The Avengers

The Avengers

Join Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, the Avengers, in their ongoing fight to save the world from cosmic threats, alien invasions, and powerful villains. Explore articles featuring the team’s iconic members like Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, and Black Widow. From the MCU’s biggest moments to classic comic book arcs, dive into the latest Avengers news, movie reviews, character profiles, and more. Whether you love their cinematic battles or comic origins, this is your destination for all things Avengers.

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Movie News

Watch: Thor Stuntman Bobby Holland Hanton In Avengers 2 Scene

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For those that have seen The Avengers 2, they know it featured tons of action; however, all that action wasn’t done by the pretty-faced actors we see on the big screen, but also by a dedicated group of stuntmen.

Fans are already familiar with Chris Hemsworth’s double, Bobby Holland Hanton, following the set image reveal of the new Thor 2 costume.

Hanton returned for Avengers 2 and not only doubled for Hemsworth, but Captain America Chris Evans as well (pictured above).

Hanton told THR the following about Avengers 2, and check out a video below showcasing Hanton in action as Thor from an Avengers 2 scene.

I started off stunt doubling Captain America before Chris [Hemsworth] had started. I started the show in Korea, filming the sequence on the big truck as Cap. Then I had roughly five to seven weeks before my first bit of Thor stunt stuff came up. That was when my diet and training plans changed and became a lot harder and more intense so I could get to that Thor size. Captain America is in great shape anyway, so I started from that. I went from eating five meals a day to sometimes seven or eight meals a day to put on the extra size. Instead of training once a day in the gym, I went up to two training sessions a day in the gym.

That was split with another stunt double, Andy Lister, who took over the Captain America stuff once we’d gotten back to the UK and I’d turned my attention to Thor. I was hanging off the back of a truck. Ultron blasts the door open and I swing, smashing into the door and kick off and then he blasts again and we land on the road and I was kind of surfing on the back of the door on the road. It was a new experience for me. I had not done much outside of the vehicle work, with live roads and live traffic. I had to really be focused and on top of my game and make sure everything for me was in place.

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Movie News

Avengers 2: Missing Trailer Footage Vs. Final Footage

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As often is the case, things change between the release of the first trailer and the debut of the movie, which could be six months to even a year in-between.

Fans have been noticing changes from The Avengers 2 trailer footage to the finished movie, such as probaly the most pointed out being the abscence of the mystery lady in the Thor cave scene (above). 

Now check out a bunch more that Redditor, redditmason, uploaded to imgur.

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Movie News

James Gunn & Joe Russo Respond To Joss Whedon Leaving Twitter

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Earlier last night saw Avengers 2 director Josh Whedon bid his 1.14 milion Twitter followers good-bye and close his account.

Now James Gunn has taken to his Facebook to offer the following.

Imagine being a guy, like Joss Whedon, who has committed his life to fandom and to creating the best characters he possibly can, characters he loves, and has spent two years of his life working on a movie, and then has to wake up to this shit on Twitter. Yes, I know – Age of Ultron has an “A” Cinemascore, and far and away most people loved it. But the angry contingent of fandom is getting more aggressive all the time, and it’s difficult to block out as a person in the public eye.

My plea to all of you – and this is nothing new – is that we all try to be a little kinder, on the Internet and elsewhere. And, honestly, that includes being kind to the people who are tweeting this nonsense. I don’t believe you can tweet about wanting to find a movie director and “curbstomp” him and be a happy person. That person’s statement might make you a little angry – that makes me angry too. But thank God the circumstances of my life and your life didn’t lead us to being the person that has the need to anonymously tweet that to someone on the Internet. And, as much as we may want to respond with vitriol to these tweets, I think that just creates more insanity.

As a young person I was very angry, and it’s something I have worked on, both personally and through years of therapy. And if I can say one truth about anger, it is that anger is almost never anger. Anger – especially aggressive and abusive anger – is a way to deal with feeling insecure, sad, hurt, vulnerable, powerless, fearful, or confused. Those feelings, for many of us, are a lot more difficult to deal with and acknowledge than anger. Anger makes us feel “right”. And powerful. But it also usually exacerbates whatever the underlying, more uncomfortable feeling is.

A couple months ago someone on Twitter wrote me that something one of my characters said in my movie hurt him. I’ve gotten hundreds of tweets from people angry about moments in my films over the years, and I just ignore them, or get angry in return. But that one tweet affected me profoundly. The last thing I want to do with my work is hurt someone, especially someone who already feels disenfranchised. That made me think about what I write and what I put in my films, and I will be more thoughtful about situations like it in the future. That is, one honest and vulnerable tweet affected more change in me than hundreds of angry ones.

So, again, it’s easy to be outraged by these tweets. But whatever these angry tweeters are in need of, I don’t think it’s more anger and more rage thrown back at them on Twitter. I actually think that’s what they’re seeking. But what they need is something different. Compassion, maybe? A kind request for boundaries? I don’t know. Maybe you guys have some ideas.

And by the way – Yes, I know there are real issues at play here. But, again, I don’t think the way to affect change is through rage. That is just going to increase whatever divide you’re experiencing in the first place. I believe that there are a handful of truly evil, awful human beings out there. But the majority of us on all sides of an issue think we’re doing the right thing and are doing the best we can. If we assume that of each other, it makes life a lot easier.

