Hawkeye is coming to Marvel's Avengers as a free post-launch character

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Hawkeye will come to Marvel's Avengers in a free post-launch update.

Developer Crystal Dynamics added the bow-brandishing hero to the game's roster during today's War Table showcase. Marvel fans who mainly know Hawkeye through the film universe may be surprised by his new buzzed look, which is a function of the source material that Marvel's Avengers is primarily drawing on: the My Life as A Weapon comics by Matt Fraction and David Aja. 

"We've taken some exciting ideas from it," a trailer says of My Life as a Weapon. "So much so that Hawkeye has his own in-depth story mission chain, and it is unique from the campaign because it can be played in co-op or solo." 

Hawkeye was described as one way that Marvel's Avengers "will continue to grow after launch," but Crystal Dynamics didn't clarify when exactly he will arrive. A timeline shown on-stream suggests he'll be the second DLC character, but that's both unclear and subject to change.

However, we do know that he – and other post-launch updates – will be a free unlockable character rather than part of purchasable DLC. There will be six heroes at launch, and four more – three apart from Hawkeye – are coming in the immediate future. Who those heroes will be are anyone's guess. The Avengers universe has a wealth of characters to pull from, and with Crystal Dynamics clearly dipping into the comics as much as the films, there's absolutely no telling. 

Hawkeye was the biggest newcomer, but the focus of today's reveal was the Marvel's Avengers beta, and we've got everything you need to know about its start times, content, rewards, and more.