Marvel’s Hawkeye: Hailee Steinfeld Responds to Rumors She’s Joining the MCU

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse star and singer-songwriter Hailee Steinfeld says she's focused on music amid rumors she's taking aim at playing Kate Bishop, the eagle-eyed protégé of retired Avenger Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner), in Marvel Studios' Hawkeye series on Disney+. Taking place after the events of Avengers: Endgame — where Barton acted as the criminal-killing Ronin in the five-year period that followed his family being snapped out of existence by Thanos (Josh Brolin) — Hawkeye sees Barton pass the mantle to his successor, Bishop, who in the Marvel Comics belonged to the original roster of teen superheroes known as the Young Avengers.

Appearing on SiriusXM's Morning Mash Up, Steinfeld feigned connectivity issues when asked if she's joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. More seriously, Steinfeld answered, "You know, right now, I will tell you that music is where my head is at. That's what I'm focused on… that is what is occupying my brain at the moment."

Following reports Marvel wants the Bumblebee actress for Bishop, it was learned a clause in Steinfeld's contract for Dickinson on Apple TV+ could prevent her from taking another role with a competing streaming service. Unconfirmed reports that later surfaced claimed Marvel Studios was looking beyond Steinfeld for the role, with a handful of unnamed actresses in consideration.

Hawkeye is among the big-budget and interlinked television series coming to Disney+, where the Kevin Feige-led Marvel Studios will premiere The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, reuniting Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), WandaVision, involving the trippy domestic life of Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and the late Vision (Paul Bettany), and Loki, following the misadventures of the time-travelling Asgardian demigod (Tom Hiddleston) after escaping custody in Endgame.

Other series set for the streaming platform include Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, Moon Knight, and the animated What If...?

"With Endgame, I think with any ending, it creates a new beginning for a lot of things. Marvel has a lot of plans for a lot of things. So it was exciting," Renner said during a convention appearance last summer. "But to sum up 21 films is very difficult, but I think it satiates a lot of the fans. I'm only here because of the fans, as we all are. Hopefully I feel like we satiate a lot of people, and a lot of people had to go, but then I think it creates new beginnings for other things."

Hawkeye is expected to premiere on Disney+ in 2022.