In 1983, longtime Avengers member Hawkeye was given a shot at a solo adventure courtesy of fan-favorite writer/artist Mark Gruenwald--known for his long runs on Captain America and Quasar--and artist Brett Breeding.
The mini was a hit, and would sow the seeds for what would eventually become the most successful Avengers spin-off series, The West Coast Avengers.
The mini finds Hawkeye, at the time head of security for Cross Technological Enterprises, hunted down by his own employer--who later turns out to be the supervillain Crossfire--as part of a plot to take out the superhero community once and for all, using the hero's death as a catalyst. With the help of former SHIELD agent Mockingbird, the Avenging Archer may have a shot at keeping this from happening.
I read this mini a couple years back, and now know why Mark Gruenwald was such a fan-favorite (it also cemented Hawkeye as one of my favorite Marvel characters). I put him alongside some of my favorite writers (which includes Gerry Conway, Larry Hama, and Roger Stern) in that he is one of those "middle ground" kind of writers; he's not too "out there" like Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, and Warren Ellis, yet not to "hokey and over-the-top" like Bob Haney, Gardner Fox, and Stan Lee. I was also dismayed to hear of how Gruenwald died young, having seen a few obits in some old comics I bought here and there. I really think an animated take on his first mini would be a great means of honoring the legacy of one of comicdom's finest creative minds. So, I figured that this would be my first fancast for my "Avengers Legends" series of animated films (Tigra's is still in the works, don't worry). Here's how the movie would work out:
-DVD cover art by Bob Layton (other than comics, he did the packaging art for the Marvel Universe Secret Wars Comic Packs).
-Voice direction by Jaimie Simone (who's been doing that for a lot of Marvel cartoons right now.
-Art/animation style similar to that used in "Batman: Under the Red Hood"
-Screenplay by Craig Kyle and Chris Yost (based on Gruenwald's scripting), with a bit of Jim Shooter (who edited the original mini) thrown in.
-Credits feature "In Memory of Mark Gruenwald".
And now, my voice cast for this picture:
Scott Caan as the voice of Hawkeye/Clint Barton
I've been getting into the new Hawaii Five-O, and find that Caan's take on Danno made me think of how much of a wiseguy Hawkeye is, so I figured Caan would have the right voice and chops to play him.
Amanda Rhigetti as the voice of Mockingbird/Barbara Morse
Since Rhigetti played a SHIELD agent already (in Captain America: The First Avenger), I figured she'd be a great choice to play a former agent-turned-solo vigilante, and Hawkeye's future battlin' bride is the only one I could think of that was worthy.
John Slattery as the voice of Crossfire/William Cross
Crossfire, in this story, seeks to take out the superhero community by using Hawkeye's death (and resulting funeral) as the catalyst. With all the gathered heroes, he'd then use a sound emitter that would cause them to go berserk and try to kill each other.
I thought Slattery could use a role that wasn't just a supporting character (like Howard Stark in Iron Man 2), so I thought this would be an interesting opportunity for him--Crossfire's got a bit of an interesting history (being a former CIA interrogator) that I find Slattery would enjoy getting into.
Katee Sackhoff as the voice of Bombshell
Bombshell (who's introduced in the mini) is one of three assassins sent by Crossfire to take out Hawkeye. She later appears as one of Crossfire's most frequent collaborators.
Sackhoff has stated that she's always wanted to play a Marvel villain (in her case, Daredevil foe Typhoid Mary), but I thought she should start small with this minor villainess. Plus, she's got Marvel experience already, having voiced She-Hulk on The Super Hero Squad Show.
Bill Hader as the voice of Oddball
Oddball is another of the assassins, sent alongside Bombshell since both are jugglers with explosives (that's the best explanation I could come up with). The mini is also his debut as a character.
Hader has quite a history of creating 'oddball' characters, just look no further than his being a cast member on Saturday Night Live. I couldn't think of anyone else who could voice Oddball in a manner that Hader conveys with his characters.
Phil Morris as the voice of Silencer
Silencer is the first assassin sent after Hawkeye, only for him to be defeated by both him and Mockingbird. He wears a suit that allows him to move in complete silence, making him a deadly adversary.
Morris has a long resume of voiceover roles, and his Marvel ones include Colossus on Wolverine and the X-Men, and most recently Scorpio on Ultimate Spider-Man. I thought he could do a decent job with this character.
Rachael MacFarlane as the voice of Sheila Danning
Danning is an agent of Crossfire who pretends to be Hawkeye's girlfriend in order to keep him off the trail of Cross Technological Enterprises' corruption. She betrays him after more of Crossfire's agents trap Hawkeye and Mockingbird in a pit, into which toxic sludge would be poured in.
MacFarlane has voiced manipulative characters before (the most notorious being Eris on The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy), so I thought she'd do fine with this fair Sheila.
Additional voices
-Dee Bradley Baker
-Khary Payton
-Brian Bloom
And that's a wrap! For taking the time to look at this--ladies and gentlemen, THE DAVE CLARK FIVE: