Jeremy Renner Was 'Terrified' to Return to Acting, Doesn't Have the Energy for 'Challenging Roles'

Jeremy Renner is taking a new approach to acting after suffering a snow plow incident in 2023.

The Marvel star opened up about how he’s tackling future roles during an appearance on Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett’s Smartless podcast recently (via Variety). He says he was “very terrified” when deciding how to return to work following his accident.

“Because I’m to do, like, f*cking fiction? I’m still trying to live in reality, I’m trying to live,” he said. “So it was a hard line for me to cross. It was a big stretch. It was very, very challenging for me mentally to get over that hump.”

Renner says he struggles with roles that may be more challenging. When speaking about his role as Mike McLusky in Paramount’s Mayor of Kingstown, he had this to say:

“I’m in a character that I can do very well and I know the show very well, so it was easy for me to kind of slide back into it. But if it was a very challenging role, I couldn’t have taken it. Not challenging in the sense that — because the show’s challenging, but it’s if I had to go play Dahmer or something, something so far from me.”

"I have so much fuel to put into this reality, this body, all this stuff. I can't just go play make-believe right now.

Renner continued: “I just don’t have the energy for it. I don’t have the fuel. I have so much fuel to put into this reality, this body, all this stuff. I can’t just go play make-believe right now. Because that takes a lot of time to get right here every day just so I can have a positive thought, so I can progress, so I can always keep growing.”

Renner suffered serious injuries during a Sno-Cat accident in the beginning of 2023. Though he was out of surgery within days, the incident saw the actor dealing with eight broken ribs, broken ankles, a broken leg, a collapsed lung, and more. Renner says he was awake through “all of it” in an interview that took place the following March.

“I chose to survive,” he said at the time. “That’s not gonna kill me, no way. I’ve lost a lot of flesh and bone in this experience, but I’ve been refueled and refilled with love and titanium.”

Renner is probably best known for portraying Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but his resume extends far outside superhero movies and shows. He made his mark in Hollywood with 2008’s The Hurt Locker and 2010’s The Town. Though the star power he gained with films like The Avengers is undeniable, he still went on to play a part in other movies like Wind River, Tag, Arrival, and the Mission: Impossible franchise. He’ll soon star in Rian Johnson’s upcoming Knives Out sequel, Wake Up Dead Man.

Renner said in February of this year that he would be “strong enough” to return to the MCU should Marvel want more from Hawkeye. He detailed his recovery process in late 2023.

Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.

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