Hawkeye: Casting Call Reveals New Characters for Disney+ Series

So far, not much is known about the upcoming Hawkeye series for Disney+. The show, which will reportedly center on Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) training the next generation of MCU super-archer, seems like an obvious place to introduce some new characters -- especially since his prior screen appearances did little to fill in the blanks in Clint's own shadowy backstory. Now, a casting notice has shed a little light on nine supporting characters said to be joining the series, which is expected to go into production later this year. The nine include an "Eastern European henchman" with a heavy accent, which likely means they will be playing with the Russian "bros" from the Matt Fraction/David Aja run of Hawkeye to some extent.

The series will reportedly introduce the characters of Kate Bishop from the comics, with long-standing rumors that Marvel is interested in Bumblebee star Hailee Steinfeld for the part. She has yet to officially sign on, and few official details have yet been released about the series, which Marvel hopes to get onto Disney+ in 2022.

You can see the casting breakdowns below, via MCU Direct:

• MISHA – 20s – 40s, Male or Female, Eastern European henchman. Speaks with an accent. Strong Supporting/Recurring
• BELLA – Female, white, 8 years old. Precocious, daring and confident with a sense of humor.
• BRADY – Male, white, 9 years old. Energetic and sweet.
• HEATHER – Female, white, Midwestern, 26 years old. Smart & scrappy, does what she needs to in order to survive.
• ROSE – Female, 8 years old, Deaf, Indigenous. Independent, athletic & bright. Small supporting. Please note that the dialogue in the audition scene can be spoken in English or signed in ASL (American Sign Language) if the actor knows that language.
• RICHARD – 40s – 50s yr old male, Indigenous, American. A loving father and fierce protector.
• MARY – Female, late 30s – early 40s, open ethnicity. Highly professional & ambitious career woman. No nonsense. Recurring.
• DETECTIVE SHERMAN – 40s, Male, Open Ethnicity, New York City Detective. Recurring
• ALEX – Female or Male, 30s – 50, a sincere but funny oddball with an obsession for the Fantasy/SciFi genre

The inclusion of indigenous characters may suggest that Marvel is looking to use some of the characters from the short-lived Occupy Avengers, which Hawkeye founded; and MCU Direct notes that a character using ASL may indicate a tie to Echo, a hearing-impaired character who has been rumored to appear. Of course, Hawkeye himself suffers from hearing loss at one point in the comics, so it's possible we shouldn't read too much into it in terms of supporting roles.

Marvel will not have a theatrical release in 2020 -- the first time that has happened since 2009 -- but the plan is still to get WandaVision onto Disney+ this year, and other Disney+ shows like Loki and Falcon and the Winter Soldier are headed back into production in the hopes of getting some content ready for an aggressive 2021 release slate once the pandemic is more under control.