Love you all,
james

Updated: Gunn also posted the following from Joe Russo:

My friend Joe Russo of the Russo brothers on the rage that’s been directed toward Joss Whedon on the Internet the past couple of days: “This kind of vitriol should be reserved for issues that actually demand outrage. Look around at your world… fiction is not one of them.”

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Movie News

Jeremy Renner Talks Calling Black Widow A Slut On Conan (Video)

While promoting The Avengers 2, both Jeremy Renner and Chris Evans found themselves in the hot seat when they joked about Black Widow being a slut and whore.

The two eventually offered an apology for offending anyone about what they said in regards to a fictional character, and now Jeremy Renner talks about it with Conan O’Brien.

‘Yeah, it was a joke. Off-colored or whatever,” Renner explained. “I’m apologetic about a lot of things, but I got into a lot of internet trouble. I guess that’s a thing now. You can get in…”

Renner went on to explain that the question that stirred up all the controversy was that Black Widow has been linked to Hawkeye, Iron Man, Banner and Captain America, with his reaction being, “Well, it sounds liked she is a slut.”

Renner goes on to defend his statements: “Mind you I’m talking about a fictional character and fictional behavior, but Conan, if you slept with four of the six Avengers – no matter how much fun you had – you would be a slut. Just saying. I would be a slut.”

Conan and Renner then joked about which of the Avengers Black Widow would be attracted to, with Conan offering, “We know it’s not Quicksilver. ‘That’s it.’ ‘That’s what I do?’ [laughter].”

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Movie News

Joss Whedon Closes Twitter Account

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Following the opening weekend of Avengers 2, Joss Whedon has closed his Twitter account.

The director had 1.14 million followers at the time, with his last tweet reading: “Thank you to all the people who’ve been so kind and funny and inspiring up in here.”

We are guessing Whedon is more than likely just burned out from the Avengers 2 press tour as well as dealing with the people on Twitter, who usually are less positive than other social networks.

The Avengers: Age Of Ultron is currently in theaters.

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Movie News

Joss Whedon Reveals Avengers 2 Alternate Ending & Deleted Scenes

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Joss Whedon recently stated The Avengers: Age Of Ultron Blu-Ray would feature lots of deleted scenes, and now expands upon that in a podcast with Empire.

Spoilers follow.

Alternate Ending

Getting right to the alternate ending, Whedon says it featured Quicksilver. Whedon said they actually shot footage of Aaron Taylor-Johnson as a New Avenger: Quicksilver wakes up from all his bullet wounds, and then was shown next to his sister, Scarlet Witch, at the end of the movie along with a new costume. Whedon stated the reason for filming the additional Quicksilver scene was because he wasn’t sure if the Marvel executives were going to let him kill off Quicksilver, as maybe they could have another “franchise,” but the execs obviously didn’t mind the death. Regarding why he killed off Quicksilver, he compared it to The Five Rings where all the elders survive and make it, but the younger characters die. Whedon also went on to state that he had hoped with it getting out Johnson signed a “multi-picture” deal, that it would throw audiences off.  Whedon also hoped it wouldn’t get out that Jeremy Renner was going to be in further Marvel movies, as he teased Hawkeye’s death a lot in the film, but alas that didn’t happen (Renner is in Cap 3). Whedon also joked about people tweeting about the Avengers 2 script on Twitter. 

Tom Hiddleston/Thor cave dream 

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Whedon also explained what happened with Tom Hiddleston. The Thor hex dream cave sequence was supposed to feature Tom Hiddleston as Loki as more of a spirit guide. Whedon was also going to include a joke referring to Loki being king from Thor 2 (Hiddleston doing an Anthony Hopkins impression). Whedon said Marvel stated they couldn’t sign Hiddleston for the scene, so they offered Idris Elba, whom Whedon was more than happy to have. Whedon then ended up seeing Hiddleston and asked Hiddleston if he would like to be in Avengers 2, which Hiddleston agreed to. The Marvel execs ended up deciding to cut Hiddleston as they didn’t want to introduce him this way and this late (my note: no worries Hiddleston is confirmed for Thor 3). Whedon also said the execs wanted to cut the Thor cave scene in its entirety, and at one point gave him an ultimatum: the cave scene or the farm house. Whedon stated he was exhausted and was ready to give in – they were just going to have Thor fly away and come back to explain things – but the editors working on Avengers 2 helped save the cave scene as it was necessary to tell the story surrounding Thor. Whedon also said a lot of the cave scene featuring Chris Hemsworth was cut, which was really great. Why it was cut was because it didn’t fit with how Thor was portrayed in the movie (my note: Whedon seemed to insinuate the Thor cave scene was real serious, but Thor in Avengers 2 was more comical. At least that is my interpretation). Whedon also said the execs weren’t too big on any of the dream scenes in general (my note: The mysterious woman in the cave was cut as well.)

Banner/Widow 

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Another deleted scene was between Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo. Originally, Whedon had Ruffalo deny Black Widow’s advances in the room scene. Marvel came back with it that they should wait until the end of the movie for that, which Whedon liked. 

Planet Hulk

Regarding Planet Hulk, Whedon never had any intention of shooting the Hulk to space, and as far as he knows there is no intent to make a Planet Hulk movie. What Whedon wanted to do was reference Banner looking up at the stars when he said, “Where in the world am I not a threat?” Whedon said he wanted to leave people with the idea that – if this is the last movie – that Banner/Hulk may have left the world behind. Whedon said he thought there was something enormously poetic about that and at the same time something enormously misleading about that (“because they don’t plan to make Planet Hulk as far as I know”). The Marvel execs said no, to just use sky, no stars. 

