[Movie] The Avengers are rockin'

[Grifman]

First was the Captain America: The First Avenger panel, then Thor, then Kevin Feige stayed on stage and the lights went out. We got a teaser trailer, which was just the classic “A” logo slowing fading in from black with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) talking about a team of heroes assembling. Jackson then came out to a huge applause. First he announced his right hand man, Agent Colston, played by Clark Gregg. Next was his right hand woman, Black Widow, played by Scarlet Johanssen. Then the God of Thunder, Thor – Chris Hemsworth. Captain America, played by Chris Evans. And even Robert Downey Jr., aka Tony Stark. All together, on the stage… together. Awesome. But it got better.

Downey got on the mike and asked if everyone had seen Inception. He said, he thought that was one of the most ambitious films he had ever seen… until he realized that Marvel was going to make a movie with every! single! superhero! they! had! The Avengers was the most ambitious movie ever, he said.

Then Downey brought out Jeremy Renner, who will play Hawkeye, and officially announced Ruffalo as Bruce Banner, the Hulk.

Finally, director Joss Whedon was announced and said “I had a dream all my life and it was not this good.” He joked that he was going to blow it.

The energy in the room for the entire event, which lasted only a few minutes after the hour long finale panel, was electric and near indescribable. The flash bulbs were popping, the digital cameras prevalent. Madness. If there’s a video, you have to find it. Jon Favreau threw down the gauntlet with his Cowboys & Aliens footage, but Marvel won Comic Con.

http://www.collider.com/2010/07/24/comi ... s/?_r=true

[Jag]

/geekgasm

[Smoove_B]

Without Ant-Man, this is a disgrace.

Alright, seriously it's actually pretty cool and I'm not sure if it was one person or a team of people that had the smarts to see the crossover potential when they were doing all these movies, but it's awesome.

[GreenGoo]

Too much for me. Team comics work because we already know the back stories/history/origins of each hero, or else an entire edition is dedicated to introducing someone new.

Not sure how this is going to work in a movie. Either they ignore the dynamics of a team, except the standard Cyclops/Wolverine/Jeanwhatshername triangle of love/hate/dislike/grudging respect, or they spend too much time on it and run out of time for any sort of plot.

If this is anything but a series of barely connected action sequences, with the occasional quip, I'll be very surprised. That is probably good enough for most fans. Since I don't have any special affection for the Avengers, it's not enough for me.

As always, taking a wait and see attitude.

[Arcanis]

If it were Michael Bay making the movie we would just get lots of fireballs and for Thor a special treat Lighting generated fireballs. The is Joss Whedon, I think he can pull it off but i don't think he is so over the top talented to not have a chance at screwing the pooch either.

[El Guapo]

Most of these characters *do* have their own edition (movie) establishing their backstory (or have one shortly coming out). Black Widow and Nick Fury are part of Iron Man 2 rather than having their own movies, but otherwise there have been or will soon be origin movies for just about all of the other characters.

I'm still skeptical as to how they manage all these characters, though.

[Smoove_B]

Huh. Apparently they are trying to make an Ant-Man movie - and allegedly Eva Longoria is rumored to be playing The Wasp.

[Grifman]

If anyone call pull together an ensemble movie, it's Whedon. What were Buffy and Firefly but ensembles? Sure Buffy and Mal were the leads, but everyone else was anything but a bit player. Of course it could still suck, but I'd bet it won't.

[YellowKing]

My optimism hinges on the fact that Whedon is a geek. He'll be approaching this from a fan's point of view.

[tgb]

Who's playing Mrs. Peel?

[hentzau]

The thing I'm digging the most is that the Captain America movie is going to be set in WW II. I'm really hoping that they do the whole "Cap frozen in ice" deal at the end, and that's where the Avengers movie starts, with the finding of Cap frozen in ice. They do that, I'll be a happy geek.

[Odin]

Who's playing Mrs. Peel?

Stop being old!

[Peacedog]

Whedon is wrong for this; none of these characters hate their penises. Also, I'm still not sure about Chris Evans as Captain America.

If anyone call pull together an ensemble movie, it's Whedon. What were Buffy and Firefly but ensembles? Sure Buffy and Mal were the leads, but everyone else was anything but a bit player. Of course it could still suck, but I'd bet it won't.

