Hawkeye trailer features an unexpected Captain America Easter egg

Introducing ‘Rogers: The Musical’

The first trailer for Marvel’s forthcoming series Hawkeye features an unexpected nod to Captain America.

In the clip, unveiled on Monday (13 September) by Disney+, Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, tries to enjoy life with his family – until of course his existence as a superhero catches up with him.

This includes taking his children to see a musical in New York City as the holiday season approaches.

The musical in question, as it turns out, is none other than the fictional – and very meta – Rogers: The Musical, a Broadway retelling of Captain America’s story.

According to signage on display outside the theatre in the trailer, Rogers: The Musical “captures the heart of a hero”. The trailer even includes flashes of excerpts from the rave reviews supposedly received by Rogers: the Musical, which deem it “ a super-powered sensation” and “a timeless story of a timeless hero”.

A later frame shows the musical version of Steve Rogers dancing onstage with his trademark shield, accompanied by doppelgängers of other well-known Marvel characters such as Thor and his brother Loki.

The trailer for ‘Hawkeye’ introduces the fictional ‘Rogers: The Musical’, a theatre play about Captain America (YouTube/Marvel Entertainment)

Fans were quick to pick up on the moment. Some loved it so much they said they needed a real-life version of the Broadway show.

Hawkeye stars Jeremy Renner as the titular character and Hailee Steinfeld as his protégée Kate Bishop.

The trailer includes a shot of the very meta Broadway show, featuring versions of additional Marvel characters including Thor and Loki (left) (YouTube/Marvel Entertainment)

Florence Pugh will also star as Yelena Belova, having made her Marvel debut in Black Widow, but her character does not appear in the trailer.

Hawkeye will start streaming on 24 November on Disney+ in the US and in the UK.