'Avengers: Endgame': First Look at Hawkeye as Ronin

Clint Barton finally returned to action in the Avengers: Endgame trailer, but he's dropped his Hawkeye persona for that of Ronin.

In the trailer, Black Widow is seen approaching a fight scene. A masked man in black is using a katana to fight off a group of opponents. This is Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) in his new superhero persona as Ronin. Take a look below:

For comparison, here's a look at Clint's Ronin costume from the Marvel Comics Universe:

In the comics, Clint Barton became Ronin after a surreal and traumatic experience. He was killed by the Scarlet Witch during the events of Avengers Disassembled and then resurrected as a side effect of the events of House of M. When he returned, he was uncomfortable going back to his previous persona and so became Ronin instead. He fought alongside Luke Cage's Secret Avengers as Ronin until the Superhero Registration Act was revoked and Norman Osborn's "Dark Reign" was over.

It is likely another traumatic incident that has Clint in his Ronin gear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thanos' snap likely affected Clint's family. That would explain why he becomes Ronin; to leave his old, pre-snap life behind him.

Fans were disappointed that Hawkeye wasn't in Avengers: Infinity War. Rumor had it that Barton would be on a mission in Japan in the film, and that he would take on the Ronin persona, but it turned out those developments were for the fourth Avengers movie, not the third.

Directors Joe and Anthony Russo previously assured fans that Clint's absence was not an oversight, and that they have a plan in place.

"Listen, we did not forget the twice-nominated Jeremy Renner from Infinity War," Joe Russo said. "We have two movies that we're working with, Avengers 3 and Avengers 4. That's a lot of story real estate. I think last week we released 22 character posters. There's only so many people that you can put in one film. And we have a really interesting story cooked up for Hawkeye. But I would say that patience is a virtue, and it's a long play, not a short play."

What do you think of Clint Barton's shift from Hawkeye to Ronin in Avengers: Endgame? Let us know what you think in the comments section!

Avengers: Endgame opens in theaters on April 26, 2019.

Other upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies include Captain Marvel on March 8, 2019 and Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 5th, 2019.