Jeremy Renner Is Reportedly Set To Return as Hawkeye, but Not for the Movie You’d Expect

Marvel’s rumor mill has been running overtime this week, with fresh reshoots on the studio’s next massive crossover event sending fans scrambling to piece together which original Avengers might sneak back into the fold. Few names have generated quite as much speculation as one archer whose MCU status has remained maddeningly unclear for years.

That uncertainty took a significant turn today, with a new report suggesting Renner’s return isn’t tied to the film everyone assumed it would be.

Jeremy Renner will reportedly return as Hawkeye in ‘Avengers: Secret Wars,’ according to insider Daniel Richtman, marking a notable shift from earlier speculation that had focused entirely on his potential involvement in ‘Avengers: Doomsday.’ The report follows a captionless Instagram Reel Renner shared of his Hawkeye costume set to the character’s theme music, a post that immediately sent fans into speculation mode once it went live.

According to tbreak’s reporting on the situation, Richtman previously suggested that ongoing ‘Doomsday’ reshoots would be used to “add a lot of cameos,” a detail that initially fueled assumptions Renner’s tease was tied to that specific film. Winston Duke, who plays M’Baku, confirmed to CNA that additional photography for ‘Doomsday‘ is currently underway, with Inside the Magic also reporting that Mark Ruffalo shot new scenes for the film just last weekend.

Renner’s status within Marvel’s upcoming slate has been a moving target for months. According to GamesRadar+, Renner is not part of the confirmed cast list for ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ and as of now, nothing has been officially announced regarding who will appear in ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ either, leaving plenty of room for speculation around exactly what this latest tease actually confirms.

Renner’s only officially confirmed Hawkeye appearance remains the Avengers Infinity Defense ride opening at Disneyland’s Avengers Campus in 2028, and ScreenRant has noted that his recent Instagram post may simply be tied to that attraction rather than either film. Complicating matters further, Renner stated back in October 2025 that he wasn’t set to appear in either ‘Doomsday’ or ‘Secret Wars,’ telling an interviewer bluntly, “No. No,” when directly asked about his involvement, though he added that if Marvel wanted to replace him through the Multiverse, they were welcome to do so.

Since then, Renner’s tone has shifted noticeably. Speaking with Empire more recently, he expressed excitement about potentially returning to the role, saying he’s getting his body “ready” for a comeback and adding that he’s “sure” a second season of his ‘Hawkeye’ series will eventually happen. That evolving stance, combined with this newest report specifically pointing toward ‘Secret Wars’ rather than ‘Doomsday,’ suggests Renner’s MCU comeback may be further down the road than fans initially hoped, but increasingly plausible all the same.

With ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ set for release on December 18 and ‘Secret Wars’ still in earlier stages of development, fans will likely have to wait considerably longer before getting any official confirmation on which film, if either, actually brings Clint Barton back into the fold.

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