This New Hawkeye Character Looks Very Different In The Comics
This is a major change.
Since the Marvel Cinematic Universe debuted in 2008, there have always been differences between characters from comics to screen. The MCU takes a piecemeal approach when it comes to translating characters to their live-action versions. Some of them are very close to their inspiration, and some of them barely share the same name. Kazimierz Kazimierczak, for example, is scarcely recognizable in his transition. So, if you’re watching Hawkeye and wondering who Kazi is, you’re probs not alone.
Warning: Spoilers for Hawkeye Episode 3 follows. After standing mainly in the shadows, Maya and Kazi stepped forward in Episode 3 as the two leading figures in charge of the Tracksuit Mafia. The series filled in Maya’s backstory, introducing her father and revealing that Ronin murdered him as part of his removal of the Tracksuit Mafia’s “middle management.”
But Kazi’s story remains untold. He is clearly in the higher levels of the hierarchy than the ground-level Tracksuits. Neither of them is the leader, as Maya and Kazi both report someplace higher (“Uncle”) but Maya is the one making decisions. However, Kazi is separated from the rest of the Tracksuits by being fluent in ASL, making him Maya’s defacto translator and right-hand man.
But this is entirely different from the Kazi who appears on the page. That’s surprising, since he was initially introduced in 2013 as part of the Hawkeye comic series by Matt Fraction and David Aja that inspired the Disney+ show.
In the comics, Kazi works with the gang known as the “Tracksuit Draculas,” but that’s about all he shares with his onscreen counterpart. Known as the villain “Clown” on the page, he’s a Polish immigrant from a family of circus performers. When the rest of his family is murdered after accidentally being in the wrong place during armed conflict, he is shipped to America with his best friend, Janek. When Janek passes away in a subway explosion, Clown goes full Joker, if you will, taking lives willy nilly, with little rhyme or reason.
His murderous ways did not go unnoticed, and it wasn’t long before mob bosses came knocking, using him as a freelancer to remove human obstacles as needed. One of those obstacles was Hawkeye. Eventually, Kazi was taken down by Kate Bishop and arrested.
This very over-the-top character doesn’t feel in keeping with Hawkeye’s low-key feel. Clown’s similarity to DC Comics’ Joker (a character who has two Oscar-winning performances so far) is also an issue. Doubtlessly, the MCU would prefer not to look like it’s doing a pale imitation of a competing character. But how Kazi develops onscreen remains to be seen.
Hawkeye continues with new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.
