Regarding the Hulk, did you guys know that Lou Ferrigno did the voice for him in the movie?
I’m not necessarily the most knowledgeable person on this issue – I’ve never really gotten into the comics either – but Black Widow and Hawkeye work for S.H.I.E.L.D., with Fury. The Avengers Initiative was a S.H.I.E.L.D. project to bring the superheroes together, but I wasn’t under the impression that Hawkeye and Black Widow were a part of it so much as just helping out, representing S.H.I.E.L.D. I could be wrong about that, though. I mean I know they’re both in the comics, but I don’t know how it all adds up. They work for S.H.I.E.L.D. completely independent of Iron Man, Hulk, Cap, and Thor, though.
Plus, there’s clearly a love angle to play out between BW and Hawk…I could see them delving more into that as well.
I dunno, a S.H.I.E.L.D. movie MIGHT work, if done right.
I really liked the shot you’re talking about with Widow in the battle. It isn’t long, but the look in her eyes definitely reads that she’s in over her head, and terrified, and shocked by the violence. It’s a lot of acting just in one facial expression. But then (I think) Cap asks her if she’s okay, and then she’s back in the game. Captain America’s real superpower is leadership (well, and moral incorruptibility, but that’s not relevant here), after all.
Widow and Hawkeye are definitely Avengers, although in this incarnation they aren’t supers, which is a distinction that comics writers have played with in the past.
I don’t really see them working with that anytime soon though. The distinction they’re more likely to make is that their loyalty is primarily to SHIELD, whereas none of the supers really have that.
I just learned that yesterday. Very cool.
Apparently he’s been the voice in all three of the various Hulk movies.
Ugh, I hope not. Among other things, it would be entirely out of character for what we’ve seen of Black Widow: she’s too damaged to be capable of feeling love. That was part of the point of her scene with Loki. Even with a little sexual tension there, I’d be happier if it never went anywhere.
While we’re on the topic of things that I’m happy the movie didn’t do, I’m really, really happy they didn’t explicitly call-back the “lie down on the wire” conversation during Tony’s last flight or during the engine kick-start section. I feel like a lot of movies would have thrown in a line just to make sure that nobody missed it, but the Avengers actually assumed that you’ve been watching the whole movie, and assumed you’d get the joke.
There were several times they did that. Cap’s $10 bet. Hulk sucker punching Thor. I really liked that the script gave the audience a little bit of credit that we were smart enough to remember what happened less than an hour ago.
As someone not smart enough, what had Cap bet w/ Fury? When he handed the money over it was obvious he’d lost a bet, but I couldn’t remember them making one.
It’s been more than hour since I’ve seen the movie, so perhaps I can be forgiven: what reference back was involved in Hulk punching Thor? Are you referring to their previous helicarrier fight? If so, I just saw the later scene as Hulk doing what he does: smash! When there are no bad guys around, he smashes whatever else comes to hand.
When Fury was first telling him about the mission, he said something about it might be a little bit strange, or a bit much for him, or something like that. Cap says something about waking up 70 years in the future in an unfamiliar world and how he’s already adjusting, and how it “Can’t be any stranger than that I’m already going through.” Fury just says “Bet ya ten bucks that’s not true.”
It was something to the effect of “you won’t be able to surprise me.” and Fury said, betcha ten bucks I can.
Oh I’m not saying I’d necessarily vote for that, just that it’s an option I can see them thinking about. If it was done right it might not suck too badly…not to go full-on into a love story, but just her acknowledging that there are feelings (not TO him, probably) but that she can’t go there, and why. I don’t wanna see 'em get together, either, but I think it could give both characters a little more depth to examine it a little more. Maybe. But it would be a hard tightrope to walk.
Agreed. Generally, Joss is pretty good about that. I was glad to see how much he gave us credit for.
The $10 bet was priceless.
Yes. The best part of Hiddleston’s Loki is how he maintains that air of pathos and neediness. He’s still the jealous younger brother. Even at his most arrogant, nasty, and intimidating (threatening the Black Widow) he always gets undercut.
Which brings me back to Tom’s question.
The best part of Thanos is that he’s desperately, pathetically in love with the incarnation of Death, but she spurns him. She refuses to even speak directly to him: he talks to her, she stares off in the distance, and one of her zombies replies to him.
So yes, he assembles the almighty Infinity Gauntlet, kills exactly half of the living things in the entire universe with a wave of his hand, and turns to Death with a big, expectant look. And she continues to ignore him. And Thanos is all, “What?! What do I have to do to impress you?!”
I was worried that no villain could be as good as Hiddleston’s Loki, but if that’s the hook Whedon uses, I think he could do pretty good things with Thanos, even if his face is necessarily CG or covered with lots of prosthesis or both.
I was also quite pleased that they didn’t have Fury or someone else finish Agent Coulson’s dying sentence, “This was never going to work unless … [they had something to AVENGE!]”
This is also true in the comics. Banner as a time bomb who turns into the raging “HULK SMASH” disaster when he’s angered makes a fantastic supporting character or antagonist or incident in other books, but has a hard time sustaining a comic on his own.
In practice, they have to make the Hulk smarter (Mr. Fixit, Planet Hulk, Professor Hulk) or different in some other way (Mindless Hulk physically separated from Banner, etc.) in order to make him a protagonist who can carry a long-term story. Or else the Hulk becomes a supporting character in a book that should be called “The Incredible Bruce Banner” (which can also make good stories for a while, but readers eventually start wanting more Hulk).
Speaking of which, they sure left it wide open for him not be dead. First you have Fury saying “they called it” only over the PA. Second, you find out that the whole Capt. America cards (the whole cards bit was a nice Whedon touch, comedy and tragedy) angle was manipulation from Fury. It’s not a big leap to Coulson’s actual death pronouncement being a further manipulation.
Maybe he’ll come back as a Big Bad in some later movie. That would be Whedon-esque.
Yeah, the Hulk didn’t need to smash things uncontrollably by the end, since Banner more or less has him under control, but he still had a bit of unfinished business with Thor, since the jet interrupted them before they could settle things. He doesn’t want to kill Thor anymore, which is why he doesn’t follow it up, but he just wants to get in a parting shot.
I saw it as, he was all busy smashing, and then he comes up for air and looks over and realizes who he’s been fighting next to. Oh, that guy. I remember that guy, with his pretty boy face and his stupid hammer. What a jerk. Punch. I think the Hulk even smirks a bit when he does it.
There was a DEFINITE smirk, and that was almost better than the punch itself. One of my favorite moments. :-)
If they do a Black Widow movie, I don’t want any back story or super heroes. Just a good spy movie with SF elements - think Bond with a female lead, fighting AIM or Hydra instead of SPECTRE. After seeing The Avengers, I think Johansson could carry it
Oh good, it wasn’t just me.