Back in November, Jeremy Renner revealed he was in talks with Marvel Studios to portray to character Clint Barton/Hawkeye in one or more future projects. His name was even tossed around as a choice candidate to wield Captain America's shield.
From EmpireOnline:
"Hawkeye could be interesting. They're going to send me some stuff on it, see what it is." But I think they're pretty awesome, trying to make superhero movies almost plausible and not just some fantasy thing. If I was a betting man, I would bet that Hawkeye would probably show up in Thor, and then be in The Avengers,” he said.
“Do I know for sure? I can’t say. But I’d love for that to happen. It’d be fun.”
His enthusiasm for the role started an internet tidal wave of comic fan approvals, dismissals and fan castings. Many pointed out that Renner's performance in
The Hurt Locker was picture proof that he has both the chops and style that is needed for the role.
Then, in December, Renner went into a bit more detail about why would like to play the skilled archer; he told SuperHeroHype that he was sold on the idea of playing Hawkeye because Clint Barton is "just a man with a high skill set," rather than a super powered hero. He went on to comment about the transition of the character's costume to film:
"...it's going to be modernized, it's not going to be the guy with the big purple [mask], it's not going to be a guy in tights. It's going to be a guy in sunglasses and a vest. He's going to be more modernized and I'm gonna say, 'A cooler-looking version' and not the big weird costume he had on. I don't think they're going that route."
The last we heard from the actor regarding the role was in an interview with MTV News:
"The Marvel guys are really smart. They're really cool," he said back in December.
"My buddy Zak Penn is writing 'Avengers,' but that's not for years away. The only reason this even came up is because they're thinking about a little cameo of [Clint Barton] as Hawkeye in there. It's the only reason why I talked to those guys about it. We'll see if Marvel will have me. The role is there, we'll see if it works out."
Just this month it was revealed that both Renner and his film,
The Hurt Locker, received Oscar nominations. As customary with many new Hollywood stars on the rise, the actor is being overwhelmed with offers for new projects. Why would this affect comic movie fans? One of those roles would take him out of the running to play a certain Marvel Studios character. The NY Times reported today that Renner is in talks with Universal Studios and director Peter Berg to secure the lead role in
Battleship. That's right, the latest board game being adapted to the silver screen. The Times went on to say:
"He's also had no fewer than five meetings to star in another project, which he declines to reveal. Both films are expected to shoot in the summer, so Renner will be choosing between the two."
Considering all of his previous interviews, it's a solid assumption that the 'secret project' is the role of Hawkeye. We know he's had several meetings with Marvel Studios and that both
Thor and
The First Avenger: Captain America will be filming this summer. It's not hard to believe that Renner won't comment about the role anymore considering Marvel's penchant for secrecy.
Marvel is known for trying to keep the press and fans from knowing the surprises they save for their movies. After the Sam Jackson/Nick Fury cameo for
Iron Man was leaked online a week before the film's release, Marvel has upped the ante on confidentiality. Natalie Portman, who is currently filming
Thor revealed a few details about the lengths that Marvel goes to in an effort to stop internet leaks for their future projects.
What do you think? If Renner is still interested in portraying Hawkeye, which would not be a big role, should he forgo that option to take the lead in what Universal is building to become a summer blockbuster?
Information courtesy of EmpireOnline, SuperHeroHype and the New York Times