Hawkeye Directors Unwrap Marvel’s Absurd and Unexpected Christmas Story

Hawkeye is the gift that keeps on giving: first-time Marvel directors Bert and Bertie unwrap the “absurd” Christmas story that’s “not what you expect” from Marvel Studios. Set in post-Blip New York at Christmas time, the six-episode series premiering November 24 on Disney+ teams retired Avenger Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) with an amateur archer (Hailee Steinfeld’s future Young Avenger Kate Bishop) aiming to be the next eagle-eyed Hawkeye. As another iconic Christmas Story warned: You’ll shoot your eye out, kid! 

That’s unless reluctant mentor Barton can help his vigilante protege stop an Avengers-level threat that emerges after Earth’s mightiest heroes disassembled in Avengers: Endgame. 

“It’s genuinely not what you expect from Marvel [Studios],” Bert, one half of the Dance Camp and Troop Zero directing duo Bert and Bertie, told GamesRadar+. “It’s an absurd Christmas story. Just starting from that point, tonally, I was tickled. What does that mean? And it’s throughout the whole series. It’s not what you’re expecting it to be.”

Added director Rhys Thomas, no stranger to absurdity on Saturday Night Live, “I’m a big fan of a Christmas movie. Injecting that was super fun. And that’s amazing because you’re stepping into this massive universe, where so much has been established and in different directions. But they are excited to find an identity for each of these series. They’re always willing to tailor to this new character.” 

That massive universe celebrated Christmas in 2013’s Iron Man 3, but this Hawkeye holiday is “grounded and funny” and “packed to the brim with Christmas spirit,” Marvel Studios producer Trinh Tran previously told TV Guide. 

“We were in the mode of creating as captivating a story as we could and being allowed to be ourselves,” Bertie told GamesRadar, “which is, let’s face it, pretty quirky in the Marvel Universe.” 

Marvel Studios’ “Hawkeye” stars Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, who teams up with another well-known archer from the Marvel comics, Kate Bishop, played by Hailee Steinfeld. The cast also includes Vera Farmiga, Fra Fee, Tony Dalton, Zahn McClarnon, Brian d’Arcy James and newcomer Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez. “Hawkeye” is helmed by Rhys Thomas and directing duo Bert and Bertie.  

Marvel Studios: LEGENDS: Hawkeye is streaming on Disney+ Day on November 12. The first two episodes of Marvel’s Hawkeye premiere November 24 on Disney+.

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