Every comic-book reference in the first Hawkeye trailer
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This Christmas, the best gifts come with a bow — and maybe a few trick arrows. On Monday, Marvel officially released the first trailer for the upcoming Disney+ show Hawkeye, which debuts Nov. 24th.
Starring Jeremy Renner as the avenging archer and Hailee Steinfeld as "the world's greatest archer" Kate Bishop, the Christmas-themed series borrows heavily from Matt Fraction and David Aja's critically acclaimed comic. And although Clint's story in the MCU is vastly different than the story that Fraction and Aja spun from 2012-2015, there's no mistaking the fact that everything from the logo to the cast has been inspired by the story that millions of fans love.
Without further ado, let's break down all the major comic references we found in the Hawkeye trailer.
The Tracksuit Draculas
While we don't yet know who the "Big Bad" will be in Hawkeye, it certainly seems like Clint's most persistent comic nemeses will somehow be involved in whatever mess him and Kate have gotten himself into. The Eastern European gangster group known as the Tracksuit Draculas (and dubbed by fans as the "Tracksuit Mafia" thanks to their distinctive outfits) are foils for Clint from the very beginning of the comic's run — and play a major role throughout the story.
Lucky the Pizza Dog
From posters and photos, it's been confirmed that Lucky would be an integral part of the Hawkeye series but it's still fun to see the beloved comic pup make his MCU debut. In the very first issue of Hawkeye, Lucky — who's initially a guard dog for the Tracksuit Draculas — defends Clint when he gets into a fight with the mobsters. Clint later repays the favor when he saves the dog's life. From then on, Lucky becomes a vital part of Clint and Kate's adventures — not to mention a fellow canine-in-crime.
Undercover superheroes
In Hawkeye #2, Clint and Kate attempt to investigate an organization called Cirque Du Nuit which involve the two Hawkeyes going undercover at the grand opening of a hotel. Given the fact that Clint is in a tux and Kate is in an evening gown, could we be seeing the same kind of event taking place here? Perhaps more importantly, that particular comic panel features some notable villain cameos like Kingpin and Madame Masque — which means this sequence could definitely be used to introduce some fun Hawkeye antagonists.
The car chase
One of the most memorable Hawkeye stories takes place in Hawkeye #3 — the issue in which Clint explains all his cool trick arrows, buys a '70s Challenger, and proceeds to have it stolen by the Tracksuit Draculas. The entire sequence evolves into a high-speed car chase through New York City where Kate ends up helping him fend off his attackers by using all of the trick arrows that Clint's previously introduced. In the trailer, we see a clear shot of Clint's muscle car as he and Kate attempt to speed away from the Tracksuits. And yes, Kate indeed employs some trick arrows during the chase — even the ones deemed "too dangerous."
'Bro'
A fun Easter egg (and hopefully not the last of the comic-related Easter eggs we'll see in the series) is that the truck which Kate helps demolish says "Trust A Bro" on it. Fans who are familiar with the comics and the Tracksuit Draculas will immediately notice the nod to the villainous group's word of choice, as they call everyone "Bro" no matter who they are.
Eleanor Bishop
Although she was technically dead in the comics before revealing herself to be pulling the strings for Madame Masque's nefarious plans, in the Hawkeye series, Kate's mother Eleanor Bishop appears to be very much alive (and played by Vera Farmiga). While the matriarch of the wealthy Bishop family doesn't appear specifically in Fraction and Aja's run, she's a big part of Kate's story, particularly during Hawkeye #20 when Kate and Lucky head to L.A. after a fight with Clint and Kate tries her hand at investigating some mysteries on her own — finding out that her dad had ties to Madame Masque.
Clint's hearing aids
Eagle-eyed fans will notice that during the scene where Clint says goodbye to his daughter Lila (Ava Russo), he has a hearing aid in his ear. Since this occurs before he meets Kate and appears to be unrelated to events that happen during the show, it's likely that the mystery of what happened to Clint's hearing is something that happened prior to him visiting New York. Still, it's a direct callback to Fraction and Aja's comics, which brought Clint's longtime hearing issues back into the fold when Clint got deafened by the Tracksuit Draculas in Hawkeye #19.
'This looks bad'
One of the reasons Fraction and Aja's Hawkeye run was so popular was because it made Clint a relatable superhero who embraced the fact that he didn't have powers like Iron Man or Captain America. There are a few different moments in the trailer when we see the results of what happens when you can't fly or don't wear armor, but this shot of Kate and Clint is a pretty specific callback to the comic's opening panel in issue #1. When we say this looks bad... we promise you it feels worse.
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