I don't think there is any comparison between Buffy/Firefly and Avengers. Each Avenger is a lead. Even Ant Man was a lead. I mean, like a B-level lead, but still.

[LordMortis]

As far as I can tell Joss Whedon is perfect. He'll put together an enticing if not interesting idea that you'll really catch on to and start getting in to about half way through the movie. You will then come to accept how great of serial idea has come up with and then the movie will end with the promise of something great to come without ever actually having delivered anything.

It's perfect for the Franchise. Leave the audience begging for more. And he never even has to get to a hugely disappointing climax or anything. 120 minutes of rising action. Introduce more and more characters. Prepare for the great big man behind the curtain reveal and be done.

[Tscott]

Who's playing Mrs. Peel?

Mrs. Peel, we're not needed.

[MindToyGames]

I'm still kinda 'eh' on Mark Ruffalo playing Bruce Banner. I actually sorta didn't mind Norton in the role, as it turns out.

[Grifman]

I don't think there is any comparison between Buffy/Firefly and Avengers.

Of course they're comparable. The question is how accurate the comparison is

[hepcat]

I should start up my annual campaign for the role of Paste Pot Pete in the Marvel movie franchise. Seriously...it's his time, damn it!

[DarkVulgar]

I should start up my annual campaign for the role of Paste Pot Pete in the Marvel movie franchise. Seriously...it's his time, damn it!

LOL. All you have to do is beat out Pauly Shore for the part...bbbbuddy!

Video spoofing marvel/dc in a twisted mego way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyPh8aId ... r_embedded

[tgb]

I should start up my annual campaign for the role of Paste Pot Pete in the Marvel movie franchise. Seriously...it's his time, damn it!

LOL. All you have to do is beat out Pauly Shore for the part...bbbbuddy!

Video spoofing marvel/dc in a twisted mego way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyPh8aId ... r_embedded

Very funny.

[Smoove_B]

There's going to be a new animated Avengers TV series this Fall on Disney. This should help promote the movie...or something.

[Peacedog]

Of course they're comparable.

I don't think Avengers qualify as "ensemble" (not in the way you're referring to Buffy, or as I understood it anyway), as each character is a lead. And it's not the same thing as being a non-lead, but an incredibly well used/well fleshed out non lead (call it what you will, side character, secondary character, non-lead principle, support character of noteworthy importance, the kick ass side kick, whatever). I don't think success on Buffy says anything about the ability to do Avengers and do it well. In this way, no, I don't see Buffy and Avengers as being comparable, and that statement isn't particularly strange or outrageous.

Sure, you can compare them as "geeky, comic book like things" or "things in which a group of people kick ass for freedom" or something like that, but that wasn't what we were discussing.

[ohbalto]

Of course they're comparable.

I don't think Avengers qualify as "ensemble" (not in the way you're referring to Buffy, or as I understood it anyway), as each character is a lead. And it's not the same thing as being a non-lead, but an incredibly well used/well fleshed out non lead (call it what you will, side character, secondary character, non-lead principle, support character of noteworthy importance, the kick ass side kick, whatever). I don't think success on Buffy says anything about the ability to do Avengers and do it well. In this way, no, I don't see Buffy and Avengers as being comparable, and that statement isn't particularly strange or outrageous.

Sure, you can compare them as "geeky, comic book like things" or "things in which a group of people kick ass for freedom" or something like that, but that wasn't what we were discussing.

My assumption is, to make an Avengers movie (or, any superhero team movie, or any "team" movie, really), you have a character or characters who are more connected to the throughline of the story and other characters who are less connected but no less a part of the movie.

So, let's pretend -- as their movies are going to be the most recent -- that the "plot" of The Avengers has the Red Skull teaming up with Loki for some nefarious purpose. This would naturally put Captain America and Thor at the center of things.

The Iron Man in the movies doesn't so much have a "nemesis" though I guess you could go with the 10 rings guy -- but I'm not sure if I see that happening, not least of all as RDJ has to be the most expensive person in that cast.

So, Cap and Thor are at the "center" but maybe Loki takes control of the Hulk (it'd almost be sacrilege for Whedon to NOT do this) and now he's got an investment in the story. In the Ultimates comics, Hawkeye is actually a SHIELD agent, so that gets him and Fury and the Black Widow in the story. Want to tie it in more, okay, make the Black Widow Cap's "liason" in this brave, new world. Make Hawkeye Cap's rival -- for her affections, for team leader, for whatever you like -- and look how much is going on in this paragraph and that's just off the top of my head.

