Ace Archer, Clint Barton, makes his television debut in Marvel’s most chronologically updated piece of work, Hawkeye, on November 24th of this year. However, many fans have not only boycotted the show but have also taken to social media to vent their displeasure. The issue at hand concerns the usage of content from Matt Fraction’s and David Aja’s Hawkeye, Vol. 2: Little Hits, which was published in 2012.
Despite borrowing a lot of influence from David Aja’s work, Marvel did not give him enough credit or pay him for his contribution in the mini-series. Some ardent Hawk-eyed fans were quick to notice and rushed to Twitter to voice their displeasure, with some even calling for a boycott.
MCU’s Relationship with Marvel Comics
Marvel Studios has nearly always attempted to adapt comic book stories into wholly new plots for film, but there have been a few exceptions, such as Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which were substantially inspired by the comics. This trend appears to be more evident with the new Hawkeye series.
Fraction and Aja’s Hawkeye comics mostly focus on what Clint Barton does when he’s not saving the world. He’s clearly the most breakable Avenger, and needless to say, he’s almost always covered in bandages in the comics. It’ll be interesting to see how Marvel gives this vulnerability a funny overtone. Now Marvel’s Hawkeye mini-series is relying a bit more than usual on the comics, and that’s essentially the reason behind this controversy.
The Controversy
David Aja’s art serves as a major source of inspiration for the Hawkeye mini-series marketing and design. Several story beats and concepts appear to have been carried over from the comics, although the fans and David Aja are primarily interested in the aesthetics. Let us have a look at the Hawkeye, Vol. 2: Little Hits cover and compare it to the Hawkeye poster.
Take a look at the downward arrow in the background with the cityscape in the two images. Then there’s the font style used in either of the posters. Most importantly, the pose of Hawkeye himself with the nocked arrow. The similarities are uncanny. But all David Aja received for his work was a Special Thanks mentioned in the credits of the mini-series. Fans are clearly outraged about this mishap. In fact, David Aja took to Twitter to express his displeasure and tweeted.
The Scarlett Scandal
But this is not the first time Marvel has been involved in a scandal. Scarlett Johansson sued Disney earlier this year for breach of contract after the studio put the 2021 film Black Widow on Disney Plus while it was still playing in theatres. This was bound to deprive her of her part of the box office profits.
The lawsuit had created massive ripples in Hollywood and served as an example to artists who dared to stand up for their rights when they felt they were not getting what they deserved.
However, it seems that the controversy has been put to rest, with Marvel Studios and Scarlett reaching a solution. That being said, it is uncertain if Scarlett will reprise her role as Black Widow, but Kevin Fiege has confirmed that Scarlett will serve as a producer in an upcoming top-secret Marvel project.
The Way Forward
However, the tragic narrative of David Aja and the payment he seeks for his work on the Hawkeye comics in 2012 is far from over. Because Marvel, and by extension Disney, is a brand that takes negative press extremely seriously, they may opt to pay the artist, but it would not solve the broader problem.
In fact, according to one website, Disney is in conversation with David Aja about the money. So, moving forward, Disney should live by the words ‘prevention is better than cure’ and ensure that it doesn’t get involved in such controversy and create a healthy environment for people who work behind the scenes.