Other things cut or didn’t get to happen:

Whedon also said he wanted Captain Marvel and Spider-Man in the movie, which we previously wrote about.

Grey Hulk was supposed to be featured versus Hulkbuster. 

Additional info: 

Vision

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Whedon also said he came up with the idea for Vision to pick up the hammer on a whim. Whedon already had the party scene and the Quicksilver scene, and then joked with producer Jeremy Latcham about Vision picking up the hammer, and thought Kevin Feige would hate it. Latcham apparently writes everything down they talk about, but forgot the Vision hammer pitch. When Feige came in and they went over the notes, Whedon joked about the Vision bit, with Feige questioning Latcham. When Feige heard it he loved it and remarked to Latcham, “So that’s the thing you forgot to write down?”

Thanos:

Whedon let it be known he shot and came up with the Thanos mid-credit teaser, which featured Josh Brolin.

Listen to the full podcast below. It’s the first 30 minutes:

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Marvel Movie News

Whedon Wanted Spider-Man & Captain Marvel In Avengers 2

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First Loki, and then Grey Hulk, now it’s learned Spider-Man and Ms. Captain Marvel Carol Danvers were going to be put in Avengers 2.

It turns out Joss Whedon’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron may have been different if things would have worked out.

While Loki and the Grey Hulk were cut, Whedon says Spider-Man and Captain Marvel just came too late.

Empire has the following from Whedon when they questioned if the line-up in the movie was the line-up he wanted:

“Well, I wanted all those people. I said it would be great if we could just add a few more. If you guys could make a Ms. Marvel – I always say Ms. Marvel because that’s when I read it. That’s what it was.  – If we could have a Captain Marvel there that you have made a deal for. And they talked about it. I was like ‘Spider-Man, we could do that, too.’ Sony had approached us during the first [Avengers] movie about a little integration. So I would have put both of them in, but neither of the deals were made. Then they were like ‘we’re making a Captain Marvel movie, and we’ve got Spider-Man as a property.’ I’m like ‘I’ve already locked my film you f-ckers. Thanks for nothing.'”

Marvel ended up announcing the Captain Marvel movie about six months ago, and Spider-Man only recently, with the new Web Crawler speculated to first appear in Captain America: Civil War prior to the new standalone Spider-Man movie in 2017.

Captain Marvel has a November 2, 2018 release with no actor yet cast for Carol Danvers.

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Movie News

Captain America: Civil War Is A Set Up For Avengers: Infinity War (Video)

Earlier, concept art from Captain America: Civil War hit the net, and now MTV has a video asking The Avengers 2 cast their thoughts on the movie.

“This time I’m not invited,” Hemsworth stated when it was mentioned Captain America 3 looks like another Avengers movie. “I think I was busy doing something else.”

Evans added: “Yeah, they do have a lot, but it’s to jump off into the next Avengers: The Infinity Wars. So Cap 3 is going to kind of be the set-up of the real battle. Yeah. There are a lot of people. There are a lot of people in Captain America 3.”

Jeremy Renner again confirms his involvement as Hawkeye in Civil War: “That’s the idea. That’s the idea.” Renner also says he knows some of those things regarding whose side Hawkeye falls on, but won’t say anything more.

Likewise, Scarlett Johansson says she knows which side Black Widow is on, but doesn’t get to say much more as Mark Ruffalo says he is not in Civil War and jokes with Johansson about putting in a good word; Johansson says the Russo’s are big fans of his.

“Captain America: Civil War” has  a May 6, 2016 release date directed by Anthony and Joe Russo starring Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Frank Grillo and Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther.

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(photoshopped Civil War art with Thanos Imperative art)

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Movie News

Watch: The Avengers 2 Easter Eggs

Check out a cool video put together by the Mr. Sunday Movies YouTube channel about the Easter Eggs featured in Avengers: Age Of Ultron.

Included is the Star Wars Easter Egg which Kevin Feige stated exists in all the Phase 2 movies, lots of references to the comics, potential Hulk and Betty Easter Eggs, Thor 3, Winter Soldier, Jocasta and more.

You can also read about Kevin Feige explaining the Avengers 2 mid-credit scene with Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet.

Here are some additional pics floating around the net, including an image theorizing the names of the Infinity Stones are an Easter Egg to Thanos, the Thor hex dream teasing the Infinity Gauntlet, the Infinity Gauntlet from the mid-credt teaser, an unknown woman in Tony’s hex dream (looks sorta like Nebula), Scarlet Witch as part of the New Avengers, and the change in scenes from the teaser to the latest TV spot.

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Movie Trailers

Watch The SNL Black Widow Movie Trailer With Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson hosted SNL last night were they spoofed a trailer for a Black Widow movie.

Check it out above.

Johansson stars in The Avengers 2 currently in theaters.

Avengers 2 co-star Mark Ruffalo also recently took to his social networks to call out Marvel for more Black Widow merchandise.

Check it out:

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Movie News

Avengers 2 Fall Short Of $200 Million; Mayweather Lands Knockout Punch

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Just yesterday following reports of the stellar Friday opening of Avengers 2 having the second best opening ever, it was projected Age Of Ultron would finish this weekend with around $200 to $210 million domestically – on tract or possibly better than the first Avengers movie.

However, now the numbers are stating Avengers 2 fell short of the $200 million mark coming in at $187.7 million (update: official number is $191.3 million).

THR is blaming the Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao fight that aired last night.

