Hawkeye: Hailee Steinfeld talks Kate Bishop’s MCU future and more

* Warning: This article contains plot spoilers for Marvel’s Hawkeye *

Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop has had one hell of an MCU debut. Not only did she earn the right to be called Hawkeye, but she also made friends with a Black Widow, fought the Kingpin of Crime, and fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming a superhero. That’s quite the list of achievements, and it’s likely just the beginning of Kate’s MCU journey.

During an interview with ET, Steinfeld waxed rhapsodic about Kate’s future as a part of the MCU, saying, “There’s a lot of depth here, and the stakes are incredibly high.”

Steinfeld also talked about her favorite moment from Hawkeye‘s first season, which involved a harrowing car chase near the start of episode 3.

“The car chase in episode 3… with Jeremy and myself, we had the absolute time of our lives,” Steinfeld raved about filing the exciting scene. “I had a moment where we shot the first take and I literally just was like, ‘Yeah, this is absolutely why I did this. This is being part of the MCU.'”

“It was just so amazing, because this show is so beautifully balanced with these grounded characters and these very human emotional conversations, and of course, in the perfect MCU fashion, the car chases and the wild stunts and fight sequences,” she added. “That was one of the first moments I had where I felt like, I had been in this very character-driven world, and then we were thrown in the middle of this car chase, and it was just the most epic thing.”

Another one of Steinfeld’s favorite scenes is one she shared with Florence Pugh, who returned as Yelena Belova for three episodes of the series. The scene involves Kate and Yelena talking over a pot of mac and cheese. In the scene, Yelena reveals that the reason she’s come to New York City is to kill Clint Barton, who she believes is responsible for the death of her sister, Natasha Romanoff.

“That was some of the most fun I’ve had working and Florence is incredible in that scene,” she beamed. “That was really special, and fun to play through.”

Steinfeld has quickly established Kate Bishop as a character who, like Clint, can get knocked down but will always get back up again. She’s feisty, quick-witted, resourceful, and sharp with a bow to boot. I’d say she’s prime Avengers material but perhaps she’s got a ways to go before she can hang with the big dogs. This begs the question: What is next for Kate Bishop?

“She, I think, is forced into the reality of what it means to be a superhero. It’s not all jumping from buildings and making people smile,” Steinfeld remarked. “There’s, as she says, collateral damage that that can go along with it.”

“But that doesn’t stop her,” she added. “I think it throws her and it alters her outlook, but it doesn’t stop this burning fire within her to ultimately help people and protect people. She knows she’s capable of that. And I think that alone can take us anywhere.”

As a major fan of Kate Bishop for many years, I can’t wait to see what she gets up to next as one of the newest members of the MCU. My dream scenario would be for Marvel to announce a Kate and Yelena spinoff series for Disney+. I have no idea what they would get up to but I bet it would be hilarious. I love the chemistry between these two characters and absolutely want more of it. Then again, I’d settle for Kate starring in a Young Avengers film or series as well. Let’s make it happen, Marvel!