Leaked Avengers Set Photos Tease A Savage New Look For Hawkeye

The third Avengers movie isn't even here yet, and already we're speculating on leaks from the massive megaseries' fourth installment, currently in production for release in 2019. 

New photos from the shoot of the fourth Avengers have been leaked onto the Russian social media site VK, compiled by the site MCU Exchange—and they tease a huge change on the horizon for everyone's favorite un-powered Avenger. 

The shots come from the fringes of the production, mostly showing the actors walking to different locations on set, some in costume, some not. Not all of them are very interesting, but two photos clearly show Jeremy Renner preparing for his Hawkeye role with a completely different look than audiences are used to. Check out the photos at the links.

The new pics show the formerly inkless Barton with a full tattoo sleeve, and stylized hair that is as vertical as it is imposing. More than ever before in the series, the man looks like he's going to war.

There are more photos in the set beyond Renner as Barton, including a shot of Nebula in full costume and Mark Ruffalo wearing the craziest-looking motion-capture suit you ever did see. (Seriously, are those the standard look, now? He looks like a glitching-out video game.) 

Details are scarce as to what the plot will be for the third Avengers sequel—the movie was originally announced as "Part II" of the Infinity War story before that title was changed to something currently unknown. 

Supposedly, the title of the fourth movie alone would spoil the plot of Infinity War, so it's got to be something like The Avengers: How Hawkeye and His Friends Got Revenge on Thanos for Killing His Family After Thanos Used the Might of the Infinity Gauntlet to Obliterate Half of the Known Universe—or Avengers 4, for short.

Many think that the evident change in styling is a sign that Clint Barton will forsake the Hawkeye identity to take up the new moniker of Ronin, a character from the comics described as a samurai with no master. 

Barton departing Hawkeye's shoes would set the stage for another person to perhaps take up the cowl of Hawkeye in his absence. One front-running candidate in fans' minds is the comics' Kate Bishop, another Hawkeye from the comics whom fans have been wishing to see in the MCU for years. While this is no confirmation that she's coming, it is a sign that the position may soon be open.

Could these photos tease the first steps of the Hawkeye mantle eventually being passed down? We certainly hope so. After all, they're not going to give old family-man Clint Barton a full sleeve and some buzzed-out anime hair for no reason. And speaking of that family... has anyone checked on them lately?

Even though much about the future of the series is unknown, one thing is absolutely certain. Things are going to get ugly when Thanos finally arrives on Earth in Avengers: Infinity War next year.

Avengers: Infinity War will be out in the US on May 4, 2018. Avengers 4 will follow on May 3, the next year.