With The Avengers only two months away from release, the hype continues to build and build. Recent test screenings have had buzz higher than ever, some calling it the best Marvel film ever made yet, while others saying the only fault is that Whedon’s direction looks too much like television. Now, the director has opened up a bit, not about whether or not the forthcoming film will do well, but what he visions a sequel will be like. Also, we have a new still from the film, featuring two characters from separate films of last year clashing!
Let’s still off with the photo. From The Avengers‘ movie companion, ComicBookMovie forum user DemonHunter15 posted the following photo (click to enlarge):
While the photo definitely looks like a stunt Cap, it’s definitely a powerful one. This is the first look of Loki clashing with Captain America, and really the first look we’ve seen of the villain on the battlefield, clad in his Asgardian armor. Most of the action we’ve seen from the film so far has dealt with the invasion of Loki’s army, and not really the villain himself. So, it’s definitely a first in terms of photos.
Meanwhile, Whedon himself spoke with SFX, and they asked him just how exactly he could top The Avengers with a sequel bigger than this one. His response? He was going to go smaller. ”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.”
It’s that kind of reply that really makes Whedon one of a kind. Most directors would name various enemies, or say they would add more superheroes to the team, and then some, but Whedon’s straightforward answer is definitely a smart one. The first film is easing people into the notion that these people can work together, and that really any superhero can work together across any real studio or company. It’s a unique approach for the first time in the genre, and that’s what the first film is aiming to do.
A second film to explore this newly estabished relationship is genius, and for more people that try to out-do themselves fail, which is why the “third” films of various franchises aren’t people’s favorites (Spider-Man 3, X-Men: The Last Stand, etc). This is truly what makes Whedon stand out as a director, and it’s an approach that may actually work wonders on superhero sequels that have grown just a bit stale or cliche.
The Avengers hits theaters on May 4th.
