The 'Hawkeye' cast on telling a Marvel Christmas story and 'Rogers: The Musical'
The cast of Hawkeye, including Jeremy Renner, Hailee Stenfeld and Vera Farmiga, talk about the new Disney+ series.
They cover what it was like telling a Marvel Christmas story, how Rogers: The Musical came to be, and Hailee Steinfeld taking over the Hawkeye mantle.
Video Transcript
- It's going to be the best Christmas ever.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
So I took the kids to New York to see a show.
- Sounds pretty cool to me.
KEVIN POLOWY: How did the idea to set "Hawkeye" over the holidays arise, and what excited you guys about the premise?
TRINH TRAN: Well, I think, for that very reason, we wanted to figure out a way to set it apart from all of the series that have come out, and all of the stories that are coming out, you know? It's like, how do we set this particular one apart? And we love the holiday, we love a holiday event. Other than "Iron Man 3," we haven't really, you know, dived into that area.
And out of all the characters, Clint Barton made the most sense. He is one of the few Avengers with a family, with kids. Family is central to him, and especially after Endgame, where he lost his family, you know, took on a different persona for five years, and then got his family back.
He's lost all this time, but yet again, he's stuck on a mission that, now, there is a ticking clock of, well, is he going to be able to get home in time to spend the holidays? So it just made perfect sense that this particular character fits within this setting and time of year.
HAILEE STEINFELD: The fact that this takes place during the holiday time, it's beautiful, and wonderful, and lovely, and heartfelt, and emotional. But it's also complicated, and there's a lot of layers, a lot of depth, a lot that can go wrong, a lot that does goes wrong. There's just a lot happening. But I love that that's the backdrop of our show. It plays such a huge part of it, and I love that.
KEVIN POLOWY: Jeremy, what about you? Why do you think Hawkeye and the holidays were ripe-- ripe for a combo here?
JEREMY RENNER: The best gifts come wrapped in a bow.
TRINH TRAN: That's why.
JEREMY RENNER: Duh.
[LAUGHTER]
Nailed it. Pow!
KEVIN POLOWY: Did it feel like you guys were making, like, a Christmas series. Did it have that sort of spirit?
VERA FARMIGA: We started the film shoot by shooting at the loc-- in New York City, on location, in New York City during the holiday season, when it's completely festive, and decorative, and there's no place-- you know, it's just, like--
TONY DALTON: Yeah, Christmas trees and stuff.
VERA FARMIGA: Christmas in New York is-- it doesn't get better than Christmas in New York. But then it shifted. And then we went to Atlanta--
TONY DALTON: Yeah.
VERA FARMIGA: --then shot in the soundstage, which, like, didn't feel Christmasy at all.
TONY DALTON: Yeah, no, not even close.
KEVIN POLOWY: Are there certain Christmas movies that inspired you. And please say "Die Hard."
TRINH TRAN: Well, "Die Hard" definitely is one of them. There's definitely that style in there. there's "Home Alone" that I really love, as well too. "Die Hard" obviously has the action, it has that character. So we looked at a ton of them. We looked at, you know, different Christmas music, as well too.
But most importantly is also, how do we integrate it into the MCU, and still sort of maintain that feeling that we're after in all of the projects that we have, um, created?
KEVIN POLOWY: Clint is, like-- he's a family man, right? I think that's one of the things that really has stood out about him over the years, like, his commitment to his family over the years. And you've really see it here. The guy is just trying to take his kids to New York for Christmas. Is that something you take pride in, especially as a father yourself, that he's got to be like the daddyest Avenger?
JEREMY RENNER: The daddyest Avenger? Yeah, yeah, I would think so, for sure. I mean, it's sort of where's his moral compass lies. And I think it's a big part of just the core of who Clint is. And I think him being the daddyest Avenger is a great expression of his moral code, and his fortitude, and his strength, and his selflessness. You know, all these things I think apply towards him, defines him as a hero.
KEVIN POLOWY: He's the daddyest Avenger, I think we can say that.
TRINH TRAN: He is the daddyest, other than Scott Lang. Scott Lang, also, you know, is a dad, as well too. But Clint hasn't spent those five years as a dad to his kids.
KEVIN POLOWY: We got to talk about "Rogers-- The Musical" on Broadway.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
- So I took the kids to New York to see a show.
KEVIN POLOWY: Are you guys testing the waters here to see if an Avengers musical could work?
TRINH TRAN: [LAUGHING] To see if people are really interested in it, maybe one day we can make a musical. [LAUGHING] I would love to be a part of that. I think it would be amazing. That idea just came as just an idea in the background for the series, something that is mentioned, and you would see a visual of some sort. And then it just kind of grew and escalated because we got more and more excited about the idea of actually doing something like this.
And next thing you know, there was set pieces, and we have a song and dance about it that Clint Barton is watching.
JEREMY RENNER: There was always an idea that we talked about. And then when it actually came back, it was the last thing that that I shot on the show. And because it was a full-on production. And we had tremendous musical talent and performers. And it was a real thing. You know, we'll see what happens with it. I don't know. Kevin got really excited about it too. So who knows, when he gets excited about stuff.
KEVIN POLOWY: And of course, we got to talk about the man whose character name is right there in the title. Because it feels like this could be a swan song for Jeremy Renner. How would you guys describe his energy on set? Does it seems sort of bittersweet to him?
TONY DALTON: You know, he always made it very comfortable to work around. And that's always something that you really appreciate, because it's the person who's kind of guiding you with this whole thing. So, you know, it was a joy working with him, to be honest with you.
VERA FARMIGA: Yeah, but you do look for him, for tone.
TONY DALTON: Yeah, exactly.
VERA FARMIGA: You look exactly to him for all the cues, because he is so seasoned. But there is this bitter sweetness, I don't know what it is about Jeremy. I mean, it's just Jeremy in general.
TONY DALTON: Yeah.
VERA FARMIGA: He's always like happy-go-lucky, yet brooding at the same time.
TONY DALTON: Yeah, yeah yeah yeah.
VERA FARMIGA: You know what I mean? But he has had to say goodbye to a lot of these characters, and a lot of them. I mean, he's had to let go. And he's--
TONY DALTON: And, well, and you've seen other guys say goodbye, right?
VERA FARMIGA: Yeah, yeah. And then to say hello to a whole new series. And it's an interesting emotional dynamic.
KEVIN POLOWY: Uh, you've said this will be a bow passing from Clint to Kate as the new Hawkeye. Obviously, Haley was pivotal casting for you guys. What can you say about what you guys saw in her from the get go?
TRINH TRAN: She is talented beyond years. You know, one of my favorite of her project is "True Grit." You know, she's got that spunk, and she's got that energy, she's got that smart. And we knew as soon as she walked in the door and she was talking that she was this character that we have envisioned all these years.
You know, Kate Bishop is so appealing, for a reason, in the comics, right? There's a specific-- there's some specific elements, and qualities, and traits, and personality about her that makes her so interesting to read. And Haley exudes a lot of those. And we just knew that, you know, whatever she was going to do with it was going to be magic and transform into the screen because of just how passionate she was, as well.
- Holy--
