Jeremy Renner's Cryptic Comic Book Post Has Fans Wondering If the West Coast Avengers Are Coming to the MCU

Jeremy Renner has become something of an expert at keeping Marvel fans guessing. Every time the actor posts a photo or clip connected to Hawkeye, the rumor mill goes into overdrive, and his latest social media moment is no exception.

Renner last appeared as Clint Barton in the 2021 Disney+ series ‘Hawkeye’, and there is still no release date or official word on a second season. He has previously said he’s sure a second season will happen, though he also said in 2025 that he turned down an offer to return for half of his original salary. Even so, he has made no secret that he’s open to suiting up again.

That backdrop makes his newest tease especially interesting. Renner shared an Instagram Story showing a spread of comic books, with ‘West Coast Avengers‘ issues front and center alongside a ‘Hawkeye’ issue, and fans immediately took it as a hint about a possible MCU team-up. Marvel has not confirmed any such project, so for now it is a tease and nothing more.

In the comics, the West Coast Avengers were the first Avengers spinoff team, a separate squad that operated on the other side of the country. The original roster featured Hawkeye, Iron Man’s James Rhodes, Mockingbird, Wonder Man and Tigra, with Clint serving as the leader. The group has historically featured lower-profile heroes than the main team.

The MCU has already introduced most of the ingredients. Characters who have served on the team in the comics include Hawkeye, Moon Knight, War Machine, Wonder Man, Mockingbird, U.S. Agent, Kate Bishop and America Chavez, and many of them have MCU counterparts. Of the original roster, only Tigra has yet to appear in the franchise.

Fans have been connecting dots for years. A West Coast-style team led by Clint, with Kate Bishop as his protege, has been a popular fan theory since ‘Hawkeye’ premiered, and the series even included an Easter egg nodding to a character whose home serves as the team’s headquarters in the comics. Clint’s wife Laura has also been strongly hinted at as the MCU’s version of Mockingbird.

There is another connection, too. ‘VisionQuest’, the new MCU series, takes its name from a story arc that is part of the ‘West Coast Avengers’ comic, and the white Vision has been a prominent member of the team over the years. Marvel has not said whether that show will play any role in a team like this.

Renner’s MCU future is still murky. He said at a recent Comic-Con Liverpool appearance that he is not in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, joking that the Avengers might lose without him, and he has suggested he could appear in ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ instead. ‘Doomsday’ arrives December 18, and ‘Secret Wars’ is set for December 17, 2027.

Marvel has confirmed that Renner will reprise Clint for the Avengers Infinity Defense attraction at Disney California Adventure, part of an Avengers Campus expansion due in 2028. He also posted a caption-less image of his Hawkeye costume in August, which sparked its own round of speculation as additional photography reportedly got underway on ‘Doomsday’. None of that confirms a role in the films, but it shows how much appetite there is for his return.

If Marvel is looking for a way to bring back an original Avenger while launching something new, a West Coast team might be an elegant solution. For now, the comic book photo is a single tease, and fans will have to wait for Marvel to say whether it means anything.