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IGN had the opportunity to visit the set of the Joss Whedon-helmed sequel, along with a small group of other journalists. While there, we talked to Hawkeye himself, Jeremy Renner, about his bigger-and-better role in the new movie, where his character's been since the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D., and what the future might hold for Clint Barton...What's Hawkeye Been Up to Since The Avengers?
Question: One of the biggest questions that came out of Captain America 2 was, because S.H.I.E.L.D. was falling, where was Hawkeye? Are we going to get a definitive answer to that question?
Jeremy Renner: You'll know in this movie where he's been, yeah. It's actually a really wonderful secret reveal. It's pretty awesome.
Question: How is Hawkeye dealing with the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D.?
I don't think S.H.I.E.L.D. was ever really that important to him.
Renner: My take on it is, it's probably a good thing. He's kind of a loner anyway. He's only a team player because he sort of has to be. He's not really a company man. Cap can be that guy, I guess, but Hawkeye is his own man. A lot will be revealed with a few simple scenes [in Age of Ultron]. You'll understand why he thinks the way he thinks. But yeah, I don't think S.H.I.E.L.D. was ever really that important to him. Fury's awesome. [Hawkeye] likes Fury and will do anything for him, but he doesn't just punch in and punch out.“
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Hawkeye 2.0
Question: How does Hawkeye differ in this movie compared to the first Avengers?Renner: It's a lot of the stuff that Joss and I talked about to doing on the first one, but it just didn't work out that way. So, it was really exciting for me and Joss to dive into the character a little bit more...There are some wonderful secrets, and relationships deepen. And there's a lot more for him to deal with -- versus the hypnotized version of [Hawkeye].
Question: Hawkeye seems very cynical and skeptical. How does he react to something like Vision coming up?
Renner: I mean, he's always very skeptical of new people. It's a military kind of thinking in the sense of like, I have to trust that you have my back when I'm trying to manifest something up here. You have to work as a unit, as a team, otherwise we all fail, or I die, or somebody else dies. So that's where the skepticism comes in. It's not to just to be grumpy or not like somebody. It's all there for a reason, and that plays a lot into this movie.
Question: Does he still have a strong connection to Black Window for that reason?
Renner: Yeah, of course. They have a long, long history together, and there's more of that revealed in this as well.
Question: What was your reaction when you first got the script? And how much changed from when you first got it to when you were actually filming?
Renner: The bones of it were always there, and the script that we got was really solid and great. Then as we went along, there were more things we found and, as in any movie, there's a lot. There's so much to cover. I don't know how Joss does it. All I have to focus on are small, little parts. Like I ask, "What the heck's being built over me?" And I have no idea what's going on. [Laughs] I mean, this world all the things going on in this movie are just so vast. But I think for the most part the script is what it was when we started, and you make minor adjustments to here and there for clarity. Like I said, it's a big, big, big movie.
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The Man Without Powers
Question: By its nature, Hawkeye is a very physical role. He was very involved in that final battle sequence -- without even having powers or tech like some of the others.Renner: That's the fun part.
Question: Yeah, but how has that changed in this movie? Is it more physical? Does it feel like it's you trying to keep up with the other Avengers?
Renner: Yeah, but I've done a lot of that stuff already. We still have a couple more sequences to go. You have to be a smart fighter when you don't have super powers, and that's what makes [Hawkeye] super, in [his own] way. He has to use his mind as much as his physical ability, his ability to never miss.
Question: In terms of the action, Chris Evans was talking about consciously really wanting to evolve Cap's fighting style. Was that the same for you?
I know how to do real human stuff. [Laughs] I don't know how the other guys do that superhuman thing.
Renner: Yeah... There's always new tech and new costumes and new things, and there's always new abilities. For instance, if Hawkeye's a distance guy, what happens when he's up at close quarters? We did a little of that in the first Avengers, but having to use arrows and just enhance having to do different things like that. You have to be nimble and... clever with things. Clever fighting is what I like to explore -- and then using each other. Like if it's Cap and me and, say, Widow in the scene, how we can use each other's abilities to [enhance our own] -- you know what I mean? It's teamwork. Say, you toss me up higher or -- and that's where these new characters are great, too, like Scarlet Witch.“
Question: Do you have a personal favorite Avenger?
Renner: I think they all have their own cool things about them, [but] there's no other part I'd rather play then the one I'm doing. [Clint Barton] is a real human being, and I know how to do real human stuff. [Laughs] I don't know how the other guys do that superhuman thing.
