Jeremy Renner almost turned down the role of Hawkeye in the MCU because of a hilarious reason. Introduced in Kenneth Branagh's Thor as Clint Barton, the actor has been in the franchise for more than a decade. He joins Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, and Mark Ruffalo as the universe's founding Avengers. However, there was a time when he almost passed on the superhero role.
Motivated by wanting to produce their own films, Marvel Studios decided to take the risk and try kickstarting their own superhero franchise via Downey and Jon Favreau's Iron Man. It was a massive risk, as the movie failing would mean that the company would lose all the rights to their remaining characters. Luckily, the blockbuster became a critical and box office success. More importantly, it also allowed Kevin Feige and his team to continue building the MCU by casting other players. Renner was so impressed with Iron Man that he was eager to jump on the opportunity to join the universe — until he learned the terms of his contract.
Speaking with Vanity Fair, the actor recalled how he started in the MCU, including why he almost backed out of playing Hawkeye. According to him, the fact that he needed to sign a multi-picture deal was a cause of concern for him because he didn't want to wear a superhero costume when he's 50. Funnily, however, he has now reached that age and he's still an active player in the universe, even starring in his own Disney+ show, Hawkeye.
"I remember going in to talk with [Marvel Studios president] Kevin Feige and [Marvel Studios co-president] Lou D'Esposito, and they'd show me the Ultimates version of Hawkeye. Iron Man had come out, and I said, 'I'm into what you guys are doing because I loved Iron Man. I like how you made Iron Man plausible. So that's where they wanted to go with [Hawkeye]. I'm like, 'Great!' You gotta kinda sign on for a bunch of Avengers films and potential Hawkeye films, kind of sign your life away. I'm like, 'Wait, I might be 50 in tights.'"
"That was my main concern. I'm like, 'I don't know if I want to do this. I don't know if anyone wants to see me in tights at 50.'"
Renner isn't actually the only one who had this issue before signing on to be in the MCU. Evans turned down the role of Captain America a few times before he accepted the part. By then, he had already played Johnny Storm in Fox's Fantastic Four films, which didn't do that great. So, when Evans was approached by Marvel Studios for the role, he was set on not taking the gig because he didn't want to sign a multi-year contract and be locked in a franchise that could potentially be bad. But, after a while, he eventually boarded the MCU. It's curious what was the turning point for Renner, however. He didn't say what ultimately convinced him to take the role, but it's safe to say that he's happy he did.
While Renner is still in the MCU as a 50-year-old actor, at least he's not wearing tights. In fact, Hawkeye probably has the most casual superhero costume in the franchise, alongside Johansson's Black Widow. As Clint's journey continues past the Infinity Saga, his role in the universe is also evolving. Now, he's stepping into the role of a mentor to newbie Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld). So, although he's still in comic book projects, his arc has progressed exponentially over the years.
Source: Vanity Fair
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/3FVYSpI
0 Comments