Hawkeye has finally marked a long-awaited feat for Marvel in regard to having a solo project for all of the original Avengers from Phase 1. The show has received an amazing response and wide critical acclaim for its subtle and impressive introduction of new characters, humor-filled Christmas setting, and a fine follow-up to Clint Barton’s story arc which was hinted at in Endgame. The show has also casually explored the complexity of moving on from the loss Barton has faced and the difficulties he faces in adjusting to this new world.
And those are the changes that Thanos brought upon these people. His idea of genocide was a ruthless one but he thought that it was one way of saving the universe’s limited resources, and despite his plans being “reversed” in Endgame, he did manage to convince a lot of people that he was right. In Hawkeye, if you recall, Barton reads the phrase “Thanos Was Right” in the washroom.
While at that moment it seemed it’s a radical statement someone left in anger after watching Rogers: The Musical; however, later on, in the next episode, Barton is seen drinking from a mug that says the same thing. This means, Thanos is a topic of significant debate in the post-Endgame MCU, where people are also selling out merchandise in his name. And now, it looks like that statement is making its way into the real world too.
According to Men’s Health, a bunch of online retailers has made similar mugs with the same Thanos Was Right statement available for public purchase. These are simple coffee mugs with the said statement written in white over a purple background, similar to the one Barton was seen holding in Hawkeye. The mug isn’t a part of Marvel Studios’ official merchandise. Though we are definitely not endorsing this mug, it’s always fun to pay tribute to Josh Brolin’s iconic portrayal of a fan-favorite villain.
The mug, or rather the statement, appearing on the series Hawkeye is a strong statement in context to the ongoing lore within the MCU. This year's slate of Marvel Cinematic Universe's releases saw the shared continuity of events go beyond Infinity Saga while retaining the impact of the events of Infinity War and Endgame.
The franchise entered a new era with WandaVision and then, through The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Loki, and now, Hawkeye, MCU is exploring the impact of the Blip on the personal lives of these Avengers and the changes it has brought in their lives. And it’s not just the superheroes who are moving on from the horrifying experience of losing their friends, but it’s also the common people who are adjusting to this new world that is overwhelmed with these set of events that occurred in the past few years.
Among these changes is adjusting to the sudden return of all the people that blipped, which a lot of people found uncomfortable. That’s something we witnessed in detail in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, which featured the Flag Smashers, a group of people who had adjusted and grown agreeable to the ways Thanos had set. Now, that mug appearing on Hawkeye means there’s still a set of people who strongly believe in Thanos’s philosophy. Given the context of the series revolving around Kate Bishop and Clint Barton, this particular aspect of the show remains a passer-by moment, but it does add up to the information on how MCU is moving ahead within itself.
Meanwhile, Hawkeye has opened up a new set of stories for MCU to move further with and there are all new characters coming up in light, which, has paved way for many fan theories concerning appearances of Wilson Fisk and even Daredevil. How everything factors into the show would be revealed in the upcoming two final episodes of the show.
Hawkeye streams on Disney+ every Wednesday and stars Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfield, Alaqua Cox, Tony Dalton, Fra Fee, Florence Pugh, and Vera Farmiga.