Why Hawkeye Is The Saddest Follow-Up In Avengers: Endgame

While the MCU's Phase 4 spent a lot of time dealing with the aftermath of Thanos' actions, Hawkeye remains the saddest entry.

Thanos' actions changed the MCU forever, but one crucial detail makes Hawkeye's story the most tragic sequel to Avengers: Endgame. While it's dedicated to establishing the Multiverse Saga, much of the MCU's Phase 4 is defined by the events at the end of the Infinity Saga. While Thanos was ultimately defeated and many had to consider the ramifications of Thanos' plans, Clint Barton's Hawkeye story suggests that Thanos' follow-up was the most tragic.

MCU's Phase 4 has tried several times to highlight the loss people felt after filming, and Phase 3's closing credits, "Spider-Man: Far From Home" cannot be ignored. Ranging from deeply personal, with WandaVision showing Wanda Maximoff's grief over Vision's death, to geopolitics, with The Falcon and The Winter Soldier showing the problems created by trying to restore old borders. Yet Clint Barton's story is not only deeply sad, it also draws on more relevant experiences.

Hawkeye Reminds Viewers Of The Humans Behind The Heroes

While WandaVision and other entries in MCU Phase 4 dealt with the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, Hawkeye is by far the saddest follow-up because it deals with a more concrete concept. No Whether fantasizing or tackling huge political issues, Hawkeye focuses on how snapshots affect ordinary people with very real world problems and issues. This vision of Clint Barton trying to end it all so he can return to his family for Christmas shows the most important aspects of that.

Clint Barton has been portrayed as a close friend of Natasha Romanoff, as well as a family man. He became a ronin because of the loss of his family, and the series' Christmas backdrop helps highlight just how traumatic Barton's 5 years were. While Black Widow threw herself into work, Clint Barton took 5 years of family vacation without his family, convinced they were gone for good. Not only is the Hawkeye series sad because of how it portrays Barton's experience, but because the fact that Barton is the most ordinary of the heroes highlights that this is true for many other families as well.

Hawkeye Also Holds An Important Post-Endgame Message

While Hawkeye is the saddest epilogue to Avengers: Endgame, it also provides another important message: hope. Not only was Hawkeye over, Barton was able to rejoin his family on holiday, which revealed that he was accepting a new protégé. Although he had to deal with grief and anger, the eagle-eyed Barton was able to find that light again and find it with others, and while he would remember that lost time and Natasha's death, the focus was on the series Take a more positive look at the future they are fighting for.