This Wednesday's episode of Marvel's Hawkeye was notable for a brief appearance from Black Widow star Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, but "Partners, Am I Right?" also revealed a few surprising things about Laura Barton.
Played by Linda Cardellini (Freaks and Geeks, Scooby Doo), Clint Barton's wife was introduced in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and has made several appearances in The MCU since. The character is usually depicted as the understanding, stay-home partner of an Avenger, but her more active role in the Disney+ series has led to some interesting theories.
Laura clearly knows about Clint's murderous rampage as Ronin, and seems to be more clued in to his general superhero activities than we realized. At one point during the latest episode, Hawkeye calls her to ask for help digging into Jack Duquesne's past, and she responds in German. Laura then asks her husband about a certain Rolex watch that was stolen during the black market auction raid. Later in the episode, Clint tells Kate to keep an eye out for this watch because it could lead to someone he used to work with who's "not in the game" anymore's identity being exposed.
Could that someone turn out to be his wife? If so, there's a good chance Laura Barton will be revealed as The MCU's take on Mockingbird.
In the comics, Hawkeye and Mockingbird were married (briefly) after serving together S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents and West Coast Avengers. That character was named Barbara "Bobbi" Morse (played by Adrianne Palicki on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), but it's become increasingly clear that the Marvel Television shows are no longer canon, so this would only be a minor change.
This is pure speculation, of course, but even if Laura doesn't turn out to be Mockingbird, there's definitely more to the character than meets the eye! What do you guys think? Be sure to share your own theories in the usual place.
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.