Warning! Spoilers ahead for Hawkeye episode 1.
Iron Man's death had a hidden impact on the Avengers that has since been revealed in Hawkeye. After kicking off the MCU in 2008 and being a key player in the Infinity Saga, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) ended his arc by making the sacrificial play in Avengers: Endgame. While it was a tragic way to end the character's story, there's poetry to it considering that he began as a self-centered narcissist. Aside from losing one of the founding characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Iron Man's death also has some unforeseen negative impacts on the way the Avengers operate.
In Hawkeye, Jeremy Renner returns to the MCU with his own TV series as Clint Barton. This marks the first time that he's headlining a project ever since quietly debuting in the franchise back in 2011 via Kenneth Branagh's Thor. The show puts a focus on the bow and arrow-wielding hero's story, but it also introduces the universe's newest character Kate Bishop, played by Hailee Steinfeld. Since Clint is already a previously-established player in the MCU, Hawkeye features several references to the bigger universe he belongs in. That includes the project's events having ties to what went down in the Infinity Saga.
In Hawkeye episode 1, Kate finds herself attending an underground auction. Some of the items being sold off include Ronin's sword, suit, and an unnamed Avenger's watch. Apparently, these were all stolen from the ruins of the Avengers Compound in upstate New York after the final fight with Thanos (Josh Brolin). This is such an interesting revelation as it means that on the heels of the all-out fight for the planet, the whole area wasn't secured once everyone cleared out to return to their families and friends. It also highlights how much work Tony Stark took on outside of suiting up as Iron Man.
The genius-billionaire-philanthropist primarily dealt with the other operational responsibilities, including the clean-up of battlegrounds like the Avengers HQ. Had he been around, it's more than likely that he would've immediately made sure that the perimeters of the Avengers Compound were secured and subsequently cleaned up, preventing any kind of looting. Hawkeye hasn't revealed how exactly the auctioneers were able to get their hands on the Avengers' items, but considering the fact that they were able to pick up a few things, chances are that they were able to access the facility for an extended period of time.
Of course, there's a possibility that the thieves were part of the team tasked to clean up the area, but if Stark was around, he would've been more hands-on with the process. If not, he would've asked someone he trusted to keep an eye on what's happening, like best friend Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), because he knew that most of the team's things were buried in the ruins of the Avengers Compound. Aside from that, the wreckage would have also included numerous Stark Tech gadgets in various conditions that potential villains could repurpose for whatever nefarious scheme they were planning.
With Stark now gone, no one's taking care of these matters for the Avengers, because while Captain America (Chris Evans) calls the shots in battle, it's Iron Man who usually took care of the rest. The MCU looks and feels different without Tony Stark in it. Although he's no longer around, his presence and legacy still loom large in the franchise. Hawkeye is just the latest Marvel Studios project to emphasize that.
Hawkeye airs every Wednesday on Disney+.
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