Bobbi Morse: Mockingbird Appreciation 2020

[Digifiend]

Palicki isn't available, she's part of the cast of The Orville.

[Will Evans]

The idea of the MCU doing more with Mockingbird brings me a lot of joy. I hate the thought of re-casting though, since Adrianne Palicki was so excellent in the role and her passion for the character is clear. Even if they don't want to re-use the AGENTS OF SHIELD version of the character, fine--you can reboot the character with the same actor. If Marvel can re-use the same actor as different characters (Chris Evans as Johnny Storm and Steve Rogers; Julian McMahon as Dr. Doom and as Jonah on RUNAWAYS, etc), then they can cast the same actor to play two different versions of the same character.

It won’t happen. Due to the animosity between Kevin Feige and Jeph Loeb.

[OOTCS]

Palicki isn't available, she's part of the cast of The Orville.

I heard The Orville is ending this season, and Hawkeye hasn't finished casting yet. I'm sure they could make the scheduling work. Plus, Adrianne Palicki is always talking about how she'd go back to playing Bobbi in a heartbeat if Marvel asked her to.

The idea of the MCU doing more with Mockingbird brings me a lot of joy. I hate the thought of re-casting though, since Adrianne Palicki was so excellent in the role and her passion for the character is clear. Even if they don't want to re-use the AGENTS OF SHIELD version of the character, fine--you can reboot the character with the same actor. If Marvel can re-use the same actor as different characters (Chris Evans as Johnny Storm and Steve Rogers; Julian McMahon as Dr. Doom and as Jonah on RUNAWAYS, etc), then they can cast the same actor to play two different versions of the same character.

I understand that if the Hawkeye show wants to have a Bobbi Morse with a backstory that contradicts Agents of SHIELD's Bobbi Morse, then it could be confusing to have one actor play different versions of the same character, especially in two universes where it's not exactly clear how much they overlap (given the crossovers in the early seasons of AoS). And it's not unheard of: the rumors are they'll be including Madame Masque in the Hawkeye show despite having a character named "Whitney Frost" in Agent Carter, and I could have sworn that the MCU had some other interpretation of Madame Hydra in addition to Agents of SHIELD's Aida/Ophelia, except that I can't find anything to confirm that on the wiki. (Maybe it was a Captain America tie-in comic?)

That being said, AoS's Bobbi Morse was so close to a faithful adaptation of Bobbi from the comics, and Palicki did such a good job with her, that it seems a waste not to use her. It didn't tell her whole story, but it set her up as an ex-SHIELD agent, just like she was in the comics when she met Clint. The only slightly awkward thing is that she already has an ex-husband who was kind of set up as her endgame ship in the show, but then again...Agent Carter also set up an endgame ship that the MCU had no problem breaking up in other stories, so it can't be too big of an obstacle. And MCU Clint is pretty devoted to his farm family, so I doubt he and Mockingbird would go any farther than flirtation, or maybe reminiscing, in this show.

I do hope that Mockingbird potentially being part of the Hawkeye show would effect some changes in the comics: a) that having a bigger profile would encourage Marvel to put her in more books, b) that interacting with Kate in the show would lead to a more developed connection between them in the comics (for someone who started out her superhero career borrowing themes from both Hawkeye and Mockingbird...), and c) that chemistry between the actors would remind Marvel that Bobbi and Clint make a pretty good pair in the comics, and that they would start pairing them up again, whether as an actual romantic couple or just getting them to work together like they did in Secret Avengers.

[Frontier]

It's never going to happen, but maybe Laura Barton is secretly Bobbi Morse who retired, dyed her hair, and changed her name after a long and complicated SHIELD career to settle down with Clint .

(Velmas Mockingbird? Huh...)

[Soulsword323]

I wish they could just keep Adrianne, and just reboot the character by cutting all ties to AOS. Whatever they do, hopefully it will bode well for Mockingbird in the comics. Bobbi showing up in a show could lead to her getting a push again, and I'd be all for it.

[Dermie]

I heard The Orville is ending this season, and Hawkeye hasn't finished casting yet. I'm sure they could make the scheduling work. Plus, Adrianne Palicki is always talking about how she'd go back to playing Bobbi in a heartbeat if Marvel asked her to.

Yes, The Orville is ending and the two shows wouldn't necessarily be filming at the same time anyway. That would not be an obstacle--at most, it might require some scheduling negotiations.

I understand that if the Hawkeye show wants to have a Bobbi Morse with a backstory that contradicts Agents of SHIELD's Bobbi Morse, then it could be confusing to have one actor play different versions of the same character, especially in two universes where it's not exactly clear how much they overlap (given the crossovers in the early seasons of AoS).

