Disney can't seem to catch a break with its Marvel TV shows. Between unsatisfactory ratings or shows requiring too large of financial investment, a problem always seems to arise. And now, the company has to potentially put one of its only successful shows on the back burner.
Jeremy Renner, the star of Disney's Hawkeye series, recently shared his thoughts about the lackluster offer he received to return for Season 2. According to Renner, the offer specified half the compensation for double the work. He didn't give an exact dollar amount, but it doesn't matter; Renner deserves fair compensation for his performance.
The downside to Renner declining Disney's offer is Hawkeye Season 2 may still happen, just without the show's central star in it. Hailee Steinfeld's character, Kate Bishop, could presumably step into the main role, which is the next logical step in her character's evolution. She's on a path to assembling the Young Avengers alongside Kamala Khan, and this subplot could serve as the potential basis for Season 2. It's worth noting that while a cameo would please fans, without him, the writers can focus on assembling the team.
Another unfortunate result of the situation is Renner might be bidding farewell to the character altogether. Given the previous state of his dealings with Disney, there's very little chance that relations will improve. Unless the company reverses its stance and offers Renner a reasonable paycheck to reprise his role in a Marvel movie, it seems unlikely that he'll portray Clint Barton again.
On one hand, there's limited space for Hawkeye/Ronin on the New Avengers roster anyhow. Heroes are vying for spots in both Doomsday and Secret Wars movies, and Hawkeye (Renner) doesn't appear to be a top priority; Renner wasn't in either casting call.
Filming is also underway at the time of this publication, so unless Clint Barton suddenly becomes a vital part of the Avengers: Doomsday plot, it's doubtful that he'll have any role in the movie.
Lastly, Renner's MCU character still has an opportunity to appear in Avengers: Secret Wars but as noted earlier, the competition for select parts is intense. Considering all the superhero teams that'll be present during the Secret Wars event, odds are the original Avengers will take a step back. Between the Fantastic Four, Fox's X-Men, the New Avengers, and outliers from varying universes, Hawkeye doesn't sound like he's in high demand.
Bear in mind that circumstances change all the time. Because while Disney and Renner couldn't previously reach an agreement about Season 2 of Hawkeye, the company might reconsider its approach in the future. Of course, that's yet to be seen.
Hawkeye Season 1 is currently streaming on Disney Plus. Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters on May 1, 2026.