Avengers film [May 4, 2012]

[Kit]

The AVENGERS film is slated for July, 2011, shortly after the release of the Captain America film.

Robert Downey JR raised concerns:

Downey Jr.'S Fears Over Avengers Movie

26 November 2008 4:04 AM, PST

Robert Downey Jr. is concerned about the upcoming remake of comic book classic The Avengers - urging moviemakers to get it right or "it will really suck".

The Hollywood actor has signed on to reprise his role as Iron Man Tony Stark for an appearance in the new film, which is scheduled to hit cinemas in 2011.

The movie will bring together Marvel superheroes Iron Man, Hulk and Captain America.

But Downey Jr. is adamant that producers need to be extra careful when making the picture, as he doesn't want to see the movie flop.

He tells MTV.com, "It has to be the crowning blow of Marvel.s best and brightest because it.s the hardest thing to get right. It.s tough to spin all the plates for one of these characters. If they don't get it right, it's going to really, really suck."

And Downey Jr is convinced the key to The Avengers' success is to keep the movie realistic.

He adds, "The danger you run with colliding all these worlds is (director) Jon (Favreau) was very certain that Iron Man should be set in a very realistic world. Nothing that happened in Iron Man is really outside the realm of possibility. Once you start talking about Valhalla and supersized super soldiers and jolly green giants it warrants much further discussion..

[Dr. Mysterion]

I think Downey is dead-on correct here.

It will be a pretty tough balancing act to fit those characters (and I assume the others from the original Avengers line-up) into one movie. Not only for the reasons he gives, but the writer will need to make sure everyone has their "moment" and characters aren't just shoved inot the background. To see how not to do this look at the last few Star Trek movies where it's all Picard, Data and Worf and a bunch of other folks hanging around the background/periphery.

All that being said, I am looking forward to the next two Iron Man movies, the Captain America movie, and the Avengers movie.

[Overdrive]

Personally, I think the balancing act is more in the movies that precede THE AVENGERS than in that one itself. Each version of each character needs to be presented in a way that makes it possible for them to coexist.

So far, I think they've done a pretty good job on that count. Watching IRON MAN and THE INCREDIBLE HULK, there's nothing there that's going to make it hard to believe that these two could encounter one another. The references to SHIELD and Stark Industries made the sonic cannon things in HULK fit in with the movie instead of being a case of "where the heck did they get those things?" The multiple Captain America references will make Cap an easy fit as well. I don't think the movie-going audience will have any problem with the crossover, since this is portrayed as a world where all this crazy stuff can happen.

The one movie that is going to be the hardest in the balancing act is THOR. I hear they want the movie set mostly in Asgard. I think that might make it seem like a bit of a shoehorn to get Thor on the Avengers. You'll have all these characters based on superscience, and then one magic guy whose world is completely different. I think they'll gain more ground by showing Thor the superhero instead of Thor the Asgardian warrior-god.

But if they can set up the world as a believable place, half the battle is over.

[MDSnowman]

Personally, I think the balancing act is more in the movies that precede THE AVENGERS than in that one itself. Each version of each character needs to be presented in a way that makes it possible for them to coexist.

So far, I think they've done a pretty good job on that count. Watching IRON MAN and THE INCREDIBLE HULK, there's nothing there that's going to make it hard to believe that these two could encounter one another. The references to SHIELD and Stark Industries made the sonic cannon things in HULK fit in with the movie instead of being a case of "where the heck did they get those things?" The multiple Captain America references will make Cap an easy fit as well. I don't think the movie-going audience will have any problem with the crossover, since this is portrayed as a world where all this crazy stuff can happen.

The one movie that is going to be the hardest in the balancing act is THOR. I hear they want the movie set mostly in Asgard. I think that might make it seem like a bit of a shoehorn to get Thor on the Avengers. You'll have all these characters based on superscience, and then one magic guy whose world is completely different. I think they'll gain more ground by showing Thor the superhero instead of Thor the Asgardian warrior-god.

But if they can set up the world as a believable place, half the battle is over.

