Jeremy Renner has opened up about the ongoing delay for a second season of “Hawkeye” and the reasons behind his decision not to return under the current circumstances. In a recent interview with High Performance, Renner, who portrays Clint Barton in the Disney+ series, revealed that he was offered a significantly reduced salary for the second season—half of what he was paid for the first.
Jeremy Renner On Pay Drop For “Hawkeye” Season 2
“They asked me to do Season 2, and they offered me half the money. I’m like, ‘Well, 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,’” Renner explained.
The actor suggested that the pay cut might be linked to the serious injury he suffered in early 2023. On January 1st, Renner was involved in a life-threatening snowmobile accident near his Lake Tahoe home. While trying to assist his nephew, the 14,330-pound Sno-Cat snow plow ran over him, leaving him with multiple severe injuries. He sustained eight broken ribs in 14 places, a broken knee, ankle, clavicle, shoulder, and tibia, among other fractures. Renner’s recovery journey has been long and grueling, but the actor has shown resilience throughout.
Reflecting on the situation, Renner seemed frustrated by the financial offer and implied that his injuries may have influenced the studio’s decision. “I’m like, ‘I’m sorry? Why? Did you think I’m only half the Jeremy because I got ran over? Maybe that’s why you want to pay me half of what I made on the first season,’” he said.
Further commenting on the situation, Renner clarified that it was not a matter of Marvel or Disney, but rather the financial decisions made by the accountants. “This is not Marvel, mind you. This is like, just Disney, not even really Disney. It’s just the penny pinchers, the accountants. I told them to go fly a kite. I mean, just at the insult offer. So we didn’t see eye to eye on it,” he said.
Jeremy Renner Reflects On “Hawkeye”
Despite the disappointing offer, Renner expressed his continued love for the “Hawkeye” character and hinted at the possibility of returning to the role in the future. “Sadly, I still love the character. I’d still love to do it, but I had to defend myself. I didn’t ask for any more money, mind you. Just pay me what I made the first season. So it’s all disheartening that that didn’t happen, but that’s fine. I’m happy to let that go, because my body’s probably thanking me, time and time again, that I’m not doing it right now. But we’ll see,” he shared.
The first season of “Hawkeye”, which aired in late 2021, also starred Hailee Steinfeld and Florence Pugh. Fans of the series will have to wait and see if Renner will reprise his role in the future, but for now, his focus remains on recovery and his well-being.