Its possible that it could be somewhat confusing...but oh well. They can make it work. They have already put themselves in that situation with Phil Coulson, Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Lady Sif and others appearing in both the MCU movies and the AOS tv show. They even have already had the same actor playing two different versions of the same character with J.K. Simmons playing J. Jonah Jameson in both the Raimi SPIDER-MAN trilogy and in the MCU version. They can make it work if they want to.

Let's be honest -- the fans that would likely be confused and have a problem with it are the more casual fans who weren't even watching AOS in the first place. The AOS fans are genre savvy enough to wrap their heads around two different versions of the same character played by the same actor. The MCU is in the process of introducing and exploring the Multiverse concept--so the idea of different timelines with different versions of the same characters is something that all MCU audiences are going to be expected to wrap their heads around very soon. So that really doesn't hold up as a justification for re-casting.

That being said, AoS's Bobbi Morse was so close to a faithful adaptation of Bobbi from the comics, and Palicki did such a good job with her, that it seems a waste not to use her.

Absolutely. She was excellent in the role, and the actor has displayed an ongoing passion for the character. This is the sort of actor you want playing the character.

I do hope that Mockingbird potentially being part of the Hawkeye show would effect some changes in the comics: a) that having a bigger profile would encourage Marvel to put her in more books, b) that interacting with Kate in the show would lead to a more developed connection between them in the comics (for someone who started out her superhero career borrowing themes from both Hawkeye and Mockingbird...), and c) that chemistry between the actors would remind Marvel that Bobbi and Clint make a pretty good pair in the comics, and that they would start pairing them up again, whether as an actual romantic couple or just getting them to work together like they did in Secret Avengers.

I would absolutely LOVE for more MCU Mockingbird to translate to more 616 Mockingbird material. Its not guaranteed, of course--but it does increase the odds of her getting a bit more of a push.

[OOTCS]

It's never going to happen, but maybe Laura Barton is secretly Bobbi Morse who retired, dyed her hair, and changed her name after a long and complicated SHIELD career to settle down with Clint .

(Velmas Mockingbird? Huh...)

I can almost believe it, but even if she were to retire, I just don't see Bobbi settling down on a farm in the middle of nowhere. She's such a city girl.

That being said, I did write a fanfic once where Laura Barton was an agricultural sciences graduate who had greenhouses and experiments and so on...but still, I think Bobbi needs the stimulation of the city.

Re: Bobbi getting a push in the comics--if Taskmaster and Red Guardian can star in titles after being in Black Widow, then I'm hoping being in the Hawkeye show can do the same for Mockingbird. (As an aside: Speaking of the Taskmaster book, which I'm very much looking forward to, I would love for Jed Mackay to write a Mockingbird book. After reading his Black Cat and Daughters of the Dragon, he has a special talent for making characters sound unique and engaging.)

[Frontier]

I can almost believe it, but even if she were to retire, I just don't see Bobbi settling down on a farm in the middle of nowhere. She's such a city girl.

That being said, I did write a fanfic once where Laura Barton was an agricultural sciences graduate who had greenhouses and experiments and so on...but still, I think Bobbi needs the stimulation of the city.

Re: Bobbi getting a push in the comics--if Taskmaster and Red Guardian can star in titles after being in Black Widow, then I'm hoping being in the Hawkeye show can do the same for Mockingbird. (As an aside: Speaking of the Taskmaster book, which I'm very much looking forward to, I would love for Jed Mackay to write a Mockingbird book. After reading his Black Cat and Daughters of the Dragon, he has a special talent for making characters sound unique and engaging.)

Falcon and Winter Soldier got a mini so I wouldn't be surprised if we get a Hawkeyes book that coincidentally features some of the characters in same show.

I think Mckay could write a good Bobbi (and maybe he has?). He does a great job with sassy, intelligent, kick-butt heroines .

[Dermie]

Re: Bobbi getting a push in the comics--if Taskmaster and Red Guardian can star in titles after being in Black Widow, then I'm hoping being in the Hawkeye show can do the same for Mockingbird. (As an aside: Speaking of the Taskmaster book, which I'm very much looking forward to, I would love for Jed Mackay to write a Mockingbird book. After reading his Black Cat and Daughters of the Dragon, he has a special talent for making characters sound unique and engaging.)

