Avengers: Endgame’s Ronin Fight Scenes Criticized By Yakuza Expert

Avengers: Endgame‘s Ronin fight scene in Japan is criticized by a former yakuza member. After sitting out the events of Avengers: Infinity War, Clint Barton returned to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but with a brand-new identity. Instead of being Hawkeye, he assumed the persona of the ruthless samurai, Ronin. Fueled by his anger with the death of his family via Thanos’ snap, Barton went on a killing spree as his way to cope with grief, which included a stint in Japan where he targeted yakuza.

Former yakuza member, Tatsuya Shindo sat down with Insider to dissect Avengers: Endgame‘s Ronin fight scene against the yakuza. Unfortunately, he wasn’t impressed by the fight scene, giving it a zero rating regarding its real-life accuracy. Watch the video below:

Shindo was impressed by Sanada’s stance as a yakuza member. His problem was the actual sword fight between him and Ronin, which he said doesn’t really happen in real life, saying:

The actor in this film, Hiroyuki Sanada, really emits the aura of a yakuza. If a yakuza looks weak or vulnerable, that’s it. They have to be strong to survive. Any yakuza can recognize another with just a quick glance. The eyes of a yakuza are different. They are keen and shrewd, and there’s this atmosphere created that almost comes from his entire body.

So, some people in my gang actually did kill people with swords like that. Of course. But there are no sword fights like this. Nowadays, it’s pistols. The scene gets zero for realism.

Admittedly, Avengers: Endgame didn’t give Hawkeye’s Ronin arc its deserved due. Prior to the film, it was one of the most interesting aspects of its storyline, with MCU architect Kevin Feige claiming that it would make Barton’s Avengers: Infinity War absence worth it. Luckily, Marvel Studios was able to somehow redeem itself for its handling of Ronin’s storyline. Years later after he retired his secret identity, it came back to haunt him via the events of Hawkeye, which started after Kate Bishop stumbled upon the Ronin suit and decided to use it. This inadvertently resurrected the ruthless assassin, sending a message to his adversaries that he was back.

Bringing back Ronin and making it an important plot point in Disney+’s Hawkeye allowed Marvel Studios to make up for Avengers: Endgame‘s rather disappointing depiction of the character. In hindsight, it’s difficult to put all the blame on the 2019 film. It was already packed as it was, and there was no way it would be able to do a proper adaptation of the Ronin storyline in Marvel Comics. Renner’s subsequent TV show still didn’t, but at least it was further explored.

Related: Hawkeye Finale: Every Unanswered Question

At this point, it’s difficult to say if Hawkeye’s Ronin persona will ever come back. After Avengers: Endgame, it was clear that Barton never wanted to relive his experience as the ruthless samurai, and his show doubled down on this idea. Still, there are several other interesting stories that can be tackled with this alter-ego at the center, so it isn’t outside the realm of possibility that Marvel Studios brings it back in the future.

Source: Insider

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