More than a decade ago, Jeremy Renner made his debut as Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe through a minor role in 2011’s Thor, and fans have been convinced to the core ever since that no one could embody the character better than him. And rightfully so, for no other actor could be better cast in the fan-favorite role than him.
As it turns out, Renner feels in a similar way. While his iconic role is one that he eventually got around to and fell in love with, the actor also feels that he wouldn’t have found other actors as relatable as he did Clint Barton. To say the least, he wouldn’t have said yes at all had the role he had been offered to play was a different one—especially if it was Thor!
Jeremy Renner Would’ve Never Said Yes to Playing Thor
In the entire Marvel universe, one of the most interesting characters has inevitably been that of the God of Thunder, who was ever so charmingly brought to life by fans’ very own beloved Chris Hemsworth. If anything, the character has been such a massive favorite that anyone would have been lucky to get to play him on the big screen.
However, this rule didn’t apply to Jeremy Renner, who has firmly established himself as the perfect Clint Barton instead. As the actor himself revealed in a candid event of confessions, he doesn’t find all those other superheroes as relatable as he does his own respective character; especially when it comes to the Mjöllnir wielder.
To put it simply, Renner wouldn’t have taken on this respective role if it were offered to him, even though he admitted he was “into” what Marvel was doing with the superheroes. On the Life Is Short podcast, he conceded the same, saying (via FemaleFirst):
I’d have passed on Thor all day long – not that I’d ever be cast in that – but like, that kind of thing I’d be like, ‘I don’t know how to do that, I’m sorry.’
While his personal choice of not wanting to be a part of it is one thing, imagining Renner in the role of the Norse god seems like a really hard thing to do. This stands especially true and understandable after considering just how brilliantly spectacularly the actor has established himself as the perfect Clint Barton in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
But while that’s that, what’s surprising is that, after saying yes, the Mayor of Kingstown star also started having second thoughts about playing Barton in the MCU, for reasons all too understandable.
Jeremy Renner Even Had Second Thoughts About Playing Hawkeye
Back when he was originally approached for the role by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, Renner was greatly impressed with the work the studios were doing. Plus, he was “into what you guys are doing because I loved Iron Man. I like how you made Iron Man plausible.” That said, he didn’t hesitate to originally say yes to the role of Barton.
However, the gravity of the deal dawned on him when he realized just how long he would be signing up to play the role. As he confessed to Vanity Fair:
You gotta kinda sign on for a bunch of Avengers films and potential Hawkeye films, kind of sign your life away. I’m like, ‘Wait, I might be 50 in tights.’ That was my main concern. I’m like, ‘I don’t know if I want to do this. I don’t know if anyone wants to see me in tights at 50.’
Of course, Renner’s doubts were as plausible as ever, considering how he was actually 50 when he once again jumped in tights for his 2021 series Hawkeye. But his charm hasn’t lessened by a day and we’re sure fans would want him to play the role until he’s 70, so we’re glad he put aside that doubt and actually agreed to give fans the best Hawkeye portrayal they could ever ask for.
