Hawkeye Actress Had Only Seen Iron Man When She Signed On To Marvel Show

Vera Farmiga, who plays Hawkeye, says that she had only seen Iron Man before accepting the job. The first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was Iron Man; which was released in 2008. The film starred Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man; a character he would repeat for the next nine films; as well as a cameo appearance in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk.

It was a box office hit, generating $585.8 million on a $140 million budget and earning two Academy Award nominations. Since the MCU’s triumph and Phase 3’s conclusion, several of the heroes fans have grown to love through numerous films are receiving a second life as TV shows; Hawkeye is one of them.

Hawkeye has spent his time on film stuck in a supporting role, leading Disney+ to release a Hawkeye miniseries following Clint Barton; and protégé Kate Bishop as they confront old enemies. Hawkeye is played by Jeremy Renner, who made his film debut in an uncredited cameo in Thor followed by a full appearance in 2012’s The Avengers. Kate is played by Hailee Steinfeld, Jack Duquesne is played by Tony Dalton; and Laura Barton, Clint’s wife, is played by Linda Cardellini.

Despite her apparent lack of MCU film experience, Farmiga signed on to play Kate’s mother, Eleanor Bishop. Farmiga revealed in an interview with THR that she is very behind on watching movies and TV shows; and that she is only halfway through the hit HBO drama Game of Thrones; which ended in 2019. Also, unusually for an MCU actress, the actor acknowledges that the only MCU film she had seen before joining the cast of Hawkeye was Iron Man: The First Avenger.

Hawkeye Is Already Successful Despite Having Released Two Days Back

I’m so late to many of these ballgames. I saw the first Iron Man; that was the only thing I saw when I got this job. And then I had time to do a deep dive.

Farmiga originally gained notoriety for her role as a suffering heroin addict in the 2004 thriller Down to the Bone; before going on to star opposite George Clooney in Jason Reitman’s 2009 comedy-drama Up In the Air; for which she was nominated for an Academy Award. Hawkeye is Farmiga’s first excursion into the world of superhero movies/TV programmes; following her popularity in the horror genre with The Conjuring films.

Farmiga is likely to have seen the majority of the MCU films by now, especially since several of them will help her better understand Hawkeye as a show and a character; allowing her to create a better Eleanor.

Despite the fact that the first two episodes of Hawkeye were only released two days back; the show has already gained critical acclaim and popularity. With a spinoff series Echo in the works, it’s feasible that Hawkeye will be more than just a miniseries in the future. Farmiga’s involvement in any subsequent series is unknown; so fans will have to make do with watching her in Hawkeye’s six-episode run for the time being.