Yeah the only way Thor works in the world they've created is if you introduce him like he was introduced in The Ultimates where the question of divinity is mentioned in the same breath as the phrase "raving wacko".

[Kit]

Personally, I think the balancing act is more in the movies that precede THE AVENGERS than in that one itself. Each version of each character needs to be presented in a way that makes it possible for them to coexist.

So far, I think they've done a pretty good job on that count. Watching IRON MAN and THE INCREDIBLE HULK, there's nothing there that's going to make it hard to believe that these two could encounter one another. The references to SHIELD and Stark Industries made the sonic cannon things in HULK fit in with the movie instead of being a case of "where the heck did they get those things?" The multiple Captain America references will make Cap an easy fit as well. I don't think the movie-going audience will have any problem with the crossover, since this is portrayed as a world where all this crazy stuff can happen.

The one movie that is going to be the hardest in the balancing act is THOR. I hear they want the movie set mostly in Asgard. I think that might make it seem like a bit of a shoehorn to get Thor on the Avengers. You'll have all these characters based on superscience, and then one magic guy whose world is completely different. I think they'll gain more ground by showing Thor the superhero instead of Thor the Asgardian warrior-god.

But if they can set up the world as a believable place, half the battle is over.

Yeah the only way Thor works in the world they've created is if you introduce him like he was introduced in The Ultimates where the question of divinity is mentioned in the same breath as the phrase "raving wacko".

Course, that doesnt appear to be the path they are taking. Branagh has said he's attracted to the THOR film because of Asgard. i suspect the Cap and Thor movies will be structurally fairly similar. Both will focus on the character in his native environment, be it Asgard or WW2, and both will end with the character trapped in a different world-modern earth.

[Libra]

And Downey Jr is convinced the key to The Avengers' success is to keep the movie realistic.

He forgot to add "For a given value of realistic."

This is a superhero Universe.

Yeah the only way Thor works in the world they've created is if you introduce him like he was introduced in The Ultimates where the question of divinity is mentioned in the same breath as the phrase "raving wacko".

It would be amusing if the viewers were in on the real joke; That everything Thor syas is the exact and literal truth.

[Kit]

From Sci Fi Wire:

Say it ain't so, motherf--ker!

Samuel L. Jackson tells the Los Angeles Times that he may not play Nick Fury in Marvel's anticipated Avengers movie and other films, even after doing a cameo at the end of Iron Man.

The reason? Money.

Here's how the newspaper reported it:

Jackson, clearly bristling, told the newspaper that negotiations to put him in the role of Nick Fury have broken down because "there seems to be an economic crisis in the Marvel Comics world."

It now appears that "somebody else will be Nick Fury, or maybe Nick Fury won't be in it" when it comes to Iron Man 2, The First Avenger: Captain America and The Avengers, the announced slate of Marvel Studios projects through 2011 that might have a natural spot for the character.

Fan favorite Jackson was actually used as the model for the Ultimate Marvel version of Fury, which took the white, grizzled, aging commando with salt-and-pepper hair and re-imagined him as a younger, bald African American.

"I saw [Iron Man 2 director] Jon Favreau at the Scream Awards, and we had a conversation. He said, 'I hope things are working out for you, because we're writing stuff for you.' Then all of a sudden last week I talked to my agents and manager, and things aren't really working that well," Jackson reportedly said.

For its part, Marvel told the paper that they still want to see Jackson wearing Fury's eyepatch. "Marvel does not comment on active negotiations," was the boilerplate response, but there was an emphasis on the word "active" in the voice of the spokesman, the newspaper reported.

Stay tuned!

[mungdaal]

I work for a college newspaper. As such, I am generally allowed some wiggle-room when it comes to using swear words. I'll use them if it makes the story stronger, or, generally in my case, funnier.

Having said that, kudos to SciFi Wire for using "motherf--ker" in the lead. I only WISH I could get away with that.

[Dr Archeville]

So... Jackson wants more money?

Can't he "take one for the team" on this?

