If certain things had gone just a little differently, we’d be mourning Jeremy Renner. On New Year’s Day 2023, the Hawkeye star was driving his snowplow when it began to skid on some ice. He realized his nephew might be in the path of the plow and stepped out of the cab to check.
This fateful decision resulted in his being crushed by the vehicle, leaving him with more than 30 broken bones (including a cracked skull), a collapsed skull, and a pierced liver. Renner was rushed to hospital in critical condition and very nearly died. Fortunately, doctors put him back together, though he now has multiple titanium rods holding his skeleton together, has had reconstructive facial surgery, and is undergoing hours of physiotherapy and painful gym workouts to regain mobility.
Now Chris Hemsworth, one of Renner’s few remaining MCU teammates, has talked about this “scary time” saying that “he’s glad he’s back, fighting strong, and doing well”:
Renner has indeed bounced back much sooner than anticipated and is already making red-carpet appearances to promote his Disney Plus show Rennervations. But it’s looking more likely than not that he’ll return as Clint Barton for one last hurrah.
At a recent convention appearance, he revealed that he’s waiting for the inevitable call from Marvel Studios to invite him to strap on his quiver and pick up that bow, saying that if they ask he’ll be there “in a heartbeat“. Renner’s recovery is impressive, though we’d love to see his real-life accident woven into Clint Barton’s story, perhaps with a second season of Hawkeye showing him easing more into a mentor position as Kate Bishop officially takes on the “Hawkeye” codename.
Let’s hope we hear more from Marvel Studios soon, as we’re always happy to see the few remaining original Avengers back in action.