Continue on for more of what we can expect from Hawkeye...
Question: We saw a bunch of gear and diagrams and a table full of Hawkeye arrowheads and weapons. Can you talk about these new weapons and his costume?
He's got this pretty cool coat. I can't move in it, but [Laughs] it's cool-looking at least.
Renner: Yeah, he's got a coat, 'cause we're fighting in the woods. So I guess he's got this pretty cool coat. I can't move in it, but [Laughs] it's cool-looking at least. And yeah, there's always new tech and different things -- new costumes, new tech. We got some new characters -- there're good guys; there're bad guys. There's a lot more of us together in the movie as Avengers, which I think [only happens] once or twice [in the first one]. So that's been quite fun... There's a lot of people to cover in a scene when you have, like, ten Avengers in a scene, but I think there's a lot more of what worked in the first one.“
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Avengers Means Family!
Question: Can you talk about Pietro and Wanda and what it's been like to welcome them into the Avengers fold and the cast?Renner: Yeah, those are great characters. Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are great characters. My character and them have a lot to do together. [Wanda and Pietro] are a little blurry on where they stand, as far as good and bad. [Laughs] But yeah, I'm sort of policing them to see if they're worthy or not of being [on the team]. I question them a lot.
Question: Talk about the the vibe on set compared to the first film. Robert Downey Jr. and a few of the others have talked about it so much. Everyone's having a lot of fun, and it just feels like more of a family unit. Is that how it's been for you?
It really is a wonderful family unit.
Renner: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I saw Downey, like, twice in the last Avengers, but in this one we're all together a lot more. So that makes it really, really great, but also tedious when we shoot it, because there are so many people to cover. There are so many storylines to tell, but it makes the off-camera stuff just so much more fun. I personally like to just go to work and knock out some action sequences, get it done -- and we do that, but then, when we're all together, it's really great fun. It really is a wonderful family unit. Its the best part of doing a big, crazy, action movie like this, which usually can be quite unfulfilling as an artist. But because all the people involved in this are so great, it just makes coming to work every day really, really joyous.“
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On Working More with Joss
Question: Joss's touch was obviously all over the first Avengers, but this movie is different because it was his from day one. It's strictly coming from him. Has it been different working with him on this movie as opposed to the first one?Renner: Well, I'm seeing him a lot more, which is nice. I've known him since '98 -- I did Angel with him. I mean, it's great to dive into the character, and he's just as excited as I am about learning who Hawkeye really is... It's been a lot of fun. I always feel good, because I know [Joss] so well. I know when he likes a take, and it's always been, like, one-and-a-half takes and we're done. And when I get him smiling or laughing, that's a good feeling. I like making him happy, because I trust him. Even I don't know what I'm doing half the time. [Laughs] But yeah, he's great, man. We've had a lot of fun, and he's the mastermind behind all this stuff, these Avengers movies. They're impossible to write. Impossible. [Laughs] But he does it and pulls it off.
Hawkeye's Future Aims
Question: The last few years have been especially kind to Hawkeye in the comic books. Is there any chance that, after this, Marvel could explore Hawkeye away from the Avengers?It only makes sense, I think, that [Hawkeye would be in Captain America's movies].
Renner: I don't know. There's always the opportunity in the Marvel Universe to jump into a lot of different scenarios. But it only makes sense, I think, that [Hawkeye would be in Captain America's movies]. He fits into that world pretty well. [He and Cap are] similar in their military ideals. Hawkeye's not in Thor. It's really hard to really imagine him in that, but they leave it pretty open for a lot of different venues, a lot of different scenarios. But I don't know the future. I'm just happy to be doing this now.“
Question: Again, on the future of Hawkeye, ABC had a pretty successful season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., in which Hawkeye could've appeared. There's going to be all these Netflix series where, theoretically, they could have Hawkeye show up. Do you have any interest in being more involved in the Marvel Universe as Hawkeye, outside the movies?
Renner: Yeah, I think there was talk of some of the guys jumping onto a TV show. I remember hearing something about that. Again, there has to be a good rhyme or reason for it, and I like the character enough to explore him more. I'm always open to it, because he's obviously not had a franchise of his own, to really deeply explore who Hawkeye is. I'd like to explore the guy more. He's an interesting character to me.Avengers: Age of Ultron opens in April of 2015 internationally and on May 1 in the U.S.
Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love by following @Max_Nicholson on Twitter, or MaxNicholson on IGN.
Roth Cornet is an Entertainment Editor for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @RothCornet and IGN at Roth-IGN.