6 Theories About The Tracksuit Mafia's Target On Hawkeye

In Hawkeye’s opening episode, the specter of Clint Barton’s time as Ronin reappeared during an underground auction. Among the lots being illegally sold to the extraordinarily wealthy were several items recovered from the ruins of the Avengers compound post-Thanos fight at the end of Avengers: Endgame. The two significant pieces were Ronin’s sword and his suit, the former stolen by Kate Bishop, the latter by her soon-to-be stepfather. But there was a third item that never made it to the auction block. These theories about the Avengers watch on Hawkeye might help explain why it’s such a valuable target.

Warning: Spoilers for Hawkeye Episode 3 follow. The item up for bid the moment the Tracksuit Mafia blew in the walls was a watch recovered from the Avengers compound, Lot No. 268. It was the target of the attack, but neither Kate nor Clint know that at this point. Clint wasn’t there, and Kate was too busy watching Armand and Jack try to outbid each other on Ronin’s sword. But Clint had the right idea when he wondered aloud what the Tracksuit Mafia is after and why.

So, whose watch is it? Let’s consider the options and look at Lot No. 268 and think about who it might belong to.

First of all, for the watch to have been in the Avengers compound when it fell, it must have belonged to someone who survived the Snap. That rules out a lot of heroes right off the bat, like Dr. Strange, Bucky Barnes, and Nick Fury. Second, it’s a man’s watch, which likely rules out Natasha Romanoff, Carol Danvers, and Nebula. And, it’s a human-sized watch, so that’s Rocket and Hulk both eliminated too. Plus, it was someone residing in the Avengers compound, so it’s not Wong’s or Happy Hogan’s.

After all that, there are six major possibilities:

1. Thor

Does Thor even wear a watch? The man is a god and a drunken sod of one at that during most of Endgame. He’s not going to care what time it is. Even if he did own one, he’d probably have hammered it on general principle.

2. James “Rhodey” Rhodes

Rhodey is a far better bet in terms of someone who wears watches and lived in the Avengers compound during the period in question. However, let’s be honest, Rhodey wasn’t an original Avenger. Though it might make a good trophy for some rich idiot’s private collection, it’s not likely to be something an entire gang would be chasing down.

3. Clint Barton

This one’s an obvious candidate, but it’s almost too obvious to be the correct answer. But why wouldn’t it be Clint’s watch? It’s his Ronin suit and his Ronin sword that were on the block; why not his watch? Jeremy Renner is a known watch connoisseur, and this plot point could be nothing more than a giant in-joke easter egg for fans.

4. Steve Rogers

Who wouldn’t want to own Captain America’s watch? As is evident from the hit musical’s title, Steve is the hero getting all the posthumous accolades in this post-Endgame world. He’s being turned into a secular saint on par with Mr. Rogers. His watch would be a significant get for anyone, including the man who runs the Tracksuit Mafia, Maya’s nameless “Uncle.”

5. Scott Lang

Lang is a fascinating option. He survived the Snap because he was in the Quantum Realm at the time and therefore protected from its effects. When Scott arrives back home, his stuff is gone because his daughter assumed he was dusted along with everyone else. Any watch he would own was therefore trapped in the Quantum Realm for five years along with him. With all this talk about multiverses and time travel, a timepiece that has been affected by existing within the Quantum Realm may have more to it than a simple wrist-clock.

6. Tony Stark

However, there’s one watch above all others that would be so highly sought after and so prized that gangs would attack a secret underground auction: Tony Stark’s. Not just as a trophy or a symbol of wealth, Tony Stark’s watch is Stark Technology. As fans may recall in the third Captain America film, at least one of his watches contains a partial Iron Man suit, with Tony activating a fingerless glove-style weapon that envelops his hand when Bucky Barnes attacks.

For all fans know, this watch could contain an entire Iron Man suit. Or it could be connected to Friday or EDITH or any number of Stark’s global networks. As a high-value target, chances are this is Stark’s watch out there floating around, and Barton is going to have to clean that up as well.

Hawkeye continues with new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.