Did Hawkeye Episode 4 Hint That This Major Character Is Actually Mockingbird?

The Disney+ series "Hawkeye" has given fans a lot to chew on regarding the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but episode four might have revealed the secret identity of a classic Marvel hero. 

In "Partners, Am I Right?," Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) goes out of his way to retrieve a Rolex watch stolen from the wreckage of the Avengers compound. The secrecy surrounding the watch and its owner could reveal something about the superhero known as Mockingbird to the MCU. While she previously existed in the ABC series "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," played by Adrianne Palicki, that series exists in a weird nebula tangential to the MCU canon, but not a part of it. Therefore, it's entirely possible that we've finally been introduced to the real Barbara "Bobbi" Morse in the MCU, better known as Mockingbird. 

This post contains spoilers for the latest episode of "Hawkeye," as well as some speculation about the future.

In the comics, Clint Barton falls in love with and marries Bobbi Morse, aka Mockingbird, and they eventually help train the Great Lakes Avengers. In the MCU, Barton's wife and kids seemingly exist completely separate from his superhero life. Sure, he went murder-crazy as the assassin Ronin after they were blipped out of existence by the Thanos snap, but they're back now, safe and out of harm's way. The only problem is that Barton's wife Laura, played by Linda Cardellini, doesn't seem all that normal. She's incredibly calm and receptive during Clint's phone call informing her of the watch's continued existence, and she knows immediately what he's referring to. While married couples often have this kind of shorthand with one another, it's not likely that a civilian would have the kind of knowledge Laura has. Not only does she know about the watch instantly, but she knows how to check for its signal and dig into records on Sloan Limited. 

Is it possible the watch once belonged to Laura, who was formerly the hero named Mockingbird? It would make a lot of sense that Clint wants to hide his wife's former identity, especially since she's retired and living under a different name. While Barton and Morse don't have children together in the comics, that could just be another layer added to the MCU to make Barton's character more complex. It would also explain how Laura knows how to do some high-level private information digging and signal tracing, because those aren't exactly things you can just Google. 

If Laura is actually Mockingbird, what could that mean for her future in the MCU? It will depend entirely on how closely the writers want to stick to the comics, though the Marvel movies and shows rarely adhere too closely to comic book canon. After all, in the comics, Maya Lopez was Ronin before Clint Barton! 

If the folks behind "Hawkeye" decide to hew closely to the comics, then we can expect to see an unpleasant divorce some time in the future for these two lovebirds. It could propel Mockingbird back into her role as a superhero, though the kids will definitely make that more difficult. Hopefully the Disney+ series decides to give Clint a break for once, and he and his lady love can live happily ever after.