Washington DC [US], May 2: Actor Jeremy Renner has opened up about the stalled plans for a second season of the Disney+ series Hawkeye. In a recent interview with High Performance, as quoted by Variety, Renner revealed that he was offered only half the salary he earned for the first season.
“They asked me to do Season 2, and they offered me half the money,” Renner said. “I’m like, ‘Well, it’s going to take me twice the amount of work for half the amount of money, and eight months of my time, essentially, to do it for half the amount.’”
Renner suggested the pay cut may have been linked to his near-fatal snowmobile accident in early 2023. “I’m like, ‘I’m sorry? Why? Did you think I’m only half the Jeremy because I got ran over?’” he added.
The actor suffered serious injuries when a 14,330-pound Sno-Cat ran him over as he tried to help his nephew near his Lake Tahoe home. His injuries included eight ribs broken in 14 places, a broken right knee, ankle, and shoulder, and several other fractures. He was hospitalized for blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries.
Renner expressed frustration over the offer, describing it as disrespectful and noting that it didn’t come from Marvel directly, but from Disney executives and accountants. “I told them to go fly a kite,” he said. “We didn’t see eye to eye on it.”
Despite the setback, Renner remains open to returning as Clint Barton. “Sadly, I still love the character. I’d still love to do it, but I had to defend myself,” he said. “I didn’t ask for any more money… Just pay me what I made the first season.”
The first season of Hawkeye, which premiered in 2021, also starred Hailee Steinfeld and Florence Pugh.