While the talent aren’t obligated to be familiar with the Marvel Cinematic Universe before joining the franchise, once they put pen to paper and ink that contract, there’s a very high probability that they’ll get themselves acquainted in short order
One recurring theme we’ve picked up from listening to the various on-camera stars discuss their MCU debuts is that Jon Favreau’s Iron Man appears to be named above all else as the one they’ve most likely seen beforehand. We can now add Vera Farmiga to that list, after she admitted to The Hollywood Reporter that before boarding Hawkeye, Robert Downey Jr.’s debut as Tony Stark was her sole exposure to the superhero series.
“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 might be best known among audiences for her leading role in the multi-billion dollar Conjuring mythology, but she’s also an Academy Award, Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy-nominated actress, and her performance as Eleanor Bishop in the Hawkeye premiere was a brilliant example of how to generate just enough mystery to have audiences questioning her motivations and endgame, without giving too much away.
Provided she makes it out of the six-episode series alive, Hawkeye could be just the beginning of Farmiga’s association with the MCU, looking at how onscreen daughter Kate is poised to become a major player in the years to come.