Hawkeye: Here's What Critics Are Saying

By Spencer Perry

The review embargo for Marvel's Hawkeye has been lifted and it looks like the House of Ideas has another hit on their hands on Disney+. Hawkeye will debut this week on the streaming service, becoming the fifth Marvel Studios original to premiere this year (and overall if you want to get technical) and it seems like the response is that fans are once again loving it. As of this writing the Rotten Tomatoes score for the series is rated Fresh with an 86% positive rating with 37 reviews already submitted. We've collected several reviews for the show below for a sampling of what everyone thought!

Surprisingly, Hawkeye is currently the lowest rated Marvel Studios original series for Disney+. WandaVision, the first series to premiere earlier this year, sits at 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier earning 89%. Loki's first season nabbed an impressive 92% while the animated Marvel's What If..? has the highest score of the year with 93%. When taking into account these five TV shows as well as the three movies that Marvel Studios has released in 2021 (Black Widow, Shang-Chi, and Eternals), What If is the highest rated piece of Marvel content for the entire year and the highest since 2019's Avengers: Endgame.

Marvel's Hawkeye will premiere its first two episodes on Disney+ on Wednesday, November 24.

Full of heart

Empire gave the series 4 out of 5 stars, writing:

"Steinfeld brings much humour and vivacity to her character, which only enhances Renner's sombreness and sharp wit as Clint."

Read the full review by clicking here.

Superb

SlashFilm called the two leads of the series "superb," writing:

"The good news is that means "Hawkeye" puts much more of a focus on Clint Barton and Kate Bishop as characters, and Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld couldn't be better in this scenario. Renner is perfectly jaded and methodical when it comes to dealing with the Tracksuit Mafia (or anything other than spending time with his family), and Steinfeld's confidence and energy makes it so entertaining to watch her get in and out of dangerous situations. When it comes to the action, these two kick plenty of ass too, though we'll have to wait to see what it's like to see them both working together at the top of their game."

Read the full review by clicking here.

Hits the target

ScreenCrush's review highlighted how if one thing in the MCU isn't working for you, just wait a second for the next one, writing:

"What's here so far is a light and entertaining action comedy with some very solid use of real New York locations. Eternals might have missed the mark a little, but so far Hawkeye comes a lot closer to hitting the bullseye."

Read the full review by clicking here.

Charming Holiday tale

Collider graded the series with a B+, writing:

"Hawkeye really shines when Barton and Bishop get to play off each other, as Barton is the cynical hero who has seen it all, having to face the sincerity of Bishop. Together, they have a wonderful dynamic that plays with the idealized version of heroes versus the truth about heroes, all while the two engage in some excellent banter."

Read the full review by clicking here.

'Too Wrapped up in the MCU'

Variety delivered one of the most mixed reviews, writing:

"More frustrating still is that, as Kate and Clint get deeper into trouble in the first two episodes (premiering simultaneously Nov. 24 on Disney Plus), the show fails to capitalize on the fact that they're both expert archers in any of its initial fight scenes. Instead, we get the same bland mishmash of rock 'em, sock 'em punching that most any other superhero show could've included."

Read the full review by clicking here.

Bullseye

DiscussingFilm.com's Ariel awarded the series a 4 out of 5, writing:

"Hawkeye is a unique addition to the MCU that feels like it could shape up to be something truly special. In a year of massive, wide-scale events ranging from the introduction of planet-sized robot gods to terrorist supersoldiers, it's refreshing to have something take a step back, telling an entirely street-level story with good chemistry between the two characters at the head. How the mystery develops remains to be seen, but Hawkeye starts with a good foot forward to much delight."

Read the full review by clicking here.

Great start

Rick Marshall of Digital Trends called it a "Great start' to the new series, writing:

"Although Hawkeye does a wonderful job of putting a human face on all of the superhuman-related events that have occurred around the MCU, it's at its best when, like the comic book series it cribbed from, it's grounding all of these events in the ridiculous, celebrity-filled, always-online reality we're all too familiar with these days."

Read the full review by clicking here.

ComicBook.com

Our own Adam Barnhardt awarded the series a 5 out of 5, writing in part:

"It's unfair to say Hawkeye is going to turn Hailee Steinfeld into a superstar because she's already at that level. What might be fairer, however, is to say just how popular she's about to become because of her portrayal of Bishop. Her take on one of Marvel's most popular characters is infectious at every turn, with Steinfeld dominating the screen every time she appears – even if it's in scenes with the likes of Vera Farmiga and Tony Dalton. The script can only go so far with the quips and playful jabs, but Steinfeld brings exactly what fans would expect to see out of a live-action Kate Bishop. It's hard to shake the feeling that, years from now, we'll look back at this casting and see it on the level of Robert Downey's arrival as Tony Stark. Hailee Steinfeld is Kate Bishop, and she's going to be your favorite superhero."

Read the full review by clicking here.

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