Marvel Star Reveals the Real Reason Why He Left ‘Hawkeye’ Series

Marvel Studios is currently riding high on the success of Thunderbolts* (2025), which is already making waves with a projected $160-$170 million global opening weekend. The Phase Five conclusion is bringing back fan favorites like Florence Pugh’s Yelena and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky for what may be the team-up the MCU desperately needed.

But not all corners of the Marvel Universe are so lucky. Despite its lasting impact on the Disney+ side of the franchise, Hawkeye Season 2 might never take flight—and now Jeremy Renner is shedding light on why.

Back in 2021, Renner’s Clint Barton passed the torch in a festive New York adventure that teamed him with Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop. The show mixed street-level crime-fighting with deeper themes of grief and redemption, introducing Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) and reintroducing Vincent D’Onofrio’s Wilson Fisk.

But the road back for Renner—both literally and figuratively—has been anything but easy.

In 2023, Renner suffered a devastating accident when a 14,000-pound snowplow rolled over him near his Lake Tahoe home as he tried to save his nephew. He was left with over 30 broken bones, a collapsed lung, and critical injuries. Somehow, he survived. He chronicled the ordeal in his 2025 memoir “My Next Breath.”

After countless surgeries, hyperbaric therapy, and months of recovery, Renner made a return to acting in Mayor of Kingstown and joined the cast of Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, which is expected later this year.

Now, the actor says he was approached about reprising his role for Hawkeye Season 2—but turned it down due to an insult offer.

“‘They asked me to do Season 2, and they offered me half the money,’” Renner told High Performance (via Variety). “‘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.’”

He didn’t hold back when addressing why he thinks the offer was so low.

“‘Did you think I’m only half the Jeremy because I got ran over? Maybe that’s why you want to pay me half,’” he said.

According to Renner, Marvel Studios wasn’t behind the decision.

“This is not Marvel… It’s just the penny pinchers, the accountants,” he explained. “I told them to go fly a kite… I didn’t ask for more money. Just what I made on the first season.”

While he emphasized his ongoing love for the character, Renner stood firm in defending his value.

“Sadly, I still love the character. I’d still love to do it, but I had to defend myself… I’m happy to let that go, because my body’s probably thanking me… But we’ll see.”

With Renner stepping away for now, could Kate Bishop be gearing up for her own solo story? After all, she was last seen being approached by Kamala Khan in 2023’s The Marvels, teasing a new generation of heroes.

And with projects like Eyes of Wakanda, Marvel Zombies, Ironheart, Wonder Man, and Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 on the way, Marvel’s small-screen future is still full of surprises.

What do you think about Jeremy Renner walking away from Hawkeye Season 2? Let us know in the comments.