It’s reported there was a 40 percent drop in moviegoers from Friday to Saturday in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and more than 50 percent in some Hispanic markets, such as El Paso, Texas.

A rival studio executive offered: “The fight dinged all films across the board. The numbers on Ultron are still phenomenal but definitely less than they would have been.”

Internationally, The Avengers 2 already has a hefty $439 million, bringing Age Of Ultron‘s worldwide total to $627 million in only 12 days of being open already surpassing Captain America ($371 million), Thor ($449 million), Iron Man ($583 million) and Iron Man 2 ($622 million).

As noted, the bigger question is whether The Avengers 2 has any staying power and will be able to match the $1.5 million draw of The Avengers from 2012.

Reagarding the Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao fight, by all accounts fans should have went to see Age Of Ultron as the fight not only suffered from delays due to PPV streaming issues, but the fight was considered a major let-down as it went the distance leading to the unanimous decision of Mayweather’s victory, who many online felt was acting “lazy” or not fully participating by constantly getting Pac in the clutch.

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Movie News

Grey Hulk Was Supposed To Be In Avengers 2

After footage from The Avengers 2 seemingly revealed a grey-colored Hulk, many online speculated we would either be seeing the Ultimate Comics version of the Green Grey Goliath, or a personal favorite of mine, maybe Joe Fixit.

To add to that, promo art and merchandise also featured the Grey Hulk.

So what happened?

It turns out the Hulk was initially to become Grey when Scarlet Witch hexed banner during the Hulkbuster scene.

Check out an Avengers 2 Design FX reel above with plans for the Grey Hulk mentioned.

Here is the blurb:

Initially Hulk was planned to turn grey when he’s angry Hulk in the Hulkbuster sequence, but – hey, everybody wanted the green guy – so in the end, ILM just changed his eyes to make him look more sullen, but he is under the control of the Scarlet Witch.

That’s too bad they didn’t stick with the original idea. Now that would have been really awesome and added something more as Hulk/Banner is the only hex dream we didn’t get to see.

First Loki, now Grey Hulk! What’s next, Marvel?!

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Movie News

Stan Lee Confirms Ant-Man Cameo & Talks Animated Spider-Man Movie

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As I previously stated, the Stan Lee cameo in The Avengers 2 got the second loudest applause in the movie theater, and now Stan Lee confirms another good one for Ant-Man.

While speaking to Screen Rant, Lee talks about his Avengers 2 cameo and mentions Ant-Man.

[The Avengers: Age Of Ultron is the] first cameo I’ve done that actually has two scenes. First there’s the setup scene and then there’s the scene that syncs it. Of course, each scene is about a half a second long. But if I can get past that it was pretty good.

They’re never going to stop. I’ve already done my cameo for Ant-Man and that’s a pretty good one, too. 

You can watch Stan Lee’s Avengers 2 cameo here.

Stan Lee continues with talk of the recently announced Spider-Man animated movie.

I think it’s a great idea to do him in animation, because animation has become as popular as live action if it’s the right type of animated movie, like Big Hero 6. You must have seen that. it’s the one where I stole the movie. 

“Ant-Man” has a July 17, 2015 release directed by Peyton Reed starring Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne and Corey Stoll as Darren Cross/Yellowjacket.

Synopsis:

The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time with Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man.” Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

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Movie News Reviews

Review: The Avengers: Age Of Ultron

 

Marching Towards Infinity (kinda)

A Film Review of Avengers: Age of Ultron

 

I am reminded of how earlier in the year, during the last Academy Awards, of the anti-super hero/comic book action blockbuster sentiment that filled the air.  I do not subscribe to the notion that a flashy, licensed Hollywood production is somehow less worthy of being validated as “cinema” than the garden variety art house film made with zero budget and maximum imagination.  A hell of a lot of creativity, hard work and organization goes into the art of filmmaking that it would be irresponsible for anyone to casually dismiss any segment or genre as drivel for any reason under the sun.  We are all entitled to our opinions so chances are Indie purists will continue to diminish Hollywood for its profit driven grandiosity as fanboys will continue to mock Indies for their obscurity and therefore irrelevance.  However, the next time you have a moment to bash a film for the sake of bashing please keep in mind that it is a major accomplishment simply getting a film made.  Its ultimate worth is in the hands of audiences and critics, but there is no such thing as a perfect film nor does any film warrant a true value of zero.

And with that we have director Joss Whedon’s second (and final) contribution to Marvel’s cinematic universe in Avengers: Age of Ultron, a mega budget Hollywood production that continues the episodic journey of some of the most iconic characters in comics in live-action on the silver screen.  Those who have been following these films since the first Iron Man in 2008 know that the quality of these films began at a relatively high level and (for the most part) have shown steady improvement.  When combined with media hype, this franchise’s own success has justly set expectations for every installment at an equally high level.  The audience can be assured that investing in a general admission will once again result in a high level of entertainment and fun for a film that features lots of action, visual effects and computer graphics.  Every character has a moment or two (or more) to shine just like before as the genuine camaraderie among the cast relays a comfortable warmth and relatability to the audience with this assembly of superheroes.  Joss Whedon knows that half of the wow factor for these spectacles is simply allowing these A-list actors representing top tier characters to simply share the same space together and watch what happens.  The secret to his success is getting them into the same space and balancing the screen time all while cramming in as much action as possible to show off the full extent of their prowess as super individuals of a super team.

