WARNING: The following contains spoilers for What If…? Season 1, Episode 8, “What If… Ultron Won,?” streaming now on Disney+.
What If..? has brought fans its most cataclysmic reality yet in the Disney+ series’ latest episode. In this reality, Ultron not only returns, but he has also won and has since garnered the body of the Vision and obtained all six infinity stones. Unfortunately, due to his power boost, he has killed nearly all of the Earth’s heroes and decimated most of humanity. But as the surviving Avengers look for ways to defeat him, even more secrets are uncovered about one another, including one about Hawkeye that’s so unknown, even Black Widow wasn’t aware.
In the episode, Clint and Natasha travel to Russia in the hope of finding the last surviving copy of Arnim Zola’s consciousness. Upon finding it, Zola does what the Red Skull did in Avengers: Endgame and recites the heroes’ full names. But one crucial aspect that was unknown to Natasha is quickly brought to life when Zola looks at Clint and calls out his middle name: Francis.
In the comics, it’s always been known that Clint’s middle name is Francis, but in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the subject never came up in conversation between Nat or the other Avengers. The humor in the scene is played up when Natasha calls him out and turns to him to say, “Francis? Really? How did I not know that?” Clint tries to shrug it off, responding, “It’s a family name, after my Meemaw. Don’t you worry about it.” The scene is effective because it also adds a degree of levity in the otherwise somber episode.
The scene is brief but tells a lot about the two agents turned superheroes that exist in this reality. No matter the struggles they face, the two still manage to find humor with one another. Throughout the episode, Clint is disillusioned following the loss of all of his friends and potentially his family. However, by the time he is seen joking around with Nat, it shows that the old Clint is still there deep down, and he wants to help in any way he can.
Another interesting reveal for fans that don’t know about Clint is that he’s an all-American hero, just like Steve Rogers. However, Clint’s heritage comes from the country, where Steve is from the city. Clint’s family name, combined with the rustic farm life that he has grown accustomed to serves as more pieces to the puzzle of his checkered past. It also gives hope that these factors will be explored in his upcoming Hawkeye solo series.
What If…? offers fans unique details about its characters even though they exist in an alternate timeline. It builds the lore around the new reality being shown while also adding to the one that fans have loved for over a decade. For now, it’s something as small as uncovering Clint’s middle name, but the future may hold even bigger surprises.
To see other secrets of the MCU revealed, Episode 8 of What If…? is streaming now on Disney+.
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