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Who Will Assemble The Avengers

By TK | Posted Under Trade News | Comments (10)

the-ultimates.jpg

It seems that not a day goes by that there isn’t more news about a Marvel Comics movie. Of course, that’s probably because there are roughly eleventy bersmillion Marvel films coming out. Some, like Fox’s X-Men franchise, I could give a shit about. After they decided to butcher the franchise and abandon any semblance of fealty to the comics, any resemblence to decent storytelling or directing with the abysmal X-Men Origins: Wolverine and the even worse X-Men III, I just stopped caring. Here’s the latest news on their slated X-Men: First Class: Bryan Singer’s probably out because he’s doing Jack The Giant Killer. They’re looking at other directors. Whoop-de-doo. The only respectable X-Men director, and they’re looking elsewhere.

Fuck ‘em.

Anyway, the other end of the Marvel universe is of course the hotly anticipated, and so-far fulfilling Avengers franchise. We’ve had the excellent Iron Man and the pretty good The Incredible Hulk, with Iron Man 2 set for this summer, and Kenneth Brannagh directing Chris Hemsworth in Thor, as well as Joe Johnston directing Chris Evans in The First Avenger: Captain America (Yup, he’s been confirmed as accepting the role). All of this of course will lead up to the super duper mega tie-in flick, The Avengers. There hasn’t been a director announced, nor has the full team been announced (rumor has it that the Hulk won’t be in it, but Nick Fury, Captain America, Thor and Iron Man will). So far, the only rumors I can recall were that Iron Man director Jon Favreau mentioned his interest in it.

Now, Louis Leterrier, who directed The Incredible Hulk, has said that he’s on the shortlist for directing The Avengers. In an interview with Ain’t It Cool News, he said:

“I am on the shortlist, but I’m at the bottom of the shortlist, I’m sure… I don’t know who the other guys are, but I have a great relationship with [Marvel], and I’ve been very vocal to them and everyone else that I am the one to direct it. I loved my time at Marvel. I loved those guys. They’re fantastic. Kevin [Feige] is such a passionate boss; he gets his hands dirty. It’s a universe I want to keep exploring. I was frustrated with [THE INCREDIBLE HULK]. It was like, “That’s it? Only one superhero? Can I do more???” We’ll see. Time will tell.”

Personally, I’d be OK with Leterrier, who I thought did a fine job with the Hulk film, even though it received mixed reviews. He’s clearly a fan, which is critical, he knows his way around big action pieces, and from reports about the film, he’s very character-driven (something that put him at odds with the studio at times).

(h/t to The Playlist, who has an excellent write-up on this as well as a more in-depth exploration of Marvel’s financing woes. Also, he’s crazy. Jeremy Renner should totally be Hawkeye.)









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Comments

Captain America is going to blow. The director has no concept of who the character is and sounds hell bent on making him just some guy. Captain America is the superhero for superheroes. He's King Jesus Arthur Christ.

Leterrier... could be worse. Greater internet, do we trust Penn now? He appears to have a lot of dogs on his resume.

Posted by: twig at March 23, 2010 10:19 AM

Disagree on Johnston. From what I've read so far, he gets that Cap started out as "just some guy" who becomes an icon. The Super Soldier Serum made him a perfect physical specimen, but it's not like it also transformed him instantly into a master tactician and leader of men. He grew into that role during the war.

Yeah, it's an origin story. Most superhero flicks really don't need 'em, but I think Captain America does for the very reason that most everyone thinks of Cap as a symbol and forgets the man. Showing his development from regular guy to super-hero keeps him relatable, aspirational and human.

Posted by: Bates at March 23, 2010 10:42 AM

it's not like it also transformed him instantly into a master tactician

Actually, I think it did. I'm pretty sure part of the super soldier serum is an intelligence boost to go along with the physical improvements.

Posted by: twig at March 23, 2010 10:55 AM

Actually, I think it did. I'm pretty sure part of the super soldier serum is an intelligence boost to go along with the physical improvements.

Posted by: twig at March 23, 2010 10:55 AM

It might have increased his capacity, but he still had to train himself to tactics and strategy. Not to mention that "leader" part.

That's where the arc is. This character will start out as a sideshow. Symbol with no substance. He will have to find his way to his real purpose.

Posted by: ZombieScientist at March 23, 2010 11:29 AM

I can't believe we're being FURTHER denied more Hulk. Edward Norton as Bruce Banner was inspired. He was born to play that role and the movie was amazing. The ONLY problem anyone seems to have had with it was that it was a sequel to a shitty, inferior version that was still somehow in the public memory. I'll be the first to admit that a giant green man is difficult to translate to the big screen, but they pulled it off magically.

I was hoping (nay, praying) that the Avengers movie might follow along the lines of Mark Millar's "Ultimates" series (The first book to directly use Sam Jackson's face as Nick Fury), in which Bruce Banner deliberately turns himself into the Hulk in a moment of weakness and has to be taken down by the rest of the team. It was a brilliant way of paying homage to the first Avengers story, in which Thor, Iron Man, the Wasp and Ant Man must put a stop to one of the Hulks Rampages. Toss in a little black ops Black Widow and Hawkeye, and you've got something orgasmic on the silver screen.

And now no Norton (maybe). Bah!

Posted by: superasente at March 23, 2010 11:30 AM

I think Norton Hulk does deserve another go-round, if he wants it.

Posted by: Jay at March 23, 2010 11:33 AM

I'm still having issues with Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. It's not because Jackson is a middle age black guy playing an older white guy. Wait. Yes it is. Might as well replace RDJ with Chris Tucker.

Posted by: Xtreme at March 23, 2010 11:54 AM

Xtreme; I take it you don't know about The Ultimates comic then?
(Basically an Avengers reeboot,modern day)
Sam Jackson was the model for Ultimate Fury, and until book three, it rocked.

Posted by: cockroach at March 23, 2010 12:01 PM

cockroach, I haven't actually read it, no. I've become accustomed to certain things with my superhero's from back in the day, and I don't think they needed to change Fury. I also don't think we needed Gambit in a movie, but that happened too.

Oh well, maybe they'll make Marvel: Zombies into a big screen event. I can hope, right?

Posted by: Xtreme at March 23, 2010 1:02 PM

Y'know I actually agree with you, Xtreme. I think changing Fury to an African American was completely arbitrary and meaningless. Who cares if he's black or white? Is he somehow MORE of a badass because he's black? You could get a grizzled old white guy to nail the role (not that Eastwood would ever do it).

Whatever. What's done is done. Ultimate Fury is black and Jackson is perfect in the role.

Posted by: superasente at March 23, 2010 1:25 PM