Marvel fans eager for a second season of “Hawkeye” may need to adjust their expectations. Despite the show’s successful 2021 debut, negotiations have hit a roadblock, according to star Jeremy Renner.
The actor, who has portrayed Clint Barton throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe, recently revealed that financial disputes are preventing his return to the character that fans have embraced.
No Thank You
In a revealing interview on the “High Performance” podcast, released May 1, Renner detailed the breakdown in talks.
@high_performance Jeremy Renner reveals why Hawkeye Season 2 never happened… 👀🏹 Jeremy's episode with us is available now, exclusively on the High Performance App! 🙌 Jeremy Renner's 'My Next Breath' is available in all formats now, published by Simon & Schuster UK #avengers #jeremyrenner #hawkeye #hawkeyeseason2 #disneyplus ♬ original sound – High Performance – The High Performance Podcast
“They asked me to do Season 2, and they offered me half the money,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Well, it’s going to take me twice the amount of work for half the amount of money, and eight months of my time, essentially, to do it for half the amount.’”
That offer came while Renner is still recovering from a harrowing January 2023 accident in which he was run over by his Sno-Cat snowplow while helping his nephew. The actor sustained 38 broken bones and serious internal injuries. The timing of the pay cut wasn’t lost on him, according to the Business Insider.
“I’m like, ‘I’m sorry? Why? Did you think I’m only half the Jeremy because I got ran over?’” he said. “Maybe that’s why you want to pay me half of what I made on the first season.”
Renner emphasized that he wasn’t negotiating for a raise—just parity.
“I didn’t ask for any more money, mind you. Just pay me what I made in the first season,” Renner added. “So it’s all disheartening that that didn’t happen, but that’s fine.”
His comments point to a larger corporate tension, one that Renner was quick to separate from the creative forces behind Marvel.
“This is not Marvel, mind you,” he explained. “This is like, just Disney — not even really Disney. It’s just the penny pinchers, the accountants. I told them to go fly a kite … at the insult offer. So we didn’t see eye to eye on it.”
Even with negotiations stalled, Renner left the door open to a future return.
“Sadly, I still love the character. I’d still love to do it, but I had to defend myself,” he said. Given the physical toll of production, he admitted he’s at peace with a pause.
“My body’s probably thanking me, time and time again, that I’m not doing it right now. But we’ll see.”
A Disney insider reportedly disputed Renner’s account in comments to Deadline but offered no specifics.
That’s consistent with the company’s measured public responses to talent disputes, a strategy tested in 2021 when Scarlett Johansson sued Disney for allegedly violating her contract on “Black Widow.” That suit, which centered on revenue lost due to a simultaneous streaming release, ended in a confidential settlement.
The first season of “Hawkeye,” which also starred Hailee Steinfeld and Florence Pugh, remains available on Disney+. Though Renner never received a standalone film like other original Avengers, the 2021 series gave Barton his long-overdue spotlight and made a strong case for more.
With more than $31 billion in global box office revenue, the Marvel Cinematic Universe remains the most profitable film franchise of all time.
But as Renner’s comments make clear, even billion-dollar brands face internal friction when the numbers don’t add up behind the scenes.
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