How Old Is Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop In The MCU?
A major focus of the Marvel Cinematic Universe post-"Avengers: Endgame" has been introducing the heroes of the future. Phase 4 has been especially good at laying the groundwork for the next several years of the franchise, bringing in the next generation through Disney+ projects like "WandaVision" and "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier." Speed (Jett Klyne), Wiccan (Julian Hilliard), Patriot (Elijah Richardson), and the next Falcon (Danny Ramirez) have already popped up, but they're certainly not coming alone. Alongside them will be more fan favorites like Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), Ironheart (Dominique Thorne), and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld).
With the upcoming "Hawkeye" series prepared to hit streaming in Fall 2021, Kate Bishop's name is next to be added to the MCU roster. To get those unfamiliar with her up to speed, she arrived on the Marvel Comics scene back in 2005 for "Young Avengers" #1, earning the Hawkeye mantle by issue #12. She worked extensively with the original Hawkeye, Clint Barton, earning his respect and his approval to maintain her heroic alter-ego. She has since played a part in such iconic stories as "Civil War" and "Secret Invasion," honing her skills all the while. Her tenacity and proficiency with a bow have also made her a key member of the Young Avengers.
Aside from the high school-aged Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and Shuri (Letitia Wright), few MCU characters aren't into their adult years. Although, with the likely formation of the Young Avengers and the confirmed debut of Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop on the horizon, the age limit on saving the day is about to drastically change. Here's roughly how old the next Hawkeye will be.
Kate Bishop's best years are still ahead of her
At the time of this writing, there's little information about the MCU's Kate Bishop available, and her definitive age is unknown. In fact, there's been very little chatter about the "Hawkeye" show she's set to appear in, except for a handful of set photos that show Hailee Steinfeld wearing her costume (via Polygon). Therefore, the best we can do at this point is speculate using what we do know. That includes taking a look at the actress' real-life age and the ones typically applied to her character on the pages of Marvel's comics.
As of May 2021, Hailee Steinfeld is 24 years old and is set to turn 25 on December 11. It would be easy to just attach that number to Kate Bishop, but determining dates is rarely ever that simple in the MCU. In comparison to the source material, "Young Avengers" Vol. 2 notes that she is only 20, and by the time that story wrapped up, she turned 21. Most other versions have stuck in this neighborhood, meaning that it's reasonable to expect Steinfeld's Bishop to be anywhere from 20 to 25 or so.
Whether she's just entering her 20s or is already halfway through in "Hawkeye," Kate Bishop will surely be a founding member of the Young Avengers when the team inevitably joins the MCU all the same. Should Hailee Steinfeld stick with the role, it's safe to assume we'll see the new Hawkeye empty her quiver on bad guys for years to come.