Age of Ultron’s story was also written by Joss Whedon, and it revolves around the Avengers dealing with the global threat of a maniacal AI and its unpleasant plan of achieving world peace by making human beings extinct.  There is no question that there are several other movies that delve into the ideas, benefits and threats of a self aware artificial intelligence as a scientific reality better than Age of Ultron, but the plot of this film isn’t the draw.  The Avengers are, and when a movie is driven by characters, the plot needs just enough to get them into position and keep them there until resolution.  An army of evil robots is certainly a threat worthy of the Avengers in every respect, but it isn’t a far cry from Loki’s army of invading Chitauri in narrative terms.  How the Avengers “deal with it this time” is the name of the game and that’s where Whedon’s dialogue is as efficient in its exposition as it is with its character interplay to not only keep the plot moving, but keep it entertaining.  Unfortunately, with so much focus on character, important plot points like the infinity stone inside Loki’s staff, Thor’s “spirit walk,” and the introduction/deletion of characters from the team are glazed over in the most expedient of manners.  Of these, Thor’s brief hiatus is the least satisfying and most frustrating because it comes out of nowhere, is riddled with plot holes, has no setup and therefore has a whimpering impact.  

There is a greater dedication to action sequences in Age of Ultron than there was for the first Avengers because this film does not require any additional screen time for setup exposition.  There are more of them and there is more happening within each extended cut with layers of simultaneous action.  Hulk smashes while the Widow stings while the Hawk snipes as Cap shields, Thor bolts and Iron Man soars.  Once again, there are several instances of combining powers as tag team attacks such as combining Thor’s hammer with Cap’s shield to produce a rather effective shockwave to debilitate a wave of opposition instantly.  There are moments where the mammoth amount of content and movement within the frame is simply too much to process, but Whedon compensates with slow motion effects without using it like a crutch vis-à-vis Michael Bay in any film he does.  There is plenty of martial arts, acrobatics, melee fisticuffs and gunplay at work throughout, however with the exception of the climax, there didn’t seem to be as many explosions this time around.

CG and visual effects are once again top notch for this production.  Iron Man animations and Thor flight and lightning are reliably proficient as ever.  Hulk animations (movement and facial) seemed to have an upgrade as the character is not required to be destroying everything in his path as often as before.  I wasn’t as impressed with the powers of the “Twins.”  Wanda’s chaos magic was essentially mini clouds of red dust emanating from her fingers, and Pietro’s super speed was simply outclassed (no pun intended) by the visual effects for the same character used last year in X-Men: Days of Future Past.  Cap’s shield throws and bounces are really fun to follow onscreen.  It’s almost like a “follow the bouncy ball” guide through a sequence of chaos and destruction.  Ultron’s animations are very smooth and emotive (especially for his face) which is odd seeing how his AI is presented as various platforms of killer robots.  Perhaps this was done to incorporate as much of James Spader’s motion capture performance as possible, but I’m not sure if using the same voice over with more rigid/mechanical animations would have yielded a more menacing villain.

Performances by the cast are the meat and potatoes of these Avenger films and once again, the individual micro contributions of all result in a fantastic group dynamic that has become the gold standard for comic book adaptations that feature more than two or three major characters.  Everyone does an excellent job for the screen time they are afforded so I won’t guild the lily anymore by reminding everyone how great Robert Downey Jr. is playing Tony Stark. The most valuable relationship is between Bruce Banner/Hulk and Natasha/Black Widow.  Sure it seems cheesy that the one female combatant on the team holds the key to soothing the savage beast on the battlefield, but there’s some actual chemistry going on between Johansson’s sex appeal and Ruffalo’s awkward innocence.  Like it or not, their relationship adds a much needed romantic subplot to all the super heroics for the shear sake of variety.  Most valuable standout performance goes to Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye for having all the best comedic moments as well as a nice heart-warming surprise to explain what he’s fighting for.  Special recognition goes to Paul Bettany for making his first physical appearance as a member of this cast as well as added appreciation for not making the Vision a full on CG character.  Bettany’s demeanor and facial expressions will compliment his witty banter in bringing even more charisma to his character.  I also loved James Spader’s interpretation of an evil Tony Stark as his inspiration for Ultron: same ego, similar self reflections.  

Avengers: Age of Ultron is a cinematic adventure worth paying a little extra to see on the big screen sooner rather than later.  The added cost for a 3D viewing is much more justifiable than 80% of the rest of the films that get a cheap conversion these days.  Casual movie goers need not be intimidated by the series of Marvel films that have built up to this point as the events of this film are contained enough for novices to come in fresh and enjoy nonetheless.  Fanboys and girls will enjoy this film in general, but may be a bit underwhelmed for three reasons: 1) it isn’t as amazing as seeing the Avengers assemble for the first time (as few other films could ever be), 2) the connections to the ominous Infinity conflict were poorly developed and 3) the team will not be the same moving forward.  Age of Ultron will most certainly be the biggest money making film of 2015, but it will be interesting to see the comparison with another Disney owned IP in Star Wars Episode 7 when it begins its theatrical run December.

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Movie News

The Avengers 2 Scores Second Best Friday Opening Ever


The Avengers: Age Of Ultron “Epic” Spot
 

The Avengers assembled in full force for Age Of Ultron as the sequel has scored the second biggest Friday opening ever.

The Avengers 2 brought in a total of $84.5 million on Friday, which is just shy of the domestic record currently held by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 with $91 million set in July 2011 by Warner Bros. The number also sets Age Of Ultron ahead of the first Avengers movie, which took in $80.8 million on Friday back in 2012.

