With the premiere of the new Disney+ MCU seriesHawkeye, even the fans who don’t read comics will learn a lot more about Kate Bishop, aka the newHawkeye. Portrayed byHailee Steinfeld, Kate Bishopis a 22-year-old superhero fan who’s proficient in archery as well as combat. Her unexpected meeting with Clint Barton changes Kate’s life as she gets into trouble and the two have to start working together.
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The first two episodes of the show have already given the audience a lot of information about Kate, who hasn’t appeared in the MCU before. However, just like multiple Marvel shows and movies,Hawkeyealso changed some important details about its main heroine.
7Her Motivation For Fighting Crime Is Different
Every superhero needs a reason for their actions, why they start fighting crime in the first place and risk their lives in the process. For Steinfeld’s Kate, the reason is the tragic death of her father and the fact that Hawkeye unknowingly saved her life during the battle for New York in 2012 when the Avengers were fighting Loki.
In the comics, Kate has a different motivation, though. Kate is attacked in Central Park one day and to deal with the traumatic experience, she starts learning how to defend herself and fight. Changing the backstory is a nice touch from the show’s creators because itforms an even closer bondbetween Kate and Clint.
6Kate Gets A Different First Costume
By the time the audience meets the adult Kate, she’s already a skilled archer but not yet a superhero. She only gets her first superhero costume when she steals Clint’s old Ronin suit from the black market auction.
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In the comics,Kate’s initial Hawkeye costume looks very different. She puts together scraps and pieces from several heroes, most notably Hawkeye and Mockingbird. However, since Mockingbird has yet to appear in the MCU, the show went in a different direction.
5She Didn’t Participate In The Civil War
The comic book Civil War included a lot more superheroes than the MCU version. Kate Bishop was one of them. As one could expect, she joined Captain America’s side and fought alongside him.
In the MCU, Kate was too young and not yet a superhero to participate in the Civil War. But had she joined it, she would have most likely been on Captain America’s side as well, just like Hawkeye was inCaptain America: Civil War(2016).
4How She Got Her Bow And Arrow
In the show, Kate gets her bow and arrow from her mom after her father’s tragic death. She starts studying archery and becomes highly skilled in it over the years.
In the comics, though, Kate gets her bow from Jessica Jones at Captain America’s behest. Accidentally, the bow and arrows Kate receives in the comics belong to none other than Clint, who’s dead at the time. It’s possible Kate could eventually get Hawkeye’s bow in the MCU as well but it’s unclear whether Clint will be willing to give it up.
3Kate’s An Only Child
Kate Bishop draws so much attention to herself in the comicsit’s easy to forget that she also has a sister called Susan. She and Kate have a strained relationship in the comics and don’t talk to each other too often, let alone visit one another. And when Kate revealed her superhero identity to Susan, her sister completely rejected her.
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In the MCU, it looks like Kate’s an only child, as there haven’t been any mentions about her sister or any other sibling. And it’s unlikely that the show would keep such a major revelation for a later time.
2It’s Her Mom That Lives, Not Her Dad
Just like many Marvel superheroes, Kate has a complicated family situation. She lost her dad as a child and only lives with her mom Eleanor. In the comics, the situation is the opposite and Kate lives with her dad while her mom is gone.
However, it later comes out that Eleanor lives and is a half-vampire whileKate’s dad turns out to be a supervillain. It remains to be seen what the show will do but it might possibly reverse Kate’s parents' positions and make Eleanor a supervillain instead.
1How She And Clint Met
Kate’s first meeting with Clint in the comics is a major deal even though Kate doesn’t know it’s Clint she’s talking to. Clint’s presumed dead at the time and Iron Man convinces him to become the new Captain America. Clint tries on the costume and goes to bring in Kate, who’s running around as the new Hawkeye, which is against the law at the time. Yet it’s Kate who convinces Clint that what he’s doing is wrong, and as a result, Clint gives up being the new Captain.
Their first meeting is very different in the show. Clint finds Kate when he’s looking for the person who’s posing as the new Ronin. He quickly realizes the masked fighter is just a young girl, and from there on, the two start building a tentative friendship and form an uneasy alliance.
