Actor Jeremy Renner says the Avengers: Endgame cast were just as surprised as fans about the film’s storyline. Since releasing on April 26, the 22nd MCU installment has already become one of the highest-grossing films of all-time, and precedes the upcoming Jon Watts film Spider-Man: Far From Home. 

In Avengers: Endgame, Renner portrays Clint Barton aka. Hawkeye, a character who first appeared in the 1964 comic book anthology Tales of Suspense. In the 2011 film Thor, Renner made a cameo as Hawkeye, marking the character’s MCU debut. Since then, Renner has reprised the role in The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, and now Avengers: Endgame. Since making his feature debut in the 1995 comedy National Lampoon’s Senior Trip, Renner has appeared in numerous franchises. He portrayed William Brandt in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and Renner briefly took control of the Jason Bourne franchise upon starring in The Bourne Legacy. Prior to joining the MCU, Renner earned Academy Award nominations for his performances in The Hurt Locker and The Town. 

In a recent televised interview with TODAY, Renner discusses his career as a whole along with Avengers: Endgame’s secretive production. During the “Sunday Sitdown” segment, the actor talks about the unorthodox filming process, in which the cast didn’t always know the context for specific scenes. Of course, the Russo brothers took this directorial approach to ensure as much secrecy as possible, and Renner connects the shoot process to the public’s theatrical experience by noting, “We were all just as surprised after seeing the movie.” Renner goes on to discuss the friendships he’s established since joining the MCU, and he also speaks proudly about his five appearances as Hawkeye, a character with no superpowers who can teach life lessons to children. Renner says, “You don’t have to have a hammer and fly around and have lightning. You can just have a strong will, a strong mind, a strong heart.” Watch the full TODAY segment below. Renner discusses the Avengers: Endgame cast at 2:05.

Given how movie information can quickly spread on social media, spoilers are always a huge concern for general audiences. While it’s not always clear what constitutes a spoiler in terms of trailers or even titles, most fans don’t want to learn about crucial narrative events before experiencing a new theatrical release. After Avengers: Endgame released, NFL player LeSean McCoy learned the hard way upon posting spoilers on his personal Twitter account, thus upsetting people that not only hadn’t seen the film, but also those who appreciate a spoiler code of honor. In Hong Kong, a man revealed Avengers: Endgame spoilers while moviegoers entered the theater, thus resulting in his reported beating. 

The Russo Brothers asked fans not to spoil Avengers: Endgame, which is unsurprising given the precautions they took with the actual cast while filming. Renner’s recent TODAY interview shows just how proud he is to portray Hawkeye, and hopefully the aforementioned mantra of having a “a strong will, a strong mind, a strong heart” will be embraced by moviegoers on social media (and in general conversations) while discussing Avengers: Endgame.

More: Every Single MCU Connection & Callback In Avengers: Endgame

Sources: TODAY

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