New AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Team Dynamics, Fighting Styles, Villains And S.H.I.E.L.D. Details
How does Hawkeye feel about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s downfall? Will he appear in the Marvel TV series? Will Cap's fighting style evolve? Find out that and more from Chris Evans & Jeremy Renner after the jump.
It seems Fandango's team was among the reporters who visited the set of Avengers: Age of Ultron last year, as they've revealed more from their exclusive chat with stars Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner, who of course will return as Captain America and Hawkeye, respectively, in the highly-anticipated Marvel sequel. Evans first suggested that Cap's connection with Black Widow still exists following Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but her past, and dynamic with Bruce Banner, is explored more. "This movie begins with kind of a connection between the two of us, but she has her own arc in this movie," he said. "They do really good stuff with [Black Widow] in this one with her personal stories." Renner then added that his archer's deep relationship with Widow will also carry over from The Avengers. "They have a long history together, and more of that is revealed as well," he said.
Chris Evans then reassured that the opening scene of Avengers: Age of Ultron will see Earth's Mightiest Heroes together and on a mission against Hydra operative Baron von Strucker. "The opening scene is boom, so we don’t wanna be like, 'What have you been up to?' That’s in no way a cheat," said the Captain America star. "You don’t wanna waste your time having reunion moments. You just wanna get these guys fighting together." Much like in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Evans says Age of Ultron will see his Super Soldier's fighting style advance once again. "You just can’t be Jason Bourne," he explained. "We gotta see this guy do stuff that’s like, yeah, he deserves a spot on this squad. In [Winter Soldier] he’s pinballing off of jets and doing unbelievable things. I don’t wanna take a step back, so we gotta make sure that he’s continuing training. His fight style needs to advance a little bit. I don’t wanna go full Bruce Lee, but there needs to be more than just haymakers and fun kicks. There needs to be a consistent display of strength. Utilize your environment in a way that’s like, 'That’s right, he can pick up a motorcycle with one hand…'"
While Hawkeye's whereabouts during the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and the downfall of S.H.I.E.L.D. are currently unknown, Jeremy Renner reassures that we'll find out in Avengers: Age of Ultron. "It’s actually a really wonderful secret reveal; It’s pretty awesome," he said. But how does Hawkeye, aka Clint Barton, feel about his initial place of employment being shut down? "My take is that it’s probably a good thing," reveals Renner. "[Hawkeye] is kind of a loner anyway, and he’s a team player only 'cause he sort of has to be. He’s not really a company man. Captain America can be that guy. In [Age of Ultron] you'll understand why [Hawkeye] thinks the way he thinks. And with S.H.I.E.L.D., I don’t think it was ever really that important to him. [Nick] Fury’s awesome. He likes Fury and will do anything for him, but he's not a company man. He doesn’t punch in and punch out." Could the Hawk appear on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (which returns today on ABC)? "There was talk of having some of the guys go and jump onto a TV show," he said. "I remember mentioning something about that. There has to be a good rhyme or reason for it, but I like the character. I’ve always liked to explore the guy more -- he’s an interesting character to me." Jeremy Renner then went on to explain how his archer is a superhero without superpowers. "You have to be a smart fighter when you don’t have superpowers, and that’s what makes him sort of super, in a way," said the actor. "You know, he has to use his mind as much as his physical ability, as well as his ability to never miss. I still miss [laughs]... but, yeah, stay the distance and don't miss." After explaining why his character seems like a grump, Renner teased how we'll see more of Hawkeye conscious this time around as opposed to under a certain God of Mischief's mind-control. "You have to work as a unit, as a team, otherwise we all fail or I die or somebody else dies," he explains. "So that’s where the skepticism comes in. It’s not just to be grumpy or not like somebody -- it’s all there for a reason, and [you'll see what I mean] in this movie." He continued, "Some wonderful secrets and relationships deepen. There's a lot more of him to deal with versus the hypnotized version of him. As their relationships with one another deepen and become more intimate, the forces of evil will either bring them closer together or pull them farther apart."
Both Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner then discussed the villains of Avengers: Age of Ultron, including James Spader's titular robot A.I., as well as Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch and Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Quicksilver. "There’s an ideology behind Ultron that makes him more unique than just a bad guy," said Evans. "He doesn’t wanna just kill the Avengers. He doesn’t wanna just destroy the world. He has these monologues and these beautiful speeches that kind of embody a certain mentality about what’s wrong with humanity. It represents something deeper than just, 'I'm evil and I don’t like the good guys.'" Renner then offered new details about Hawkeye's interactions with "the Twins," and how much of his character will revolve around the questionable relationship they develop. "They’re great characters, and my character and them have a lot to do together," he said. "It's a little blurry on where they stand, which I appreciate. I’m sort of policing them to see if they’re worthy or not, if they’re good or bad guys. I question them a lot."
Marvel Studios presents Avengers: Age of Ultron, the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to the Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure. Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision. Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” published in 1963. Get set for an action-packed thrill ride when The Avengers return in Avengers: Age of Ultron May 1, 2015.