Joss Whedon has said that a sequel to The Avengers needs to be
"smaller" and
"more personal". So those of you making comparisons to Michael Bay an Transformers can at least have the comfort of knowing that an Avengers sequel will be drastically different.
The
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and
Firefly creator told
SFX that he doesn't want a follow-up to
"rehash" what worked in the first film.
When asked how Avengers 2 could top next month's epic, superhero blockbuster, Whedon responded:
"By not trying to. By being smaller. More personal, more painful.
"By being the next thing that should happen to these characters, and not just a rehash of what seemed to work the first time. By having a theme that is completely fresh and organic to itself."
Shifting focus back to the first film, Whedon stated that he's attempted to give each character in The Avengers, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and Hulk, enough screen time to see
"what makes them awesome".
"I want to know what makes them tick, what makes them flawed, what makes them fight - and ultimately, what makes them awesome," he explained. "I go to these movies for those moments when the heroes define themselves, either through action or deliciously overwritten speeches."
Hmm. So smaller and more personal for Avengers 2? Does that mean no global threat and no S.H.I.E.L.D.? Clearly, Whedon's done a little bit of thinking about where he wants to go next and I'm seriously wondering if he's already written a treatment.
A possible Avengers 2 lineup, Black Panther and War Machine join the team?
The Avengers is an upcoming American superhero film produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. It is the sixth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The film is written and directed by Joss Whedon and features an ensemble cast, which includes Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson. In The Avengers, Nick Fury, director of the peacekeeping organization S.H.I.E.L.D., recruits Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, and Captain America to save the world from destruction.
Development of The Avengers began when Marvel Studios received a grant from Merrill Lynch in April 2005. After the success of the film Iron Man in May 2008, Marvel announced that The Avengers would be released in July 2011. With the signing of Scarlett Johansson in March 2009, the film was pushed back for a 2012 release. Whedon was brought on board in April 2010 and rewrote the screenplay that was originally written by Zak Penn. Production began in April 2011 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before moving to Cleveland, Ohio in August 2011 and New York City in September 2011. The film was converted to 3D in post-production.
The Avengers is scheduled for release on May 4, 2012 in the United States in 2D and 3D.
Running Time: Unknown
Release Date: May 4 2012 (USA)
MPAA Rating: PG 13 for for intense sequences of action and violence, some disturbing images, and language
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hiddleston, Cobie Smulders, Jeremy Renner, Clark Gregg, Stellan Skarsgård, Mark Ruffalo, Amanda Righetti, Scarlett Johansson and Lou Ferrigno
The Incredible Hulk (voice) .
Directed by: Joss Whedon
Written by: Zak Penn (initial screenplay), Joss Whedon (revised screenplay)