Thursday night advance screenings are included in the Friday number, which gave Avengers 2 a boost as Ultron made $27.6 million, which is up from the $18.7 million the first Avengers Thursday night screening nabbed.

It’s looking likely Avengers 2 will have an opening U.S. weekend gross of around $200 million to $210 million.

Internationally, The Avengers 2 has opened in 55% of the markets and has already made $340 million with South Korea taking the lead at $43 million. Whedon filmed in South Korea, and the movie featured scenes in South Korea as well as South Korean actress Claudia Kim.

Warner Bros’ movie aggregate site, Rotten Tomatoes, currently has Avengers 2 with a 75% positive critic rating and a 90% positive rating from fans.

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Movie News

Kevin Feige Explains Avengers 2 Mid-Credit Scene Revealing Missed Spoiler


Avengers Infinity War Teaser
 

Obvious spoilers for Avengers 2 follow.

The mid-credit scene for The Avengers 2 featured Thanos getting ahold of the Infinity Gauntlet, the glove that houses the Infinity Stones.

Last we saw of the Infinity Gauntlet, it was being kept safe in Odin’s Treasure room on Asgard.

With Thanos getting ahold of the Gauntlet in Avengers 2, fans immediately speculated either Loki helped, or Thanos just took the Gauntlet because he’s the bad ass Mad Titan.

Now Kevin Feige explans what happened – there are two Infinity Gauntlets!

Actually, we all should have realized this because the Gauntlet from Odin’s Treasure room is right-handed, while the Gauntlet Thanos had in the above Infinity War promo teaser and the mid-credt Avengers 2 scene is left-handed (same with comics).

“There are two different gloves,” Feige told CinemaBlend. “That was not Odin’s vault that you see at the end.”

That’s rather interesting as this begs the question: Why two different gloves? Are there more than six Infinity Stones?!

So can Thanos have an Infinity Gauntlet on each hand?

Right-handed Infinity Gauntlet from Thor:

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Left-handed from Avengers Infinity teaser:

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Left-handed from Avengers 2 mid-credit scene:

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Starlin’s Infinity Gauntlet #1 cover (left-handed):

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Movie News

Tom Hiddleston & Loki Got Cut From Avengers 2 (Video)

Back when Idris Elba let it slip he had a role in Avengers 2, Elba also made mention of Tom Hiddleston.

However, for those that have seen the movie, Loki didn’t appear.

Now director Joss Whedon explains why.

“Tom is not in the movie. Idris misspoke. Twice [laughs]. We did shoot something, and it didn’t play. The movie has so much. It’s so filled, and we didn’t want to feel over stuffed. I really wanted to have Loki in it, but I understood the decision that it was just ‘okay, now there are too many voices in the chorus.'”

Whedon did previously state the The Avengers 2 Blu-Ray would contain a lot of deleted scenes, so perhaps we’ll see the Loki scene there.

The Avengers: Age Of Ultron is currently playing in theaters.

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Movie News

40 Thoughts On Avengers 2

I caught the 7pm IMAX advance screening for The Avengers 2. Below you can check out my thoughts. Overall, it was a well-done and entertaining movie, and you definitely want to see it on the big screen.

Spoilers follow (no particular order).

Too much footage released online. Way too much! The movie was supposed to have a big “wow” opening, but we already seen it a million times in trailers, clips, images, spots and featurettes. Thinking back, I wish I wouldn’t have seen any footage. Actually, just about every big scene was shown online in some form of a promo!

Didn’t show Ultron upgrading.

Vision reminded me of Superman (loved it!).

When I saw Vision with the Mind Gem, I had to take a second look because Adam Warlock popped in my head with the Soul Gem.

Didn’t like the Black Widow/Banner romance. Anybody else waiting for Hulk to respond, “Betty?” (!).

They didn’t show Hulk’s Scarlet Witch hex dream! Obviously, it was Banner’s as the world got to see the Hulk, but Marvel missed a huge oppurtunity for Hulk Easter Eggs (grey hulk, rick jones, whatever).

Thor was used too much as comic relief.

Really thought Thor was going to die.

Thor/Cap combos were pretty wicked.

Ultron’s plan didn’t seem that scarey or much of a threat. He was going to drop a piece of land killing billions? “How?” It didn’t come off as being “all that.”

No battles on U.S. soil.

Anybody else waiting for Falcon to fly and fight side-by-side War Machine?

No Loki!

No T’Challa! Wakanada got a mention, though.

Renner and Cap stole the show for me.

Crowd didn’t clap at the end. Actually, they were ticked (as was I), that Cap didn’t say “Avengers Assemble!” It came off really lame, Marvel, lol.

It was cool seeing the Infinity Gauntlet formation in space when Thor was talking about the Infinity Gems.

So Thanos somehow got into Asgard to retrieve the Gauntlet? Loki let him in? Or just because he’s Thanos, he let himself in?!

Ultron and his drones didn’t seem as big of a threat as the Chitauri. But they were pretty similar, right? Both an army that the Avengers could take out without any human casualty.

I kept comparing The Flash to Quicksilver (whom my youngest called the Blue Flash, lol). I liked The Flash’s speed effects better than what they did with QS.

I was a little saddened by QS’s death. Made sense though as we already know every actor, except for Ruffalo, is going to appear in another movie (Olsen even confirmed Cap 3).

Olsen was great in this. Glad she’ll be back. Looked sexy as heck, too.