[mygamingid]

I'm behind him if he's doing more than cameo roles in these movies. How much is five minutes of Jackson worth to a movie? I'd want to pay him one sum for all of the upcoming movies, to ensure this sort of stuff doesn't happen again, with a bonus if something more than a cameo happens.

[Kit]

from syfy:

Screenwriter Zak Penn is already scratching his head about how to piece together and overlap stories from three, maybe four or more movies as he sits down to write The Avengers this summer, based on the Marvel Comics superheroes.

Penn was on a panel Tuesday night called "Graphic Explosion" at the Los Angeles Film Festival in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles, along with History of Violence screenwriter Josh Olson and Radical Publishing co-founder Barry Levine. During the question-and-answer segment, Penn answered some questions he said "I might get in trouble for."


Penn said he ran into frustration while writing the last two X-Men movies because he wanted to include a few of the other characters—the Fantastic Four, for instance—but was prevented by studio executives. That, perhaps, led to the ho-hum response to his Incredible Hulk movie.

But Penn is aware that Marvel movies coming up—with Iron Man, Thor and Captain America—will precede his Avengers film (slated for 2012), so he has to figure out how all the movies fit together. Now that Marvel is itself producing movies as a company, Penn said, "It is a world of difference; it is a lot easier to do things like that, and they encourage it."

Penn said he is meeting this coming week with the team writing the other movies so they can piece together storylines and overlap some of the film plots.

"They're doing Captain American and Thor first, and then Avengers is coming out," Penn said. "They want to see that they're all connected, not like the Fantastic Four can't come into the X-Men world, like I was told. I'm taking a meeting next week with the Thor and Captain America people, and we are all going to get together, and I will see what is going to happen. I'll see where they are leaving the characters; it's pretty complicated. ... There's a board that is tracking what is happening. [We'll see] how this movie overlaps in that movie. ... Marvel is autonomous now. It is night and day: Everyone has read every comic. They know how to make a cool movie."

And although Penn holds the responsibility for bringing all the characters of the other films together, he remains insecure. "It's hard to make a good movie," he said. "We all have the best intentions, and it still might suck."

[Kit]

from syfy:

Marvel Studios executives are so busy producing Iron Man 2, prepping Thor and coordinating everything with The Avengers that the only person available to accept the studio's Saturn Award was head of marketing Doug Finberg. (Finberg accepted the Saturn Award on behalf of Iron Man on Wednesday in Burbank, Calif.)

He updated us on Marvel projects: Finberg confirmed that the working title of the Captain America film is The First Avenger: Captain America. That would introduce both Cap and lead into the concept of The Avengers, which would follow. "It's something we're considering and really at the end of the day, everyone is going to know that he is Captain America," Finberg said in an exclusive interview.

Earlier in the week, Avengers screenwriter Zak Penn told an audience at the L.A. Film Festival that he is running around between Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America production offices to make sure his script coordinates with the introduction of key superheroes, and, of course, his script has to be done before the other films are. Finberg was confident that all teams could unite for a solid Avengers film. "Having everybody on board and really being able to actually work as a team together and develop the Marvel cinematic universe is what's most important to us," Finberg said.

The long-term plan is to introduce Thor and Captain America, then combine them with Iron Man to form the Avengers. But that's still only accounts for three members of the famed superhero team, four if they throw in the Hulk. Could Penn introduce any new supporting superheroes in the Avengers film itself? That's not off the table, according to Finberg. "I think that really remains to be seen," he said.

After some contractual hiccups, Samuel L. Jackson signed on to continue playing Nick Fury, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., in the Marvel universe films. Expect him to play a major role in the upcoming films, with the possibility of his own film down the road, Finberg said. "Well, we have a multi-picture deal with him, so obviously we're in business with him for a while to come and we really enjoy working with Sam," he said.

Thor will be another case of Marvel's trusting a director to bring a unique vision to their property, as Sam Raimi did for Spider-Man, Bryan Singer did for X-Men and Jon Favreau did for Iron Man. "Kenneth Branagh at the head of it all is really the critical thing to us, to really create his vision" of Thor, Finberg said. "He and [Marvel honcho] Kevin [Feige] are working really closely together."

