The finale of Marvel’s Hawkeye has confirmed a long-running fan theory about Clint Barton’s wife, Laura Barton. Since actress Linda Cardellini first made her appearance as Laura Barton in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel fans have been wondering if there wasn’t more to the #WifeGoals woman who holds down the Barton household. Laura always seemed a bit too casual about having super-spies and Avengers routinely walking through her door – and thanks to the finale of the Hawkeye Disney+ series, we can finally confirm why Laura hasn’t been phased by any crazy MCU happenings: because handling that stuff used to be her job!
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(Warning: Hawkeye Finale SPOILERS Follow!)
Yes, as it turns out the fan theories are right in this case: Laura Barton is none other than the Marvel heroine (and elite SHIELD agent) Mockingbird!
One of Hawkeye’s mysterious subplots was all about the Rolex watch that Clint Barton was trying to recover, after a black market auction of Avengers Compound materials put it out on the streets. What this Rolex was and why Clint wanted it so bad were big questions for Marvel fans paying close attention – the plotline was also the strongest source of “evidence” fans had that Laura was much more than she seemed. One of the final scenes of Hawkeye makes the big confirmation of fans’ suspicions when Clint brings the Rolex home to Laura, who turns it over to reveal a SHIELD logo and the number “19” inscribed on the back.
In Marvel Comics, “Agent 19” is Bobbi Morse, aka “Mockingbird.” She was was also a SHIELD super-spy and Hawkeye’s wife (for a time) in the comics, although her real name in the books is Barbara “Bobbi” Morse; she and Hawkeye shared their own major storylines and series and even served together as a couple on the West Coast Avengers team. “Bobbi” may indeed still be Mockingbird’s true name in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, if “Laura” was a cover that helped her retire from espionage.
Of course, one version of Mockinbird already exists in the “MCU”: Adrianne Palicki played Bobbi in Agents of SHIELD – but unfortunately, her spinoff show died in production and she never got to crossover with the Avengers franchise in any significant way. Guess this is further proof that all Marvel TV from the 2010s (AoS and Marvel Netflix) truly belong to the Multiverse…
Hawkeye’s multiple scenes of Clint and his wife’s conversations about everything from the Rolex to the Ronin started to feel a bit too much like trade talk – and turns out it was. Clint and “Laura” were clearly spies together in SHIELD at one point, before falling in love settling down to raise a family. Now fans want to see more of their past history together – and whether or not this reveal is another MCU breadcrumb leading to a West Coast Avengers spinoff.
Hawkeye is now streaming on DIsney+.
