- Jeremy Renner said it's a "nice feeling" that so many fans were worried about Hawkeye in "Avengers: Infinity War," but he thinks it was also "intense."
- He said the Russo Brothers, the directors of the movie, got "way too many death threats."
- Fortunately, Hawkeye's whereabouts are addressed in the movie.
- He's not dead, and will most likely have a bigger role to play in the sequel.
By now, fans know that Hawkeye was not in "Avengers: Infinity War," after months of speculation about his whereabouts. And actor Jeremy Renner said that while he was flattered by the fan outcry, he thought it went a tad overboard.
In an interview with USA Today, Renner said it was a "nice feeling" that so many fans were worried about Hawkeye, but it was also a little too "intense."
"It's a nice feeling, I suppose," Renner said. "I think the Russo brothers [directors Joe and Anthony Russo] got way too many death threats. I'm like, 'Wow, dude, that's intense. I'm sorry!'"
This is the first time we've heard of any "death threats" against the Russos, so maybe Renner is exaggerating. But fortunately, Hawkeye's status is addressed in the movie. He's not dead, he's just on "house arrest" after the events of "Captain America: Civil War," in which Hawkeye defied a superhero registration act and became a fugitive. In the movie, Black Widow explains that Hawkeye took a deal with the government for his family's sake.
At the end of the movie, half of humanity disappears after Thanos acquires all of the Infinity Stones and snaps his fingers. But it's worth assuming that Hawkeye is alive and well and will play a bigger role in the sequel next year.
"Everybody's got to bite their tongue," Renner told USA Today. "But if you like 'Infinity War,' there's some stuff to come. What I do know is it's going to be awesome."
Since the other original Avengers remained intact at the end of the movie, we guess that Hawkeye did, too, and will finally join in on the action for the sequel.
We have our own guesses as to how exactly Hawkeye will return: Since he's technically a fugitive, he could return as a character named Ronin (a Japanese term for a lone warrior), which is a mantle he takes on in the comic books after the events of the "Civil War" series.
We'll know for sure on May 3, 2019 when the untitled fourth "Avengers" movie hits theaters.