Jeremy Renner, the star of the Marvel Cinematic Universe lovable for a decade as Hawkeye, has spoken out about the snowplow accident that almost killed him in January 2023. In an interview during the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia on Dec. 10, Renner not only recounted the path to his recovery but also spilled more about his imminent memoir detailing the ordeal and life lessons learned.
As it unfolded, the 53-year-old actor, who has a reputation for dry humor, couldn’t help but take a playful dig at his MCU costar. When asked whether the 38 broken bones and brutal injuries sustained in the accident had left him with any limitations, Renner joked, “I don’t think of it as limitations — even though I’m 25 percent titanium, so f*k Iron Man.”
All about Jeremy Renner’s Memoir
VINYL TEST PRESSED… and passed ! What started as a crushing accident , turned emotional score of recovery , has NOW become a tangible beacon of the experience of life, death, recovery , and all things learned along the way. I hope you enjoy Thank you for all the love and… pic.twitter.com/Fe01e31Nqa
— Jeremy Renner (@JeremyRenner) February 18, 2024
Renner thanked fans from all around the world for their outpouring of support after the accident.
“It’ll be two years in January, and I am very, very proud to overcome a great adversity in my life,” he said. “I’m forever grateful for all the love and support I’ve gotten from people all around the world, even those I never knew existed, that helped propel me to get better.”
The experience, Davin said, has become a defining chapter of Renner’s life.
In Saudi Arabia, Renner said he was in the final stages of writing a memoir about the experience and its aftermath.
“While I’ve been here this whole trip, I’ve been doing the final edit on it, so it’s kind of fresh in my brain,” he explained, noting that writing about the incident has been an emotionally complex process.
The Harrowing Snowplow Accident
The actor described the horrifying Jan. 1, 2023, event, in which he was operating a 14,000-pound snowplow to free a car stuck in the snow near his house in Nevada. Renner was pinned under the cast iron machine while heroically trying to save his nephew Alex from certain crushing death as the machine slid down the road.
“I remember every undulation. I remember my head cracking on the thing and it just pressing on me — it’s exactly like you think it would feel,” Renner told Men’s Health in their July/August issue.
With dozens of injuries, including broken bones and a partly dislodged eye, Renner’s determination to protect his nephew never faltered.
“I’m not letting anybody get hurt on my watch,” he declared. “That’s why I put my f***ing own life on the line for my nephew. I couldn’t live with that.”
A Changed Perspective
After surviving a snowplow accident in 2023, Marvel icon Jeremy Renner brings us into his home and shows us his gym and fridge pic.twitter.com/Oie0wPZe8m
— Men’s Health Mag (@MensHealthMag) August 11, 2024
The incident has left Renner with a newfound appreciation and passion for life and resilience, though it’s been life-altering.
“There’s so many wonderful gifts that come from being tested to your limits of death,” Renner said at the festival. “Because I did die, and I came back, and I came back for a reason, and nothing to do with me. But I’m glad I’m back.”
Looking back on the scars left behind, both physical and emotional, Renner called them reminders of the gravity of the day.
“All those [scars] are just reminders of the beautiful, beautiful day that could have been a really bad day,” he told Men’s Health.
Will Hawkeye Return?
Hawkeye will return in ‘Avengers Doomsday’ pic.twitter.com/HMCt0HdZ88
— Marvel News (@Marvelnewszz) November 4, 2024
Fans are hopeful that Renner will return as Hawkeye in the upcoming Marvel movies and even The Hurt Locker star is “ready to go” after recovering from his terrible accident, he claimed in an interview with Entertainment Tonight.
“I’m always game, I’m gonna be strong enough, that’s for sure. I’ll be ready. All those guys come to my bedside and they’ve been with me all along through this recovery, so… if they want me, they could have me. It would be something.”
Renner has played the role of Clint Barton across the MCU in films like The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Endgame, and Black Widow. Additionally, he also starred in the Disney+ standalone series, Hawkeye.
Expected to give fans an up-close account of his journey, not just the details of the accident, but the inspiration he’s gleaned from it. Renner’s memoir is sure to fill in some of the blanks of his road to recovery. As he heals, Renner’s story stands as a reminder of the strength of spirit in the face of adversity.