Jed MacKay would be a great choice! Personally I'd also like to see Jim McCann come back, both because of his obvious passion for Bobbi, but also to tie up some of the loose ends from his run (notably whatever her Bobbi's mother was about to tell her about her father before Crossfire shot her). I'd also enjoy seeing Jim Zub get to do more with Mockingbird--he wants to use her, but barely got to scratch the surface in AGENTS OF WAKANDA and EMPYRE: AVENGERS.

A really left field suggestion here, but I would also like to see what Fabian Nicieza would do with Mockingbird. He's a big fan of Hawkeye and did great work with him in THUNDERBOLTS and his short-lived HAWKEYE solo. In fact, he would have touched on Bobbi in the next arc of his HAWKEYE book if it hadn't been cancelled. I'd be curious to see him writing Bobbi. He's certainly a fan of smart-mouth characters, which could give Bobbi back some of her scathing sarcastic barbs and battle chatter that prompted her choice of code name. We haven't seen as much of Bobbi using her humour as a battle tactic (distracting her opponents) in recent years.

[OOTCS]

Falcon and Winter Soldier got a mini so I wouldn't be surprised if we get a Hawkeyes book that coincidentally features some of the characters in same show.

I think Mckay could write a good Bobbi (and maybe he has?). He does a great job with sassy, intelligent, kick-butt heroines .

I remember there was some speculation going on here a while ago that Bobbi might be in the Taskmaster book, even though she's not mentioned in the solicits. That'd be a nice chance to see what he could do with her.

Jed MacKay would be a great choice! Personally I'd also like to see Jim McCann come back, both because of his obvious passion for Bobbi, but also to tie up some of the loose ends from his run (notably whatever her Bobbi's mother was about to tell her about her father before Crossfire shot her). I'd also enjoy seeing Jim Zub get to do more with Mockingbird--he wants to use her, but barely got to scratch the surface in AGENTS OF WAKANDA and EMPYRE: AVENGERS.

A really left field suggestion here, but I would also like to see what Fabian Nicieza would do with Mockingbird. He's a big fan of Hawkeye and did great work with him in THUNDERBOLTS and his short-lived HAWKEYE solo. In fact, he would have touched on Bobbi in the next arc of his HAWKEYE book if it hadn't been cancelled. I'd be curious to see him writing Bobbi. He's certainly a fan of smart-mouth characters, which could give Bobbi back some of her scathing sarcastic barbs and battle chatter that prompted her choice of code name. We haven't seen as much of Bobbi using her humour as a battle tactic (distracting her opponents) in recent years.

Jim McCann for sure. I doubt Marvel would let him pick up exactly where he left off on Mockingbird, so I guess that would be a mix of new and old. I'm intrigued about the idea of McCann and Matthew Rosenberg collaborating on something, since McCann's Hawk & Mock series had them breaking up because Bobbi was spiraling and Clint was afraid of being pulled in, while Hawkeye: Freefall left us with Clint hitting rock bottom while pushing away all of his friends. It would be nice to get a story that followed up on their individual mental states and integrated the two books.

Zub did a good job with her in Agents of Wakanda and I'd like to see him continue to put her in team books, but now that I'm thinking about it, I've never read a solo by him. I know he's writing Conan, but I haven't been drawn to that character so far, and everything else I can think of by him is a team book. I don't know what I would even expect out of him for a solo comic.

Nicieza would be great! I didn't realize he was still actively writing for Marvel, but I liked how he kept Bobbi's memory alive in Thunderbolts even as Clint was starting to fall for Karla. Aside from Thunderbolts Annual 2000, which was a beautiful tribute to their relationship, I remember a panel where Songbird compares her love for Abe to Clint's love for Mockingbird (which is funny, since she and Angar, back when she was Screaming Mimi, disguised themselves as Hawkeye and Mockingbird and faced off against the couple once).

I didn't realize he had another arc planned for his Hawkeye series. I'm guessing it was cut short because of Disassembled? Is there anywhere I can find out more about that?

[Muffin Crud]

They better not recast Adrianne.

She’s perfect

[Dermie]

Jim McCann for sure. I doubt Marvel would let him pick up exactly where he left off on Mockingbird, so I guess that would be a mix of new and old.

Yeah, just given the amount of time that has passed (both real world and Marvel Time) it wouldn't make sense to pick up where he left off. But he could still revisit old plot points and tie up loose threads in a story dealing with Bobbi's present status quo.

I'm intrigued about the idea of McCann and Matthew Rosenberg collaborating on something, since McCann's Hawk & Mock series had them breaking up because Bobbi was spiraling and Clint was afraid of being pulled in, while Hawkeye: Freefall left us with Clint hitting rock bottom while pushing away all of his friends. It would be nice to get a story that followed up on their individual mental states and integrated the two books.

