Posted in: Disney+, Marvel, streaming, TV | Tagged: black widow, disney, florence pugh, hawkeye, marvel, matt fraction

Hawkeye: Matt Fraction Talks Series Role; [SPOILERS]: "She's Here"

Published Wed, 08 Dec 2021 15:37:13 -0600

Four episodes into Marvel Studios and Disney+'s Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton) & Hailee Steinfeld (Kate Bishop)-starring Hawkeye (and even before that if we throw the promo art into the mix), it's pretty clear that Marvel's 2012-2015 Hawkeye comic book series from writer Matt Fraction and artists David Aja, Annie Wu, and others had a huge influence on it. With viewers still processing [SPOILERS] debut on the series this week (more on that below) and a rumored internet-breaking fifth episode next week, Fraction took some time to speak with EW to discuss the series addressing hearing loss like the comics did, and what influence he had creatively on the series.

On "Hawkeye" Addressing Hearing Loss As the Comics Did: "When I got to do the character [Clint], I knew I was gonna head back to that [Clint's ear damage], because it was so important to me as a kid. In parallel to that, my wife and I signed with our children because babies can sign before they can speak, and so I got to glance off the surface of that culture, that language. I felt like 'oh it's a visual language…it's like comics! This is a natural fit.' Then to see it in the show, seeing him and his son signing to each other was cool. Seeing the pictures from set where he had hearing aids in was huge."

On His Role Serving as a Consulting Producer: "I talked mostly about the characters, and how I viewed them. I talked about the psychology of surviving abuse, living with PTSD, and ASL/hard-of-hearing culture as I had encountered it in my life and through research. I gave notes and pitched a line here or there. But for the most part got to encounter it as a fan and talk about what I did or didn't like. They could take or leave my opinion, and I got a credit! [laughs] I get to take credit for everything that works. If it works and you like it, that was totally me! If it doesn't, man they just didn't listen to me! It's the best."

And as for that big reveal this week? A certain someone is checking in via Instagram to make it all official…