arrow.
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Compared with Kate Bishop, Hawkeye not only shows fewer weaknesses in archery competitions, but his MCU acrobatic shooting catalog is more impressive.
When defeating the Kitari invaders in the 2012 Avengers, Hawkeye hit a moving dinghy on his flank and didn't even look at it. Shooting down a moving ship is impressive enough, but doing so without aiming is just showing off. Kate Bishop has done some clever archery in Hawkeye, but she always concentrates or takes a deep breath before shooting, and Hawkeye's arrow antics are second nature. More exaggerated is the aerial helicopter shot of Hawkeye, also in the Avengers. Owned by the Mind Gem (which, by the way, did not improve his archery ability), Clint released an arrow, which landed on the side of Nick Fury’s Avengers sky base, blowing up the ship opened. His compensation for the wind is ridiculous. Before finding its mark, he arched the arrow. Once inside, he would hit the helicopter's console so accurately, the arrow tip of the flash drive was neatly inserted into its predetermined port. Most people can't even plug in a USB without fiddling.
Hawkeye enjoyed a lot of shooting action in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (at least more than he did in Avengers: Infinity War), but his highest achievement was in the Sokovia Climate Battle Fast shooting in. Clint Barton used arrows to attack Ultron's army, reloading and aiming so fast, even Legolas was proud of it. Once again, so far, Kate Bishop's archery has not been smooth in Hawkeye. She thinks about it every time she shoots, and Hawkeye can fire instinctively.
Throughout his MCU journey, Hawkeye has mastered the knack of shooting arrows on the run. Whether he was jumping off a building or walking through a street his friends had just destroyed, Clint Barton's movements were as accurate as he was completely still. This is another strength that separates Clint and Kate, because the first two episodes of Hawkeye only show Hailee Steinfeld launching from a fixed position. If she is really a better Deadpool, Kate Bishop needs to start shooting her.
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Comparing Kate Bishop's Hawkeye scene with Clint Barton's credits in the wider MCU, it is clear that he is an excellent shooter. Having said that, Kate Bishop's first attempt is enough to show that she can surpass her favorite Avengers someday in the future. Now the biggest difference between Clint and Kate is not necessarily skill (both can shoot impressive shots that other archers rarely have), but experience and maturity. Hawkeye has a better understanding of the physics behind archery and shooting, firing almost reflexively-these two skills will only develop over time. As more MCU shooting exercises are carried out under her practical belt, Kate Bishop will gain the skills she currently lacks. When this happens, she may eventually surpass Hawkeye and obtain the world’s greatest archer’s title.
Kate Bishop finally defeated Clint Button with a bow, which is her background story. Hawkeye introduced Kate as a dedicated student in multiple subject areas. Since she was 5 years old, she has tried very well in everything she has tried. 22-year-old Kate Bishop may not hit the bullseye as often as Clint Barton in her 40s, but maybe she is better than 22-year-old Clint. The gap between them is not that big in Hawkeye. Although the MCU has not revealed the time when Clint picked up the bow and arrow for the first time (yet), he may start later than grief-the disaster-affected Kate Bishop's battle in New York After doing it. Hawkeye's MCU fame is still safe, but it is certainly only a matter of time before Kate Bishop catches up with the mantle of Marvel's premier live-action shooter.
More: Hawkeye: Every Miracle Easter Egg and Reference in Episodes 1 and 2
Hawkeye airs on Disney+ every Wednesday.
Craig started contributing to Screen Rant in 2016. It was a few years after graduating from university and has been ranting ever since, mainly ranting at himself in a dark room. Craig had written for various sports and music media before, and soon his interest turned to TV and movies, where the steady growth of science fiction and comic books finally began. Craig had previously published articles on websites such as Den of Geek. After a lot of coffee soaking time in front of his laptop, his part-time evening job eventually became a full-time career, covering everything from the zombie apocalypse to the starship enterprise. Tadis. Since joining Screen Rant, Craig has been involved in breaking news stories and slightly controversial leaderboards, but is now mainly a feature writer. Jim Carrey is Craig's best acting choice, and his favorite themes include superheroes, anime, and unrecognized geniuses in the trilogy of high school musicals.