While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a monstrous success from a critical and commercial standpoint, the MCU certainly isn't perfect, and one gripe many fans have had relates to the diversity among its heroes. While the studio has taken steps to address these issues, a deaf actor, model and disability activist named Nyle DiMarco is calling on Marvel to make Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) deaf in Avengers 4. What's more, there actually is a comic book precedence for Hawkeye being deaf as well.

Shortly after Avengers: Infinity War came out, DiMarco responded to a Mic article about Marvel's challenges with diversity, stating that "Disability is also a part of diversity, @mic. HawkEye is actually Deaf and MARVEL Cinematic Universe made the character hearing." DiMarco is referring to a 1983 comic arc that started with Hawkeye #4 by Mark Gruenwald, when Hawkeye lost his hearing during a battle with Crossfire. After DiMarco called them out, Mic invited the model/actor for an interview, where he spoke about having Hawkeye become a deaf character, while calling the current version of the character boring.

"So many times people forget the disability conversation in diversity. They think diversity has to do with race (and) gender, but there's so much more to it. We are part of diversity as people with disabilities and the danger is that we get excluded. There are a couple of issues where specifically Hawkeye is deaf. And so they brought in an actor who can hear instead. I think it would have made [better movies]... if they brought a deaf person in to play a deaf Hawkeye. I mean, no offense, but Hawkeye in the Avengers is boring. A lot of people don't even like him... Let's have a deaf actor in there instead, why not?"

In that 1983 comic, Hawkeye lost his hearing after battling Crossfire, who was trying to manipulate Hawkeye and Mockingbird with a machine known as Undertaker. To disable Undertaker's effects, Hawkeye stuck a sonic arrow in his mouth, but when the arrow detonated, it left him without his hearing and he then started to communicate with American Sign Language in the comics. Naturally, Marvel didn't include this character trait when Jeremy Renner started playing Hawkeye, a.k.a. Clint Barton, in the MCU, but it's certainly possible that could change, if not in Avengers 4 then perhaps with a different character in the MCU.

While Hawkeye was not present in Avengers: Infinity War, he has been confirmed to return in Avengers 4, with set photos revealing his new haircut and outfit that seemingly hints his wife (Linda Cardelinni) and kids may have died. Hawkeye's new costume was featured in the comics after Clint's wife and kids were killed in a much different way, but there is speculation that the wife and kids may have been part of the Earth's population that was wiped out when Thanos (Josh Brolin) obtained all six Infinity Stones. Take a look at DiMarco's full interview, courtesy of Mic YouTube, with DiMarco's Hawkeye comments coming at the 32-minute mark.