Why Hawkeye is the MCU's Ultimate Christmas Show

Have A Hawkeye Holiday: How The MCU Gifted Us The Perfect Christmas Show

The poster for Marvel's Hawkeye featuring characters from the show next to Screen Rant wrapping paper and arrows

Hawkeye is the perfect Christmas show, and there are so many reasons why, from its universal appeal to its rewatchability and Christmas themes.

By Sean Morrison Published 24 minutes ago Sean is a senior writer for ScreenRant and has been writing about new TV releases since December 2023. He has received multiple advance screenings of popular shows and ideated his own coverage read by hundreds of thousands of readers. Sean is a self-published author of a Western novel. Sean has also written award-winning opinion pieces related to local politics while getting his Bachelor's degree in journalism. Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Four years ago, the Marvel Cinematic Universe gifted us the perfect Christmas series in the form of Jeremy Renner's and Hailee Steinfeld's Hawkeye. There are plenty of iconic Christmas movies out there, from Elf to It's a Wonderful Life, but Christmas TV shows are much rarer. Still, even with fewer entries into the category, Hawkeye has earned a distinction as one of the best Christmas shows of all time.

Everything about Hawkeye is rare, from its general category as a superhero Christmas series instead of a movie with vague Christmas references to the fact that it's so beloved, even despite being as recent as it is. It's worth investigating how Hawkeye was poised to become the perfect Christmas show from the very beginning, and why it works so well for the holidays.

Hawkeye Is The Most Family-Friendly MCU Show

Kate Bishop and Clint Barton firing arrows in Hawkeye

All Marvel movies and shows are, by definition, family-friendly. Even the darkest MCU movies with the most mature themes never go beyond a PG-13 rating (except for Deadpool & Wolverine), and all of them are geared towards younger audiences. Still, Hawkeye is the single best MCU show to cater to every member of a family equally, regardless of their interest in superheroes, which makes it the most family-friendly.

For example, most people probably wouldn't watch Secret Invasion with their whole family, particularly if they know some of their family members aren't interested in superhero shows. Hawkeye, on the other hand, appeals not only to superhero fans but also to fans of action thrillers, family comedies, and family dramas. That's not to mention the show's powerful representation for the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.

Hawkeye also feels the least like a superhero show out of all the MCU's offerings simply by virtue of following Clint Barton and Kate Bishop, both of whom don't have powers. There's not even a superpowered villain in the show, and if you can get past some sci-fi gadgets like Yelena's cuffs, Hawkeye can pass as a regular action thriller. Every member of a family will be able to find something they love in Hawkeye, even if they hate typical superhero fare.

The universal appeal of Hawkeye is so important in making it a perfect Christmas show. No one wants to be forced to watch a series they don't like during the holidays. Watching a romantic comedy, for instance, could easily bore younger members of a family, while watching something like Die Hard could spark a debate about whether it's actually a Christmas movie or not. Hawkeye is the perfect crowd-pleaser, which makes it the perfect Christmas show.

Unlike Other MCU Shows, Hawkeye Is Endlessly Rewatchable

Jack Duquesne and Eleanor Bishop in Hawkeye

Another feather in Hawkeye's cap is the fact that you can watch and rewatch it endlessly. I personally rewatched Hawkeye to write this article, and even though I knew all the plot twists ahead of time, it didn't detract from how fun it was to watch. There are some surprises in store, but Hawkeye doesn't rely on them. In fact, some of those twists actually make the show better on a second watch.

Fair warning: I'll be getting into minor spoilers. Rewatching Hawkeye lets you see how certain twists were set up from the very beginning. Eleanor's villainy and Jack's innocence, for example, were subtly set up from the first episode, and it's really fascinating to connect all those breadcrumbs once you know what's coming. Some of Eleanor's behaviors, like trying to get Clint to leave Kate, seemed innocent on the first watch, and they take on a new meaning in the rewatch.

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As an added bonus, Hawkeye is a miniseries with just six approximately 45-minute episodes. You and your family could watch the entire thing in a long afternoon after opening presents. You could also watch it in pieces between meals or while trying to figure out another Christmas movie to watch after one ends. Each episode is like a bite-sized Christmas movie, which makes it perfect to squeeze Hawkeye into your holiday tradition.

Hawkeye is also much more rewatchable than any of the other MCU shows out there. Shows like Secret Invasion and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier only really need to be seen once. Even the best MCU shows, like WandaVision and Loki, lose a lot of luster once you know where their stories are going. Hawkeye has neither of those problems and is just as fun to watch the second or third time as it originally was.

Why Hawkeye Is The Perfect Marvel Christmas Watch

Jeremy Renner wearing a holiday sweater as Clint Barton in Hawkeye

Hawkeye also isn't just a Marvel show that happens to be set at Christmas time; it's a great show that is largely about Christmas. In fact, it combines some of the best features of some of the most beloved Christmas movies ever. Set in New York City, it has the action and adventure of Die Hard, the comedy of Elf, and the earnest focus on family of every Christmas movie ever made.

The best example of how important Christmas is to Hawkeye is its characters. Kate is struggling with her family and her mother's new boyfriend, which fits with the focus on family. Similarly, Clint is trying to be there for his kids and Laura, but he also has to contend with his dark past and become a more hopeful, inspiring hero for the future. These characters feel like they were hand-selected to be in a Christmas show.

Everything about Hawkeye simply makes it work as a Christmas show. Its setting, its themes, even plot elements like Clint trying to get home in time for Christmas, are all steeped in the spirit of the holidays and baked directly into the show. Hawkeye is almost more of a Christmas show than it is a superhero show, and it's certainly not a Christmas show just to take advantage of the holidays.

Hawkeye Has All The Benefits Of A Superhero Show Without Any Of The Downsides

Kate Bishop in costume at Christmas in Hawkeye

The final piece of the puzzle that makes Hawkeye such a perfect Christmas show is that it gets all the benefits of a superhero story without any of the drawbacks. Hawkeye is an MCU show, meaning it has a great cast, a huge production budget, some beautiful VFX, and many other things that make it look great. It also has the action and adventure of a superhero movie like Captain America.

Hawkeye also benefits from the legacy of Clint Barton. This is a character who had been developed for nine years at that point. He's got so much history that the show builds off of and plays upon, and it does a wonderful job of using his previous Avengers appearances to tell a new story. A different spy thriller would have had to set up Clint's checkered past and relationship with Natasha, but Hawkeye is able to jump right into the deep end.

Kate Bishop caught in Hawkeye

At the same time, Hawkeye doesn't suffer from "superhero fatigue." You really only need to watch the main Avengers movies (and be able to recognize Yelena and Kingpin) to understand what's going on, and most people have seen at least those movies. It's not a huge time commitment to have the necessary context for Hawkeye. Additionally, as previously mentioned, Hawkeye doesn't have the over-the-top fantasy or sci-fi of more "superheroey" stories.

In short, Hawkeye has the production value and years-long storytelling of a mainline MCU project, but it doesn't alienate people who don't like superhero movies, it doesn't require hours of watching other movies just to know what's going on, and it doesn't feel like a cheesy kids' story. Hawkeye somehow found a way to get the best of the superhero genre and leave out the bad parts, and it's a perfect Christmas show as a result.

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10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed PG-13 Adventure Crime Action Comedy Release Date 2021 - 2020 Writers Don Heck, Jonathan Igla