These 2 Hawkeye episode 5 moments have me really amped for MCU Phase 4

Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld in Hawkeye poster art

(Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney Plus via Twitter)

My favorite part about the Hawkeye show has been how self-contained it all feels at times. Telling a skillful story well, and non making information technology a footstep in a serial of films and movies, information technology's a noble crusade for entertainment. And and then Hawkeye episode 5 just changed all of that.

So, of grade, this is your spoiler alarm! This story contains large plot points almost Eagle episode 5, and its ramifications upon upcoming Marvel movies and series .

Considering for equally much equally nosotros already knew what was going to happen, this episode got me more ready to keep my Disney Plus subscription going.

The next Avengers team already has me hooked

Sure, I may exist the type to stay up until midnight to buy Spider-Human being: No Manner Home tickets, but I wasn't really excited about a Young Avengers or new Avengers team. There is something virtually the Phase 1-3 Avengers that I think Marvel may have a tough time replicating.

So I watched Yelena Belova repeatedly address Kate as "Kate Bishop" and mock her for nearly everything she could think of. All while the tension of Yelena having been sent to kill Clint being in the air. In this moment, I realized that the new Avengers — and let's all be honest, there volition be a new Avengers team — will be just fine. I guess my concerns centered around how all we really knew almost this team was the admittedly decent barrack between Sam Wilson (coming dorsum equally Helm America) and Bucky Barnes (nearly a given to return as well) that was a highlight of The Falcon and The Wintertime Soldier.

Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova in the Hawkeye show — (Prototype credit: Disney Plus)

For Yelena and Kate to pin from fighting to getting to know each other, nosotros run across that the forming of the next team of heroes is starting. Yelena'southward on her way to joining the forces of skillful, too, as we heard when she acknowledged that Bishop is the kind of person who saves a dog from moving traffic.

But to hear Yelena tell Kate that she only has i fork! For a Blackness Widow assassin who is always on the run to mock Kate'south admittedly single-serving life? And for Yelena to hope she didn't "interruption" anything after breaking into the apartment? It all refilled my optimism about the future of the MCU.

Then, as Yelena said, thank you, Kate Bisho, for the "girls night." I tin't expect to encounter how this pairing of a new Eagle and a new Black Widow (if they employ those names) turns out.

Netflix's Defenders are free to enter the MCU

While Eagle episode v addressed the "blip" for Yelena, the other "bleep" is finally over — Netflix's Curiosity characters are finally back — and I'1000 pleased as punch. After Jessica Jones, The Punisher, Daredevil, Fe Fist and Luke Cage all disappeared from TV in 2019 (right earlier Disney Plus launched), one of their biggest baddies just came back, right on Hawkeye'south telephone screen.

Yep, Vincent D'Onofrio returned in photo-form as Wilson Fisk, The Kingpin and surreptitious crime lord who, every bit it turns out, employs Eleanor Bishop (who herself hired Yelena Belova). Before we move past this to how cool information technology is, nosotros have to ask about La Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) aka Madame Hydra (in the comics) aka "Val," who seemed to exist the i who hired Yelena. I guess Eleanor put out the hit through Val, or vice versa. Another "who's behind this?" reveal in the makings.

Vincent D'Onofrio as Kingpin and Vera Farmiga as Eleanor Bishop in the Hawkeye Disney Plus show — (Paradigm credit: Disney Plus)

While Kingpin appearing in episode v was already practically spoiled well in advance, this reveal has me jumping upwardly in the air at the possibilities. Having recently rewatched all the one-time Spider-Man movies, I've become cornball for how much New York was a big grapheme in those films. Then, bringing back the Defenders (and yes, some if not all are coming back, starting with Daredevil) volition be a keen style to footing the MCU in some of its heroes that tell more contained stories.

The big reason why I similar this reveal is that at that place are so many upcoming Disney Plus shows that would make good places for us to reconnect with these heroes. The announced Echo bear witness seems like a perfect place for D'Onofrio to flex his chops equally Kingpin, and I could easily Daredevil joining forces with Echo to fight Kingpin — non only because episode v heavily foreshadowed Echo joining the side of good, but considering information technology would just be cool for the bullheaded Daredevil and the deafened Echo to work with ane another. Also She-Blob is prime space for Jessica Jones. Every bit for Luke Cage? Put him anywhere, I'thousand in.

While you could give these characters new solo projects to reintroduce them — we at Tom's Guide think these are probable variants of their Netflix versions — the Defenders seem like a perfect kind of seasoning for lesser known MCU characters getting their own shows. The first four MCU shows (WandaVision, Falcon and Winter Soldier, Loki and Hawkeye) were all about giving more depth to characters nosotros'd already met.

Any anticipation for shows such as Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel and She-Blob — characters brand new to Disney'due south Curiosity project — is now lessened. Now, allow's just get to the Eagle finale already!

Henry is a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past six-plus years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He'southward also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other manufacture veterans.