I was talking to my friend about this and we basically worked out why we don't think Marvel will ever give us a Hawkeye/Black Widow film. Basically, becuase they are spies and not superheroes. They don't have, in the backstory given and hinted at, the type of "tipping moment" that any of the other Avengers have. Tony was kidnapped and built himself a suit to escape, Bruce experimented on himself and became a monster, Steve was experimented on and became a hero. Thor sort of gets a pass by virtue of being an alien/god.

As far as we can tell from what we've been given, Clint and Natasha have none of this. No mention has been made of the Red Room (though this might change with Cap 2), and we know that Clint doesn't have anything like this in his backstory. So, the type of film they would get would be a spy story, rather than a superhero story in the traditional sense. *shrugs* Well, that's what me and my friend concluded. It's one of the reason that I'm holding out for a Captain Marvel film over a Black Widow film (and also I saw a really cool idea for a Captain Marvel film which involved her and Spider-Woman, which I really want to see. Though Captain Marvel has to be Katee Sackhoff. I accept not substitutes.)

HAVING SAID THAT; my Black Widow and Hawkeye films would go as follows.

It would be a trilogy, obviously. :P

FIRST FILM: Hawkeye.

You'd get his entire backstory, abusive father, becoming orphaned, running away to the circus (cos this is the best part, let’s not lie), Barney. Either you'd have this as a war story or a more traditional origins story, because you'd either end it with him being recruited into SHIELD after the events of the circus/the Swordsman/Trick Shot OR you'd have the circus bit being quite short and the majority of the story being set in the army, being recruited and then, at the very end, being handed the file about the termination of the Black Widow. Despite the fact that this would condense the circus storyline (which I love) quite a bit, I am very attached to the ending being Clint receiving Natasha's file.

SECOND FILM: Black Widow.

A more traditional origin story, focussed mainly on her work in the Red Room – missions and stuff, but then also then her slowly trying to get out of it. Lots of women so Yelena Belova can be the main antagonist? Something like that anyway. Apart from, near the end, she starts to get followed by someone. Obviously that’s Clint, but you don’t see him until the very very end. A sort of, she runs round the corner and finds an arrow to her heart BOOM END kind of thing. Seriously, he’s in it almost not at all. It’s Natasha’s story.

THIRD FILM: Budapest. Obviously.

With the pre-title sequence being one of those montages showing Natasha being brought in and her slow acclimatisation to SHIELD. It doesn’t even have to have a romantic subplot. In fact, I’d totally prefer it if it didn’t. It’ll be like the Avengers, though maybe with a little more UST. Or just buddycop banter. Though I don’t know what actually happens in Budapest. That’s for someone else to decide.

As for an end sequence for Cap 2, I want Natasha to be doing her post-op paperwork, and getting really pissed and bored and then an arrow lands on her desk. And she smiles, and turns and says “so psych finally let you out then?” and Clint grins and says “looks like. Coffee?” Screen goes black: THE AVENGERS WILL RETURN IN AGE OF ULTRON. MAY 2015.

I HAVE THOUGHTS OKAY? :P

Trilogy. huh. Ambitious much? ;-) Squish it together, and you have a 2.5 hr movie, methinks ... One I would pay good money to see. Three or four times. And then buy on BluRay and load onto my Mac so I can watch it on airplanes, so my family can't laugh at me about just how often I watch it ...

And your end scene? YES. Please. :-)

What can I say? I like trilogies (when they're properly planned) and I think they're interesting enough characters to pull one off. Also I want substantial circus bits. Because circus. :D Though, yeah, you could probably make one film of this. That I too would see 3 or 4 times in the cinema. I JUST WANT MORE CLINT AND NATASHA.

I love the circus backstory!!! I want to see a young Clint doing his "turn in mid-air" on a trapeze act.

I know! It would be amazing. And you could make it trippy amd amazing. :D I JUST WANT THIS MARVEL. MAKE IT HAPPEN.

I know, it would be fricken amazeballs!!! They would have to get a couple of young actors (obviously) but I want to see him lose his virginity with the lion tamer's assistnant or something haha. And just riding elephants and juggling and applying clown make-up and getting constipated on a bunch of circus peanuts (ok, maybe not the last bit).

Now you've done it. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PLOT BUNNIES I'VE GOT HOPPING AROUND IN MY HEAD ALREADY, WOMAN???

Sorry. Caps Were Necessary. ;-)

The closest I've come to doing circus was in my five-times fic, but it's been bubbling in the back of my mind ... do read inkvoices' "The Nature of Dust" though, which is, like, the gold standard of circus fics.

I read that fic, it is fricken fantastic!!! Mind-blowingly so.

Also, if your muse wants you to write a circus fic, who are you to deny it? ;) (please please please listen to that muse!!!!)