In less than three weeks, Marvel Cinematic Universe series Hawkeye premieres on Disney Plus with a bumper two-episode debut, and fans can’t wait to see Hailee Steinfeld’s debut as Kate Bishop.
The festive, fun-filled adventure promises another detour into different genre territory for the franchise’s streaming exclusives, and the actress took her training very seriously. Steinfeld spent months getting to grips with her bow and arrow, becoming very competent in archery by the time cameras started rolling.
However, the Academy Award nominee revealed in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly that the first time she met co-star Jeremy Renner, the MCU veteran was brutally honest when it came to addressing how important her expertise would be when production got underway.
“I wanted the archery to be second nature by the time I got out to Atlanta to shoot, but the first time we met, Jeremy was like, ‘Listen, you’re going to get there and you’re not even shooting a real arrow, it’s all CGI’. But I was still grateful to have the mechanics down.”
Just because Steinfeld isn’t shooting real arrows at real targets in Hawkeye, it doesn’t mean she can’t be convincing while firing the pretend ones. Suspension of disbelief is key to the superhero genre in general, but it definitely helps if the 24 year-old looks like she knows what she’s doing when the action sequences kick into high gear, regardless of how much of an assist the effects team ends up lending when Kate and Clint Barton whip out their favored weaponry.