Will Avengers 4 signal the advent of Ronin?
That’s just one of the major Marvel-related theories currently gaining traction online, and Jeremy Renner has only gone ahead and fanned the flames of speculation with a cryptic new Instagram post. First spotted by ComicBook.com, the image below was presumably taken on set in Atlanta, where the sun (or a yellow-tinged studio light) allowed Renner to cast a shadow on a nearby wall.
It’s a cute tease of what’s to come, as we only see the outline of Jeremy Renner himself, along with Hawkeye’s trusty quiver. You’ll also notice that the actor is sporting that cropped haircut (mohawk? Mohawkeye?!), which only lends credence to the alleged transformation into Ronin. For the record, the following social media post came bearing the caption, “costume on point today…what do you think?” along with a winking emoji. Oh, Renner, you devil you.
Initially dreamed up by comic book duo Brian Michael Bendis and Joe Quesada, Ronin is essentially another alias for Clint Barton, who comes into play soon after the events of Marvel’s Civil War. Both Moon Knight and Echo are mentioned in the comics, though we can’t imagine the Russo Brothers (Infinity War) will dedicate much time to the character’s fantastical elements; instead, this looks to be a fun expansion of what is arguably the most underused hero in the entire MCU.
Dubbed an “insane juggernaut of a film,” Avengers 4 has been slated for release on May 3rd, 2019, by which point Marvel’s Phase 3 will be nearing an end. Exactly what lies ahead for the MCU remains to be seen, but it’ll seemingly elect Tom Holland’s Spider-Man as the new focal point – not unlike how Iron Man anchored the Marvel Cinematic Universe in its formative years.