Why Hawkeye's Original Avengers Costume Makes No Sense

With the Marvel Cinematic Universe concept rapidly picking up steam, Marvel Studios figured it was time for the team-up of the century to take place in 2012. Directed by Joss Whedon, "The Avengers" arrived in movie theaters across the globe that May, changing the comic book movie game as we know it. Not only did it become a favorite of both critics and general audiences, in addition to raking in mountains of cash at the box office, but it gave moviegoers the chance to see one of the most iconic superhero lineups of all-time save the world on the silver screen.

Serving as co-leaders were Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and Captain America (Chris Evans), whose contrasting personalities caused some tension but didn't end up dissolving the team before it could get off the ground. Alongside them were Thor (Chris Hemsworth), a recast Bruce "Hulk" Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and recent Disney+ star Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). With Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his Chitauri forces primed to destroy New York City, Earth's Mightiest Heroes assembled for a battle of the ages — comic book-inspired costumes aplenty.

Well, except for Hawkeye, who rocked a more contemporary look and has continued to in the years since. Given how goofy he looks in the source material, it's easy to understand why the live-action Clint Barton wears a different outfit. However, his specific "Avengers" ensemble doesn't make a lot of sense from a practical standpoint. Here's why.

At first glance, there's nothing seriously wrong with Hawkeye's "Avengers" outfit. He can turn his head, reach his arrows, shoot his bow, and run around just fine. However, the issue lies in his shirt's blatant lack of sleeves — something Clint likely wishes in hindsight that he had during the Battle of New York. Sure, fighting off invading alien warriors is the kind of activity that can work up a sweat, so the added ventilation is wise. At the same time, arm protection is an important thing to have when you're in the middle of a battlefield.

As WhatCulture points out, at one point during the fight, Clint's sleeveless shirt shows its greatest weakness. He crashes through a window and ends up with an arm full of glass, and it seems as though this was enough to convince him to get some new gear. In his later MCU appearances for "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Captain America: Civil War," Hawkeye dons more arm protection as a part of his total costume overhauls. He took this a step further when he became the Ronin in "Avengers: Endgame," going as far as covering his face and head as he ruthlessly "cleaned up" the criminal underworld.

As of this writing, "Hawkeye" on Disney+ is only three episodes deep, but it's a safe bet that Clint will try out some new threads by the time the finale rolls around. We can only hope for his sake that his limbs will be well protected.