The Hawkeye Fan Theory About Laura Barton That Has People Talking
Okay, so while we didn't have the reveal of a certain Kingpin of Crime in this week's "Hawkeye," the latest installment of Clint (Jeremy Renner) and Kate's (Hailee Steinfeld) adventure, did finally reintroduce us to former Black Widow and Natasha's younger sister, Yelena (Florence Pugh). Thrown into a rooftop brawl along with Echo (Alaqua Cox) and the two investigative archers, it made for a brief but equally thrilling cliffhanger to this week's episode. However, what's all the more interesting is not the arrival of a new character to the series, but one that we've known for years that may have more secrets than she's letting on.
In the fourth episode of "Hawkeye" ("Partners, Am I Right?"), Clint tracks down a watch that was briefly shown in the series with the help of his wife, Laura (Linda Cardellini). Making her first appearance in "Avengers: Age of Ultron" in the 2015 film, as part of Clint's shocking life outside of heroism, audiences took Cardellini's character as the understanding mother of the Barton household who accepted her husband's life when he had to "go to work." Calling in on her hubby throughout the series so far, the latest chat with her betrothed in this week's episode gave us another insight into just how helpful she is with her husband's day-to-day activities. It turns out she's pretty good at tracking down leads and their operations. Almost too good, some might say.
Could Laura's regular calls hint at a former life?
As brief as they've been, there's a lot to pick apart in the talks between the happy Hawkeye couple when they've had them. Besides being told to put his feet up and get some rest, Laura discreetly explained to her husband, Jack Duquesne's (Tony Dalton) connection with the Tracksuit Mafia. "I talked to that friend of yours, he's really busy. He's been learning Russian and jogging a ton," she says over PB&J prep. While parents trying to keep info away from their kids might be a routine method, busting into another language we've not heard her speak certainly isn't.
She then asks in perfect German about a watch (the one we've seen in the show already) and its whereabouts. It's an ear-prickling detail that reveals there's more to Laura than we've been led to believe since her arrival in the MCU. Perhaps hinting at a past before settling down with a family that fans believe may ruffle some feathers if it turns out to be true.
Is Laura Barton a Mockingbird?
Given Laura's brief display of capability in espionage and infiltration, could this all lead to us learning Mrs. Barton is a former spy, or more specifically, a Mockingbird. Naturally, "Agents of SHIELD" fans may call outrage at the thought, given that Bobbi Morse, a character from the comics that's been Barton's long-term love, appeared in ABC's spin-off show, played by Adrianne Palicki. However, could the codename Mockingbird be assigned to a set division of SHIELD agents, the same way Black Widow was in Russia? Fans are certainly theorizing that could be the case.
Coming in hot through the Twittersphere, fans are already throwing in their guesses of Laura's past life. OzeRamo posited the question asking, "umm is Linda Cardellini a retired Mockingbird and we never knew??? Is the Rolex hers?" FastestFanAlive also took a gamble and said, "I bet the rolex in Hawkeye is Laura's. She is going to be a retired agent." LaserSquidS also said, "Friendly reminder that Hawkeye is traditionally married to Mockingbird in the comics, so Laura's SHIELD savvy and acute knowledge of things going on might mean the Rolex is linked to her being Mockingbird for SHIELD and Hawkeye's original partner."
There are only two episodes to go for Kate and Clint's outing, so expect more to be revealed. For now, we can only wait for the anticipated explosion of the show's fifth episode when "Hawkeye" returns next week.