Jeremy Renner Explains Hawkeye Season 2 Hold-Up, Says He Was Offered 'Half The Money' To Return

Some "penny pinchers" clearly missed the bull's-eye when reaching out to Jeremy Renner to return for Hawkeye Season 2.

An MCU Phase 4 project that streamed on Disney+ Nov. 24 through Dec. 22, 2021, Hawkeye starred Renner and Hailee Steinfeld as veteran Avenger Clint Barton and his unsolicited protégé, Kate Bishop.

The six-episode, Christmastime-set series also introduced Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk/Kingpin to the proper MCU; featured Florence Pugh's post-Black Widow encore as Yelena Belova; and marked the debuts of Alaqua Cox's Maya Lopez (who next headlined Disney+'s Echo) and Tony Dalton's Jack Duquesne/"Swordsman" (recently seen in Disney+'s Daredevil: Born Again).

Hawkeye was well received — TVLine readers gave it an "A-" — and yet here we are, nearly three-and-a-half years and a near-death/hospitalization/physical rehabilitation for Renner later, and there's been not so much as a peep about Season 2. Steinfeld meanwhile has thus far (briefly) reprised her role as Kate only in The Marvels' post-credits scene.

Now we have insight into at least one hold-up.

As a guest on a TikTok show called High Performance, Renner explained, "They asked me to do Season 2, and they offered me half the money."

Perhaps alluding to his slowed-down state following a New Year's Day 2023 snowplowing accident that left him in critical condition and broke more than 30 bones, Renner said, "It's going to take me twice the amount of work for half the amount of money — and eight months of my time, essentially — to do it for half the amount."

He then suggested/(quipped?) that those pitching the slashed salary were down-valuing him because of his accident.

@high_performance

Jeremy Renner reveals why Hawkeye Season 2 never happened... 👀🏹 Jeremy's episode with us is available now, exclusively on the High Performance App! 🙌 Jeremy Renner's 'My Next Breath' is available in all formats now, published by Simon & Schuster UK #avengers #jeremyrenner #hawkeye #hawkeyeseason2 #disneyplus

♬ original sound – High Performance – The High Performance Podcast

"I told them to go fly a kite" after hearing "the insult offer" from "the penny pinchers, the accountants," Renner added. "So we didn't see eye to eye on that, sadly.

"I still love the character. I'd still love to do it, but I had to defend myself," Renner explained. "I didn't ask for any more money, mind you. Just pay me what I made made the first season.

"My body's probably thanking me, time and time again, that I'm not doing it right now," he joked. "But we'll see."

TVLine has reached out to Marvel/Disney for comment on Renner's claims.

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