We know Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, well. We’ve read the comics, we’ve seen the movies and we dress up as him for Halloween. He’s long been the face of archery in Marvel comics and in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but are you familiar with Marvel’s other Hawkeye? If not, you will be. Hailee Steinfeld announced her role as Kate Bishop, an archery protege and eventual Hawkeye, in the new self-titled Disney+ show — and she’s been loving every minute of it. Steinfeld was rumored to play Bishop for over a year before finally making it official in December 2020. She soon confirmed that her newfound love of archery extends beyond the screen.
“It’s such an honor, my goodness, to be playing this role. I’m so, so excited about it,” Steinfeld told Fandom. “It’s been a very crazy year of not knowing if that was going to happen for a while, so I’m happy to be back at work and playing this character.”
It’s not surprising that Steinfeld was chosen for the role of Kate Bishop. Marvel fans suggested Steinfeld for casting as soon as news of the new “Hawkeye” show hit the mainstream media. It’s been rumored that “Hawkeye” will show Barton passing the archery torch to Bishop as the new Hawkeye, setting up the character as the main archery superhero in future Marvel films. That works out perfectly because, as it turns out, Steinfeld loves archery and says she’s pretty good at it.
Hailee enjoys archery off-screen as well as on-screen. Photo Credit: Hailee Steinfeld
“I’ll say it’s something that I genuinely, really enjoy,” Steinfeld told SFX Magazine. “Not something I’ve ever picked up, a bow, before this project. So something I definitely recommend — it’s a sport that anybody can play and start at any point in their life. And it’s truly therapeutic and just really amazing. Not something I’d ever see myself doing. But here I am! And I absolutely love it.”
Kate Bishop first appeared in the Marvel comics in 2005. Photo Credit: Marvel
The character of Kate Bishop is relatively new to the Marvel Universe, making her debut in 2005 in the first installation of the “Young Avengers” comics. Bishop took over for Barton when he was presumed dead but — spoiler alert — he wasn’t. After Barton’s miraculous recovery, the two fought crime together as dual Hawkeyes in the self-titled “Hawkeye” comics from 2012 to 2015, and Bishop continued in various comics in the Marvel Universe until 2018. Fans thought that the young girl in the “Avengers: Endgame” trailer was a young Kate Bishop, but the girl ended up being Barton’s daughter. Needless to say, I’m sure Steinfeld and fans are ready for Bishop to make her cinematic debut.
Steinfeld demonstrates her archery skills as Kate Bishop. Photo Credit: Pop Thrill
The above trailer and behind-the-scenes photos of Steinfeld filming “Hawkeye” reveal that her costume is a pretty close nod to the comics’ version of Bishop. The early photos show Steinfeld using a recurve bow, which is to be expected since Hawkeye’s recurve bow is a hallmark of the character. Steinfeld’s form is pretty solid. Her fingers on the bowstring are nice and relaxed, and she is loosely holding the grip between her thumb and first finger, with her other fingers relaxed, in an early demonstration of proper form. The arrow is missing in the photo but this is likely because actors have to dry-fire bows when filming, for safety of everyone on set. Fans should look forward to more of these great displays of archery from Steinfeld/Bishop. “Hawkeye” debuts on Disney+ Nov. 24.
Want to channel your inner Kate Bishop? Check our store locator to find the nearest archery range.