That would certainly be interesting! We'll have to wait and see if anyone picks up on where FREEFALL left Clint, or if that situation quietly resolves itself off-panel. He was present as a guest at Wiccan and Hulkling's wedding reception...but that may have been a case where everyone just set other issues aside in the spirit of the occasion. He's also been seemingly back to normal with his friends in BLACK WIDOW--but that could just be due to the fact that these issues were written before FREEFALL concluded and Kelly Thompson may not have been aware of where Clint's status quo would be at the end of the arc.

Nicieza would be great! I didn't realize he was still actively writing for Marvel, but I liked how he kept Bobbi's memory alive in Thunderbolts even as Clint was starting to fall for Karla. Aside from Thunderbolts Annual 2000, which was a beautiful tribute to their relationship, I remember a panel where Songbird compares her love for Abe to Clint's love for Mockingbird (which is funny, since she and Angar, back when she was Screaming Mimi, disguised themselves as Hawkeye and Mockingbird and faced off against the couple once).

Yeah, he doesn't have a regular assignment for Marvel, but he does continue to work for them here and there. He is currently writing a JUGGERNAUT miniseries - the first issue just came out a few weeks ago.

Ever since Bobbi came back, I've had a desire to see Fabian write a story where Mockingbird and Moonstone cross paths, either as allies or enemies (depending on what phase of her redemption cycle Karla happens to be in at the time).

I didn't realize he had another arc planned for his Hawkeye series. I'm guessing it was cut short because of Disassembled? Is there anywhere I can find out more about that?

No, the book was cut short because of low sales. The timing of the cancellation was really unfortunate though, since it meant that Clint was available to be one the Avengers killed off in "Disassembled" just a few months later. The book fell victim to the decompressed "made for trade" storytelling that was popular at the time--that opening arc should not have been a 6 parter.

As for Fabian's plans for the next arc, I'm not sure if there is anywhere to find it anymore. It was something he talked about in a post at another message board, years ago. I remember that he said that his next arc would have introduced an all-new Mockingbird, who had some sort of connection to Bobbi. He also said that Bobbi herself would have appeared in those flashback prologues he had at the start of every issue. That arc would also have involved Barney Barton's old FBI partner (who Fabian established in a previous issue of having written to Clint after Barney's death and revealing that Barney was really an undercover FBI agent).

That was all he revealed though--he didn't get into any specifics of what the story would have been, or who this new Mockingbird would have been. In a way, it might be a good thing it didn't happen--if they'd introduced a new Mockingbird it might have stopped them from bringing Bobbi back eventually. But I would have loved to have at least seen Fabian's flashback scenes with Bobbi and Clint.

[OOTCS]

While we're waiting for some announcement from Marvel about Bobbi, Otto Schmidt has been blessing us with some free art on Twitter lately:

Mockingbird and the Black Canary:
Ek1i1iWXgAAosKG.jpg


Bobbi in her 70s jumpsuit with Clint as Goliath:
Ejf2s02WAAICL2g.jpg

[Frontier]

While we're waiting for some announcement from Marvel about Bobbi, Otto Schmidt has been blessing us with some free art on Twitter lately:

Mockingbird and the Black Canary:
Ek1i1iWXgAAosKG.jpg


Bobbi in her 70s jumpsuit with Clint as Goliath:
Ejf2s02WAAICL2g.jpg

Otto does have a knack for drawing tough, beautiful, blondes .

A Bobbi/Dinah team-up would be worth a proper Marvel/DC crossover.

[Dermie]

While we're waiting for some announcement from Marvel about Bobbi, Otto Schmidt has been blessing us with some free art on Twitter lately:

Mockingbird and the Black Canary:
Ek1i1iWXgAAosKG.jpg


Bobbi in her 70s jumpsuit with Clint as Goliath:
Ejf2s02WAAICL2g.jpg

Thanks for sharing--those are great!

The Clint/Bobbi one in particular is a lot of fun. I love how much story he managed to put into that one image. Bobbi and Clint are at a cosplay party (for fun or a mission, who knows) and it is seemingly being held at a gay bar, since Bobbi says all the guys in the bar are jealous of her. Its really fun to see both of them in those old outfits too. That Goliath costume design was always a weird look for Hank Pym, but on Clint it works.

We've seen Schmidt draw Clint's current costume, his classic costume, his Ronin costume and the Goliath costume. I wonder if we'll ever get to see him draw the short-lived circus "miniskirt" costume?