'The Avengers' Hawkeye: Jeremy Renner Is A Bad Archer

Posted: Updated: 05/20/2012 10:07 am

In "The Avengers," Jeremy Renner portrays Hawkeye, the world's best archer. However, don't tell that to Wired writer and archery instructor Jim MacQuarrie. According to him, the actor "shoots like a rank amateur."

In a lengthy post over on Wired's GeekDad blog, MacQuarrie has visual evidence as to why Renner is terrible with a bow and arrow. Using the above green screen photo of Jeremy, he shows exactly how the "Avengers" star is going about it all wrong.

In a few interviews last year, Renner said he was taking archery lessons in preparation for the role, but from what I see here, it looks like he (a) had no coach and was entirely self-taught; (b) had an incompetent coach (there are many out there); or (c) is a terrible student and refused to do what his coach told him. The simple fact is, I see these exact same mistakes with first-time students all the time.

Oh boy, that's not going to go over well with Marvel fanboys.

Although MacQuarrie nitpicks -- something he himself admits to doing in his post -- he does make a pretty compelling argument as to why Renner is using a bow-and-arrow in a very un-Hawkeye-like manner. (Poor posture, incorrect feet placement, bad elbow motion, etc.)

Another downside of Renner's technique? The shooting-while-jumping-out-of-a-building stunt the actor attempts to pull off in the trailer. As MacQuarrie states, "I am really not looking forward to all the kids who will show up on the range wanting to shoot like Hawkeye... I will get to climb the hillside and pick arrows out of the bushes."

To really give MacQuarrie's argument justice, head over to the post on Wired.

"The Avengers," starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson and Renner, hits theaters on May 4 -- bad archery and all.

[Wired via io9]

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article referred to Liam Hemsworth instead of his brother, Chris. We've made the change and regret the error.

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In "The Avengers," Jeremy Renner portrays Hawkeye, the world's best archer. However, don't tell that to Wired writer and archery instructor Jim MacQuarrie. According to him, the actor "shoots like a r...
In "The Avengers," Jeremy Renner portrays Hawkeye, the world's best archer. However, don't tell that to Wired writer and archery instructor Jim MacQuarrie. According to him, the actor "shoots like a r...
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02:56 AM on 05/07/2012
I dont get it.. why is everyone so up tight about how Jeremy is shooting and handling the bow. I love Archery and i have no objections to how he is doing it. Sure its not the greatest but its deffinantly not the worst i've seen. Just because he doesnt shoot like you do doesnt make him the worlds worst archer. Everyone has a style they are comfortable with and to have a guy with no formal training until a year or so ago pull of this roll you cant honestly complain. He's and ACTOR and he trys his best to play the part he is cast and does what he can to pull it off. He's a an amazing actor and yes i loved him in the Avengers, Hawkeye is my favorite Avenger even in the comics and Earths Mightest Heros TV series, and Jeremy played the part perfectly i dont think anyone could have pulled off a better Clint Barton then him so quit all the complaining and enjoy the MOVIE dont be so quick to correct peoples mistakes just to prove your better at something then someone else.
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thorrsman
Why should I define myself by quoting others?
07:40 PM on 03/18/2012
Next you will tell me that Captain America isn't really that strong or the Tony Stark isn't really a genius.
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uniqumm
Hot Snark served with relish
09:05 PM on 03/16/2012
The way he holds the bow won't help him hit the target!
05:36 PM on 03/16/2012
He does realize this is a movie.. about inter-dimensional bad guys and super heroes... right?