The Spider-Man: No Way Home Reference You Missed In Hawkeye Episode 5
"Hawkeye" has proven itself to be another exciting installment in the MCU. The long-awaited solo story of Clint Barton (Jeremey Renner), the series follows Clint as he attempts to clean up the lingering mess from his time as Ronin, while simultaneously coping with his grief over the death of Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson). The series also marks the arrival of a new hero, Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), who's poised to pick up the mantle from the arrow-wielding Avenger.
In Episode 4, audiences were thrilled to see the return of Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, who first made her appearance in "Black Widow." This week's episode showed a further glimpse into her backstory, and we got to learn more about her mission to kill Clint. Yelena's quest for vengeance, however, was punctuated by a delightful scene between her and Kate, as the former revealed her plans over a big bowl of mac and cheese. The conversation also included a subtle reference to "Spider-Man: No Way Home" — but you may have missed it.
Yelena mentions a location featured in No Way Home
Before Yelena tells Kate about her plans to kill her mentor, the pair has a mundane conversation around sightseeing in New York. Yelena shares she's never been to the Big Apple before, and mentions some of things she hopes to see, including the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, and the "new and improved" Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty, in the real world, hasn't undergone any major design changes during its time guarding New York's harbor. However, this isn't quite the case in the MCU.
In Marvel's universe, the Statue of Liberty has been redesigned as an homage to Captain America, with Lady Liberty holding Cap's shield in addition to her iconic torch. We see this clearly in the trailer for "Spider-Man: No Way Home," yet scaffolding is surrounding the statue as Spidey battles numerous villains there, indicating that the "new and improved" design is not yet finished. It's likely, then, that "No Way Home" takes place before "Hawkeye," though we're still unsure exactly where both stories fall in the intricate MCU timeline.
We love these tiny Easter eggs that tie the whole universe together, and we will be keeping our eyes peeled for more in the sixth and final episode of "Hawkeye."