No outer space for the Hulk. No Planet Hulk. No World War Hulk. I liked what they did with the Hulk as it was an old school approach and took things back to when we first met Ruffalo with Widow, and there really didn’t end up being any romance with Natasha (she just kissed Banner to distract him to unleash Hulk). My only gripe will be if Banner doesn’t do anything during Civil War. He’s just going to let them duke it out and not get involved? Meh. Being jettisoned off into space is better.

There were hints of Civil War, but everybody was friends at the end of the movie; so now things will have to move fast at the start of Cap 3 (though, it could be argued it’s almost a direct continuation).

Speaking of fast, they really wasted no time introducing Ultron.

Was kinda hoping Coulson would have showed up on the Hellicarrier. (Coulson lives! No wait, Whedon says he’s dead. Okay, Whedon’s right.)

James Spader was a great Ultron. His witty remarks mirrored Robert Downey Jr.’s, as they should because Ultron is essentially born from Stark (his personality, etc). Ultron came off as a prodigal son, spoiled child, bitter and resentful offspring of Stark. He essentially wanted to become human by putting himself in the Vision body, instead of just desiring to eradicate humanity. I guess it depends how you like your Ultron served up, whether you dug the crybaby Ultron or prefer the tyrannical Ultron.

It was cool to see Hawkeye name his son after both Natasha and Quicksilver (Pietro).

During the battle with Fury and the Hellicarrier, I was honestly hoping for Richard Rider Nova and Quasar. Nova could have taken out some of the drones with Quasar helping to support the floating city (hey, a kid can dream).

New Avengers! Cap, Widow, Falcon, Vision, Scarlet Witch, War Machine!

Tony’s Avengers? Hawkeye? More new Avengers?

Vision based his cape on Thor’s cape; I think Vision had some Iron Man in there and Cap as well.

Ultron ain’t dead – he’s in the Mind Gem!

It was the mind gem all along  – just encased in blue!

No Spider-Man!

Hawkeye’s a dad?! That was cool, because it worked: Hawkeye said they kept his family out of the SHIELD files, so it was a “safe house” and one Ultron wouldn’t know about (from the internet or reading the SHIELD files, etc).

Don’t bother with 3D; too much going on.

Too much footage released online. Way too much!

Go see it!

Did anyone else think of the Big Hero 6 fist bump sound effect?

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Movie News

Spider-Man Can Now Play With The Avengers (Image)!

Once upon a time, Spider-Man wasn’t allowed to play with the Avengers as Spidey belonged to another movie studio.

Now Spidey has been a good boy and is allowed to play with his Avenger pals as he has joined the likes of Marvel Studios.

Recall the following image showing Spider-Man being pulled away from the Avengers? The image went viral and was said to have even been passed around by the Sony execs.

With Spider-Man now at Marvel, the artist is back with a new image – Spider-Man playing with the Avengers!

The artist responsible for the two pics is Mauricio Abril; you can find more of his art on Facebook.

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Comic Book News Marvel

Awesome Marvel Inspired NFL Helmets

Check out the “MFL” helmets featuring artwork on NFL helmets inspired by Marvel characters. The images are from JustKozy.com, with the artist’s son posting the following on Reddit. I was always a big fan of Rhino! MFL Helmets

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Movie News

Watch: Marc Webb Directs Avengers 2 Promo

It seems as if Marvel hasn’t forgotten about Marc Webb as the director of the Amazing Spider-Man films directed a new promo for The Avengers 2.

Above you can check out Marvel and Samsung mobile presenting “Assemble” Part 2 featuring Lionel Messi, Eddie Lacy, John John Florence, Fabian Cancellara and two lucky super fans.

The video is for a cross-promotion where fans can join forces with Samsung and Marvel.

Head on over to samsung.com/global/galaxy/avengers for more.

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Movie News

Watch: Jeremy Renner As Hawkeye Sing About His Powers

Jeremy Renner‘s Hawkeye gets a bad rap for not having any super powers like his fellow Assemblers.

Check out the video above as Renner appears as Hawkeye on Jimmy Fallon singing about how he is just as super as they are.

Jeremy Renner reprises as Hawkeye for Avengers: Age Of Ultron opening this Friday.

Here are the lyrics to the song:

When you’re on a team with the Hulk and Thor
And we’re all up there on the movie screen,
Will the people believe that I’m not quite as tough?
Will anyone even notice me?

But listen I’ve got powers too, they’re pretty sweet.
I promise I can do so much more than just archery.

I’m serious guys.
I’ve got a collection of scarves and berets.
I play trombone in a ska band.
I once got to second base on my Tinder date.
And my cat has got its own Instagram.

I tell you now
I kick ass at Mario Kart.
This year I played an extra in Paul Blart.
I can open a pickle jar.
I’m friggin’ Hawkeye.
Maybe I’m as super as they are.

So maybe I still haven’t lost my virginity.
But when I bowl I always score at least 70, after six beers

Yes I know ’bout Captain America’s strength.
Hulk becomes a towering man.
But I got seventh place in my fantasy league.
And I once butt-dialed Jean-Claude Van Damme.

When I go to Chipotle I get free guac.
I flirt with the cashier and she says I rock.
I own water-resistant socks.
I’m friggin’ Hawkeye.
Maybe I’m as super as they are.

Maybe I’m as super as they are.
Maybe I’m as super as they are.

