Jeremy Renner Breaks His Silence on the Hawkeye Sequel That Never Was: "They Tried to Cut Me in Half"

Jeremy Renner is pulling no punches as he reveals the real reason Hawkeye hasn't returned for a second season — and it's as brutal as one of Clint Barton's own battles.

In a raw and candid conversation with High Performance, Renner, the man behind the Avenger's bow, exposed the shocking offer that left him stunned. "They came back to me about season two," he revealed, "and what did they do? Offered me just half of what I earned last time. Half the pay, double the grind, and nearly a year of my life — for what? A fraction of my worth."

But the story takes an even darker turn. Renner believes the studios tried to devalue him after his horrific near-death accident in early 2023. "I told them, ‘Excuse me? Do you think I’m only half a man now because I got crushed? Is that it? Is that why you’re slicing my paycheck in two?’”

Let’s not forget — Renner’s 2023 New Year was marked by a catastrophic accident that nearly claimed his life. While heroically helping his nephew in the snow near Lake Tahoe, his 14,000-pound Sno-Cat turned against him, shattering his body: 14 rib fractures, a demolished knee, a broken ankle, a snapped clavicle, a cracked shoulder — the list reads like a war report. And yet, here he stands.

"This isn’t Marvel pulling the strings," Renner clarified, voice edged with frustration. "This is the bean counters at Disney — or worse, people behind the curtains with calculators, not creativity. I told them to take their insulting offer and shove it. We couldn’t agree, plain and simple."

But despite the clash, Renner’s heart hasn’t fully let go of Hawkeye. "I still adore the character," he confessed. "I would have gladly suited up again — I didn’t ask for more, just what I earned before. But maybe it’s a blessing in disguise. My body’s probably breathing a sigh of relief that I’m not punishing it on set again. For now, I can live with that. But who knows what the future holds?"

The first season of Hawkeye, which saw Renner sharing the spotlight with Hailee Steinfeld and Florence Pugh, dropped on Disney+ back in late 2021. Since then, Marvel has stayed silent, with no comment yet on the drama swirling around its sharp-shooting hero.