As for Iron Man 2, which is currently in production, Finberg assured fans they can expect more of the same action and improvisational drama courtesy of star Robert Downey Jr. There may be no way to manage fan expectations for the sequel to a $300+ million-grossing film, but Marvel is committed to pleasing them.

"It really is more to come," Finberg said. "Ultimately, the final expectation, the final verdict, is with the fans, and that's something that the team of Marvel does a phenomenal job at actually making the best movie from the material they can."

Iron Man 2 is due out May 7, 2010. Thor is next on May 20, 2011. Then Captain America on July 22, 2011, and The Avengers on May 4, 2012.

[Kit]

from SyFy:

With The Avengers gearing up while three Marvel character films—Iron Man 2, Thor and The First Avenger: Captain America—are in the works, Marvel Studios president of production Kevin Feige didn't even know if the Incredible Hulk would be part of the ultimate team-up.

Edward Norton played Bruce Banner in the reboot, The Incredible Hulk,, and the actor gave a careful "no comment" when asked if he would reprise the role in The Avengers.

"I probably won't comment on that just because they keep a pretty tight rein on what they are letting out," Norton said in a group interview today in Pasadena, Calif., where he was promoting the documentary By the People: The Election of Barack Obama as part of the Television Critics Association summer press tour.

Deferring to Marvel suggests a cordial relationship with the studio. Rumors surrounded the release of The Incredible Hulk that Norton was not happy with the final cut. Already he seemed an unusual participant in a major superhero movie, and the scant press he did fueled rumors that he preferred an alternate cut of the film. Now he is suggesting that he's following company orders.

"I'll let them [address it]," Norton said.

For fans of Norton's film, the good news is that he did not say no to participation in The Avengers, nor he did he seem unhappy about the question. After all, if he'd had his fill, he would have just dismissed it and moved on. Respecting Marvel's secrecy might mean that he's hoping they give him a call. Of course, maybe they'll just use the CGI Hulk and not include pesky human Banner in The Avengers at all?

[Kit]

from syfy:

Tim Roth, who played Emil Blonsky/The Abomination in last year's The Incredible Hulk, confirmed that Marvel has made overtures to him about reprising the role in future movies, possibly including the upcoming Avengers film.

"They have, but in a very different way," Roth said in a group interview at the Television Critics Association summer press tour Thursday in Pasadena, Calif., where he was promoting his Fox series Lie to Me. "I don't want to get into it, but they signed me up for three [films]."

Could that include two more Hulks, one Avengers and one Hulk or just two Avengers?

"It could be anything," Roth said in response.

Marvel has said that its upcoming Avengers film will feature Iron Man, Thor and Captain America once they are established in their own film franchises. Other Marvel characters who have films under different production deals are less certain.

The Incredible Hulk did end with a scene of Iron Man's Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) approaching Gen. "Thunderbolt" Ross (William Hurt) about the team he's putting together.

For his part, Hulk's Bruce Banner, Edward Norton, has remained tight-lipped about his own involvement in the Avengers mashup.

The Avengers is in preproduction with an eye to a planned May 4, 2012, release

[Kit]

from syfy:

It was probably never going to happen, but Jon Favreau confirmed to MTV News that he won't be directing the Avengers movie. It's too bad, because everyone seemed to like what he did with Iron Man, and finding a good superhero movie director can be tough.
Favreau will still be involved with Avengers, though, so all is not lost:
"They'll have to [find a different director], because I'm not going to be available," he explained. "It's something I'm being the executive producer on, so I'll definitely have input and a say."
"It's going to be hard, because I was so involved in creating the world of Iron Man and is very much a tech-based hero, and then with 'Avengers' you're going to be introducing some supernatural aspects because of Thor," he continued. "How you mix the two of those works very well in the comic books, but it's going to take a lot of thoughtfulness to make that all work and not blow the reality that we've created."