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Movie Trailers

Pixar’s Inside Out Watches The Avenger 2 Trailer (Video)

Watch a cool video Pixar put together featuring the characters from Inside Out watching and reacting to The Avengers: Age Of Ultron trailer.

The Avengers 2 hits May 1st; Inside Out has a June 19th release.

Inside Out stars the voice talents of Amy Poehler, Diane Lane, Mindy Kaling, Laraine Newman and Bill Hader.

Synopsis:

From the tepuis of South America to a monster-filled metropolis, Academy Award®-winning director Pete Docter has taken audiences to unique and imaginative places. In 2015, he will take us to the most extraordinary location of all – inside the mind of an 11-year-old named Riley.

Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it’s no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions – Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life. As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters. Although Joy, Riley’s main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.

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Movie News

Paul Rudd Teases More Ant-Man Appearances (Video)

While discussing Ant-Man‘s place in the Marvel universe, Paul Rudd teases future appearances for the world’s smallest superhero.

Rudd mentions the thought that Edgar Wright’s departure from the movie as a result of wanting the film to connect to the Marvel Universe may not be entirely true and also mentions he has been told about the next appearance for Ant-Man.

Certainly it is a part of the Marvel universe; however, it stands on its own. I know that seemed to be a sticking point, or something that was discussed, when you know the history of this project was widely reported with Edgar and wanting to make it more of a Marvel movie, but I don’t think that is 100% accurate. I think it absolutely fits in, and I also wouldn’t be surprised if we see Ant-Man in some other things. That being said, it is a movie that if you have never seen any of the Marvel movies you are going to totally get [it]. 

Rudd also offered the following when asked if he knows when he is going to pop up next:

They have said a few things. I know some things, but I don’t know everything. 

“Ant-Man” has a July 17, 2015 release directed by Peyton Reed starring Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne and Corey Stoll as Darren Cross/Yellowjacket.

Synopsis:

The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time with Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man.” Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

Ant-Man trailer:

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Comic Book News

Advanced Review: Batman #40

There are tales in comics that truly reveal how the medium can transcend all others. These instances are swollen with theatrical imagery, drama and action sequences that exceed those of movie or television. Ones that put a microscope on the duality of heroism, eloquently portray the finality of man and grace us with inevitable quest for hope more than prose or poetry can. Tales that dazzle the senses with color and form, juxtaposition and layout more than any art museum could hope for. 

Scott Snyder’s Batman #40 is one of those tales.

The final chapter of “Endgame” is a stunning piece that will move readers. It is a cornucopia of themes, burrowing deeper into the mythos of Batman than Snyder has ever gone before. At moments you are careening down an unmanned roller coaster, a journey that will have you gasping for air then, suddenly, you are left completely breathless, hovering above it all not being able to believe where you are or how you came to be in this position. It is a story of life, the inevitability of death and the realization of who we are along the way. 

I have often called Scott Snyder the “modern day master of horror,” and I will again now. His portrayal of the Joker as a malevolent, undulating demigod of terror has become synonymous with horror on multiple levels and will surpass many incarnations from the past seventy-five years as THE Joker! But the fear in this book does not solely come from the Joker, it is deeper than that, even though Greg Capullo’s renderings of the “clown prince” and his Cheshire grin will always scare the hell out of me! It comes from Bruce and his final realization that he is not the man he always thought he was. It is that revelation that sometimes, even though we have fought so hard to believe otherwise, we were inevitably wrong about ourselves.

Scott Snyder has created a masterpiece of storytelling that will be beloved and despised like all great works are. He has taken a rich world and made it richer in just forty issues, a feat rarely seen in the medium today. He has taken risks and pushed a hero to the brink and beyond and I thank him for the nerve to give us something never seen before with such an iconic character. 

The beginning will ensnare you, the middle will enthrall you and the end will crush you. Who could ask for anything more?

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Movie News

Robert Downey Jr. Calls Interviewer Bottom-Feeder & Parasite


RDJ walk out interview has over 8.4 million views on YouTube
 

Robert Downey Jr. recently walked out on an interview while promoting Avengers 2 following the interviewer switching gears and asking about RDJ’s personal life.

Now while speaking with Howard Stern (via THR), Robert Downey Jr. defended his actions: “I just wish I’d left sooner. I’m one of those guys where I’m always kind of assuming the social decorum is in play and that we’re promoting a superhero movie, a lot of kids are going to see it. This has nothing to do with your creepy, dark agenda that I’m feeling like all of a sudden ashamed and obligated to accommodate your weirdo shit.”

RDJ continues with mention he was weirded-out by the sudden shift in questioning, and calls the UK journalist, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, a bottom-feeder.

“I’m a 50-year-old guy … and I’m completely unevolved when it comes to simple boundaries,” RDJ added. “‘You know what? You’re weirding me out. You’re a bottom-feeding muckraker.'”

Robert Downey Jr. then questions whether he should be treated similar to a politician if he (or anyone) is being interviewed, while comparing the interviewer to something akin to a parasite.

“The assumption is that there’s a button that because you’ve sat down there, you’re going to be scrutinized like a kiddie fiddler who’s running for mayor,” RDJ said. 

RDJ, a practitioner of Wing Chun Kung-Fu, warns he needs to distance himself or things might get out of hand.

“What I have to do in the future is I just have to give myself permission to say, ‘That is more than likely a syphilitic parasite, and I need to distance myself from this clown.’ Otherwise, I’m probably going to put hands on somebody, and then there’s a real story.”

Listen to the RDJ interview:

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