Jeremy Renner Says He Didn't Want to Play Hawkeye at Age 50, But Here We Are

Remember last week, when Tom Holland said he didn't want to be playing Spider-Man at 30, and everyone collectively freaked out a little bit since that's only five years away? Well, there's a precedent for that...and it's ended hilariously. In an interview with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show yesterday, Hawkeye star Jeremy Renner joked that he could not possibly have guessed that his Avengers role would still be going strong more than a decade later. Renner, who first played Hawkeye in 2011's Thor, said that when he was first cast, he thought it would be absurd for him to still be a superhero by the time he turned 50. 

Tomorrow, of course, the Hawkeye TV show launches. Renner turned 50 in January.

"I think there [were] ideas of adapting it initially, but it was 11 years ago," Renner told Fallon. "I remember one of my first thoughts in like 2010, 2011, was like, I don't want to be 50 in tights! No one wants to see me at 50 in tights."

As it turns out, Fallon noted, somebody does.

You can see the exchange below.

Of course, ever since Hailee Steinfeld was cast as Kate Bishop, fans have speculated that Renner might be making his exit at the end of the Disney+ series, handing the role of Hawkeye over to Bishop and retiring to spend time with his family. In the miniseries, Clint Barton (Renner) wants to get back to his family in time for Christmas, and encounters Bishop, a member of the Young Avengers in the comics who had taken over as Hawkeye after Barton.

"The [Matt] Fraction/[David] Aja style and tone is what we were really gravitating towards," executive producer Trinh Tran explained in a recent interview. "Once they encounter each other and go off on this journey together, there's so much they can bounce off each other."  

Hawkeye is set in post-blip New York City where Clint Barton aka Hawkeye has a seemingly simple mission: get back to his family for Christmas. But when a threat from his past shows up, Hawkeye reluctantly teams up with 22-year-old skilled archer Kate Bishop to unravel a criminal conspiracy. The series stars Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Vera Farmiga, Fra Fee, Tony Dalton, and newcomer Alaqua Cox. Episodes are directed by executive producer Rhys Thomas and directing duo Bert & Bertie; executive producer Jonathan Igla is head writer. The series premieres November 24, 2021. Enjoy an action-packed look in the Marvel Studios special on Disney+.