Hawkeye’s Jack Duquesne AKA Swordsman: Marvel History & MCU Differences

Warning: SPOILERS for Hawkeye episode 2

The first episodes of Hawkeye tease multiple secrets for Jack Duquesne, but is he really the Disney+ show’s villain? As one of the new characters joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Phase 4, the mysteries of Jack Duquesne linger throughout the early parts of Hawkeye‘s story. He’s squarely a supporting character who seems poised to create some conflict for Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), which might also bring him into a fight with Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner).

Hawkeye‘s post-Avengers: Endgame story begins with balancing the continuation of Clint’s arc and introducing Kate to the MCU. The latter receives a lot of screentime early on, and it is through her story that Jack enters Hawkeye‘s narrative. The show introduces Tony Dalton’s Jack as a sword-obsessed romantic partner of Kate’s mom, Eleanor (Vera Farmiga). Hawkeye has only scratched the surface on who Jack is, even if one of his secrets did get out already. The first episode confirmed that Jack intends to marry Eleanor, which would make him Kate’s step-dad. While Kate is immediately against this idea due to Jack’s overconfident personality, she finds more reasons to push back on the idea of her mom marrying him as Hawkeye‘s first two episodes unfold.

Jack’s curious actions and what happens to those around him make him a character to watch as Hawkeye moves forward. It is also sure to leave several viewers looking for answers to some of Jack’s secrets. Of course, fans of the comics should have a slight edge in figuring out where his story goes next and the other twists and turns Marvel could have in store. It might even include Jack becoming Hawkeye‘s villain, so here’s a rundown of his comic history and possible MCU connections.

Jack Duquesne In Marvel Comics – Swordman Origin, History & Powers

Jack Duquesne is better known as Swordsman in the pages of Marvel’s comics. Stan Lee and Don Heck created him back in 1965, as Jack made his debut in Avengers #19. His early days in the comics saw Swordsman repeatedly attempt to join the Avengers roster for various reasons. He was eventually aided by the Mandarin and meant to serve as his double-agent within the group. Although his original stint with the Avengers ended after a misunderstanding with a bomb, Swordsman got another crack at being a hero. It came after he met and fell in love with Mantis, and the two of them served as members of the Avengers for some time. However, Jack eventually sacrificed himself to save Mantis from Kang the Conqueror.

It wasn’t until later on in the comics that Swordsman’s backstory was fleshed out and connected to Hawkeye. Before his days as a master criminal or Avenger, Jack spent time working at carnivals. This is where he met Clint and his brother Barney when they were both just kids. Swordsman began to mentor Clint with the help of fellow carnie Trickshot, which is when Hawkeye started to perfect his shooting skills. Jack and Clint became close during this time, but they ended on rough terms when Clint caught Jack stealing from the carnival. Swordsman had to chase down Clint and thought he killed the young man after cutting a high wire.

As evident with a name like Swordsman, Jack is incredibly skilled when it comes to using bladed weapons. He’s highly regarded as one of Marvel’s best fighters with a sword, which he downplays when he has to fence Kate in Hawkeye episode 2. Jack’s sword of choice usually doesn’t have any exceptional qualities to it, although the Mandarin did upgrade his sword with alien technology at one time. That might not happen in the MCU, but Jack does have Ronin’s retractable katana, thanks to the events of Hawkeye‘s first episode.

Will Swordsman Be Hawkeye’s Original MCU Mentor?

To this point in Hawkeye‘s story, Jack and Clint have not even crossed paths yet, so it remains to be seen if the MCU will give them a deep-rooted connection. If it does, it seems unlikely that Swordsman will be Hawkeye’s mentor like he was in the comics. Tony Dalton is four years younger than Jeremy Renner, so it wouldn’t make sense for Jack to have trained Clint in the past. This will change their dynamic in the MCU as compared to the source material. However, it should allow Marvel Studios to go in a slightly different direction that still honors their history.

Instead of Swordsman being Hawkeye’s original MCU mentor, Hawkeye could reveal that they were trained together by a different mentor. If the MCU keeps Clint’s carnie backstory, Jack could’ve been another runaway kid who he met during this time. Jack’s relationship with his father Armand III may have pushed him away from the family’s money to see if he could make it on his own. That could be where he and Clint then met and honed their skills with the help of a different mentor, such as Trickshot. If the MCU went this route, it would essentially see Jack replace the role of Clint’s brother Barney in his past and directly tie the past, present, and future of Swordsman and Hawkeye’s MCU stories together.

Did Jack Kill Armand III In Hawkeye Episode 1?

One of Jack’s secrets that Hawkeye has yet to resolve explicitly is if he was responsible for killing his father, Armand III. In a murderous twist reminiscent of Knives Out, the wealthy leader of the Duquesne empire was found dead at the end of episode 1. Kate finds Armand III dead in his mansion with a stab wound indicating how he died. This is all Kate needs to begin to suspect that Jack killed his father, and her suspicions are strengthened when Jack pulls one of Armand’s candies from his house out of his pocket later on. Between the possible token from his visit to kill his father and Armand’s death by a blade, Jack is certainly the prime suspect to have killed Armand III. He also has a good enough motivation as he’d gain his massive inheritance at last.

Although Jack might have killed Armand III, he is not the only Hawkeye character who could’ve done it. A villain twist with Kate’s mom could make Jack’s soon-to-be-wife responsible. The first episode showed Armand III and Eleanor having an argument that Kate believes included him threatening her mom. It wouldn’t be too surprising if Eleanor traveled to Armand’s estate after this fight and got rid of him before he could create more problems. Armand wasn’t trusting of Eleanor before for undisclosed reasons. She may have had enough with his comments and distrust and killed him, which would then put her in line for a great fortune once she marries Jack. Eleanor could’ve even used one of Jack’s many swords to kill Armand III.

Is Jack Duquesne Really Hawkeye’s Villain?

There is a lot more to Jack Duquesne’s Hawkeye role than the show has revealed to this point. He is certainly being set up as a villain for the series, at least early on. Whether or not Hawkeye commits to Jack being the villain remains to be seen, though. The MCU Disney+ shows have a habit of hiding their true villains in some capacity: Agnes didn’t become Agatha Harkness until WandaVision‘s seventh episode; The Falcon and the Winter Soldier didn’t confirm Power Broker’s identity until the finale; Loki waited until the end to even introduce He Who Remains aka Kang the Conqueror. With Hawkeye positioning Jack as a villain right away, Marvel’s track record could indicate he isn’t the main villain, or he’ll finally help them break this mold.

If Jack is Hawkeye‘s main villain, it is easy to see how it could create a compelling drama for the series. The Duquesne family has plenty of money, but it seems that some of their riches came from shady or less-legal practices. Jack and Armand III’s participation in the black market sale of Avengers Compound items might mean that the Duquesne family is affiliated with different criminal empires in New York. Jack might now have to step up and fill the hole left by his father’s death. He’s also directly tied to Kate Bishop and her mother already. If the MCU does keep him as part of Clint Barton’s backstory in some fashion, then Clint and Kate will each have personal motivations to stop whatever Jack is planning. That would position Jack as the perfect Hawkeye villain, so it’ll be fascinating to see how his development plays out.

Hawkeye airs every Wednesday on Disney+.

About The Author

Cooper Hood
(5616 Articles Published)

Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. He joined Screen Rant in late 2016 following a year-long stint with MCU Exchange, which came after first developing an MCU blog of his own. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn’t until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. When he isn’t writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection – because physical media is still king! Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper.

More From Cooper Hood