So my question is a pretty simply one, should Hawkeye have been the one who died at the end of Age of Ultron? I bring this up because having seen the movie and after a few days to really think about it, I feel that Marvel really missed an opportunity to give us a real, impactful death in the movie by saving Hawkeye and instead letting Quicksilver die.
In my opinion, Hawkeye’s death would have had much more impact on the ending of the film and made Ultron feel like much more of a threat. I say this because out of all of the characters, Hawkeye had the most to lose. From the very beginning of the film we’re reminded that while we’re watching super-soldiers, men in armored suits, and demi-gods flying across the screen, we also have this mortal man who is fighting alongside them, all with just a simple bow and some tricked-out arrows. This is made very clear as we see Hawkeye get injured in the opening battle out of all of the other Avengers.
But mid-way through the film, we’re reminded that not only is Clint human but he also has a family, meaning that every time he goes out to fight some bad guys, he’s risking the possibility of his wife losing a husband and his kids growing up without a father. This idea just shows how much Clint has to lose every time he picks up his bow and heads into battle, it makes him more than just a guy who shoots arrows, but a man fighting to make the world a safer place for his family, even if it means giving them that world at the expense of him not being able to enjoy it with them.
With that said, this is why I feel Hawkeye should have been the one to have died in the movie’s climax, as we learn that Hawkeye is much more than just a man, but he’s also a husband and a father; someone who is willing to lay down his life for those he loves. I mean just imagine the ending if instead of Clint’s wife turning around to see her husband, it was Captain America holding Hawkeye’s bow. Or at the Avengers’ new headquarters we see a statue dedicated to Earth’s Mightiest Hero, reminding the entire team of who they’re “avenging” every time they suit up and go into battle.
Now sure, Quicksilver’s death was heroic and took a character who was pretty stuck-up at times and showed that deep down he had what it took to be a true Avenger. But even so, Pietro was still a character we had only just met, whose death felt premature and didn’t leave that big of an impact on either the Avengers themselves or the audience in general. Hawkeye’s on the other hand, personally I feel would have had just the opposite effect and is an opportunity I feel Marvel missed.
I’m curious though as to what you guys think: Did you like how the movie ended? Do you feel similar to how I do and wish it had been Hawkeye instead of Quicksilver who died? Or are you happy with Quicksilver’s heroic sacrifice?
Log in to comment