Hawkeye episode 4 titled “Partners, Am I Right?” graced Marvel fans with a few surprises this week but one particular reveal viewers may not have expected is the introduction of a new LGBTQ character in Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though, it’s a subtle reference easy to miss if all eyes were on Clint Barton’s (Jeremy Renner) mission.
Warning: The article below contains spoilers to Hawkeye episode 4, readers are warned!
The new episode from the Disney Plus series picks up moments after Hawkeye episode 3 ending and shows Clint caught in an awkward situation, what is Hawkeye doing with Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld)? Nonetheless, Fast forward to the duo’s main mission, Clint puts Kate in charge of tracking the trick arrows from the friendly LARPers introduced in episode 3.
Kate’s “official Avengers business” with the LARPers to retrieve the trick arrow from an NYPD facility goes as planned thanks to a little help from Officer Wendy Conrad played by actor Adetinpo Thomas (The CW’s Black Lightning). After Clint’s conversation with Kazi (Fra Fee), he returns to the hideout (Kate’s aunt home) but is surprised to see a few of the LARPers also present in the room. Speaking of the task in hand, Officer Conrad is successful in the Arrow Retrieval Mission though not without a slight hiccup, she’s not willing to give up her bag.
At this point, Hawkeye episode 4 subtly addresses Conrad’s sexual preference when she says: “My wife gave me this bag. It’s embroidered. It says “Bombshell.” It’s an interesting revelation similar to the first canonical openly gay character introduced in Avengers: Endgame. This makes Hawkeye the second Marvel Studios TV show to spotlight LGBTQ after Loki.
Marvel embracing the LGBTQ community with recent Disney Plus shows can be considered a good sign for Valkyrie’s arc in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder. Fans are already keen on seeing her love interest in the upcoming threequel after Thor: Ragnarok cut a scene explicitly revealing her bisexuality.
For now, Let’s hope there’s more to Els-Bath of Deepdale in Hawkeye, (especially since Clint still has her bag) in the upcoming weekly episodes.