So you DO see a Buffy-style ensemble cast. One or two "main" characters around whom the rest of the story is built.

Alternately, if you've got the much-rumored Skrull invasion storyline, then you've got Cap, Hawkeye, Widow, etc. fighting on the ground and Thor, Iron Man and Hulk mixing it up on a more cosmic level. You can have an Iron Man / Thor dichotomy (magic versus technology) a Hulk / Thor thing (savagery versus discipline) or, well, just about whatever you like.

The big "what if" in this whole thing, to me, is this: what if Captain America: The First Avenger, or Thor bombs? If that happens, I bet you see hasty re-writes happening on the Avengers front. Similarly, what if CA: TFA brings in a hojillion dollars? Again, I bet you see them shifting things around a bit.

Then again, maybe Marvel really is doing things differently than everyone else. Maybe they'll break the mold and let a flop or smash hit stand on its own and stick to the integrity of the story they're already telling.

What was I talking about again?

[AWS260]

Buffy = Captain America
Willow = Iron Man
Angel = Thor
Zander = Ant-Man
Anya = The Wasp
Giles = Nick Fury
Oz = Hulk

I could continue, but I think I've embarrassed myself enough.

[Blackhawk]

Buffy = Captain America
Willow = Iron Man
Angel = Thor
Zander = Ant-Man
Anya = The Wasp
Giles = Nick Fury
Oz = Hulk

I could continue, but I think I've embarrassed myself enough.

You realize that this would have the Hulk banging Iron Man, and Thor hammering Captain America, don't you?

[hentzau]

It appears that they've had a trailer for this for quite a while now...

[Grifman]

[Jag]

The problem with star power is that Black Widow appears to be much more prominent than I remember her being in the Avengers.

[Lordnine]

Except for Thor everyone of those heads looks photoshoped onto the body.

[ibdoomed]

Except for Thor everyone of those heads looks photoshoped onto the body.

That was my first thought! Second was, who are most of those people (the actors)? Erm, ok, I know Robert Downey Jr. but not the rest.

[hepcat]

Except for Thor everyone of those heads looks photoshoped onto the body.

That was my first thought! Second was, who are most of those people (the actors)? Erm, ok, I know Robert Downey Jr. but not the rest.

Your time in Vault 13 just end?

[Smoove_B]

The first thing I see when looking at that cover is that Gamma Rays are serious business.

[Daehawk]

Perhaps it will be a two part movie that's all the fad these days.

[AWS260]

The problem with star power is that Black Widow appears to be much more prominent than I remember her being in the Avengers.

Wait, you're asking for less Scarlett Johansson in black leather?

Black Widow isn't an original Avenger, but she's been a prominent member of the team at various points. From her official Marvel bio (which is about a trillion words long):

When Captain America left active Avengers duty following internal ethical disputes regarding the Kree-Shi’ar War, Natasha became team leader

The first thing I see when looking at that cover is that Gamma Rays are serious business.

Little-known fact: in addition to his pioneering work on the gamma bomb, Bruce Banner also invented duckface.

[Grifman]

The problem with star power is that Black Widow appears to be much more prominent than I remember her being in the Avengers.

And why is that necessarily a problem? The movies don't have to slavishly follow the comics.

[DD*]

I have a hard time seeing anyone but Bill Bixby or Ed Norton as Banner. Probably just me, though.

[Odin]

I have a hard time seeing anyone but Bill Bixby or Ed Norton as Banner. Probably just me, though.

I really liked Norton as Banner, and thought that was a pretty good movie. I'm disappointed that they didn't end up working with him on Avengers.

[Baroquen]

Thinking Black Widow and Hawkeye are two "cheap" characters that can be added without major FX budgets.. Wasp and Giant-Man would have been more expensive, no?

[Grifman]

First trailer is out. And naturally Downey has all the good lines:

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1636408857

Can't wait!

[DD*]

First trailer is out. And naturally Downey has all the good lines:

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1636408857

Can't wait!

[Wayne Campbell]SHWING!![/Wayne Campbell]

Love that Tony is wearing a Black Sabbath T-shirt. Brilliant!