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EXCLUSIVE: Joss Whedon Avengers Interview

Resident Media Geek Edward Gross caught up with Avengers writer/director Joss Whedon for an exclusive 13-minute one-on-one interview, the results of which follow.

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By EdGross - 8/31/2010
As a bit of background, the last time the two spoke was during the temporary production shutdown during the first season of Dollhouse. Since then the show came back to conclude its initial year and then have a second season before it was canceled. From there, of course, Whedon stood triumphantly on stage at San Diego Comic-Con with the cast of The Avengers. This interview was conducted about a month after that show-stealing moment.

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LEEE777 - 8/31/2010, 5:09 AM
GR8 one @ ED... not sure WHEDON's up for the challenge but awesome stuff!
poseidon - 8/31/2010, 5:09 AM
First!
poseidon - 8/31/2010, 5:11 AM
ARGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH second! I was rewatching the Marvel ultimate cartoon again a few nights ago and Im guessing they are going to make something similar. Aliens will be the main bad guys. Also noticed said in the cartoon.."AWWW ITS GOOD TO BE BACK" like he did in Ironman2 so they copy a lot of stuff from their cartoons to thte big screen.
samadCBM - 8/31/2010, 5:32 AM
impressive buddy !!

Plz check out my CIVIL WAR POSTERS of

IRON MAN
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fan_fic/news/?a=22071

CAPTAIN AMERICA
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/news/?a=22089
marvel72 - 8/31/2010, 5:37 AM
@ ed gross

wicked stuff,mate.

i'm behind marvel studios 100%,this is gonna be up their with the best out of the comic book genre.

fox has ruined the x-men franchise for me,now its time to get behind the avengers franchise.

i think multi film build up to the avengers idea,is gonna be the testing ground for something much bigger in the future.
LEEE777 - 8/31/2010, 5:46 AM
poseidon @ Don't you feel silly! ; D

Ultimate Cartoon, dude come oooooon?
WireySpindell - 8/31/2010, 5:52 AM
REALLY like what I hear. This is going to be such a great movie.
EdGross - 8/31/2010, 5:57 AM
Thanks, everybody. I appreciate the supportive comments. I always try to make the interviews conversational; nothing more boring than feeling like someone is reading off of a list of questions.
iconstatic - 8/31/2010, 5:59 AM
@Poseidon

Yes, that's a logical thought. We'll see how Captain America goes, as the Ultimates threw in a plotline about the Skrulls working with the Nazis during World War 2.
iconstatic - 8/31/2010, 6:00 AM
@Poseidon

Yes, that's a logical thought. We'll see how Captain America goes, as the Ultimates threw in a plotline about the Skrulls working with the Nazis during World War 2.
Shaman - 8/31/2010, 6:19 AM
Man i have no [frick]ing clue what they have in mind for Avengers. I mean i'm totally oblivious! Which is cool cause i prefer it over being right when i guess how it'll go down from all the news we get ;)
marvel72 - 8/31/2010, 6:25 AM
@ integrity

i hope its hank & jan,i'd love to see scarlett witch & black panther in the sequel.

i know scarlett witch is a mutant,but by the time we get to see the avengers 2 who knows marvel might have their x-men rights back.
Watcher - 8/31/2010, 6:26 AM
AWESOME, Ed! Good interview.

I can appreciate trying to put a human face on these characters but he's like "these are damaged, damaged, damaged. damaged, damaged, damaged people." Sheesh

Is this going to be "One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest" with powers or what?
Hawksblueyes - 8/31/2010, 6:29 AM
Great interview Ed. Excellent stuff
iconstatic - 8/31/2010, 6:38 AM
@Integrity

Movies rarely work like that. Even if Fox has no intention to use Pietro and Wanda, they likely wouldn't be willing to lease them back to a rival studio with a potential rival franchise.
comicb00kguy - 8/31/2010, 6:42 AM
Ed: Very nice conversational flow to this interview, and a good natural progression of questions. Too many interviewers want to "stick to their script", and not pick up on little things the person they're interviewing says that should lead to follow-up questions.

I DO like hearing Whedon talking like he loves these characters, which is a lot better than a director who doesn't really care about them one way or the other. When you care about the characters, it shows on screen. It's going to be a huge job to blend all these characters from several different movies into one group, and Whedon sounds like he's up for the challenge.

I am a bit concerned hearing the Avengers referred to as "damaged people". Heroes should have their faults- after all, they're (usually) only human- but let's not wallow in the cesspool of these faults. I want to see a superhero movie, not a soap opera with costumes!Hopefully, all he means by "damaged people" is that these guys DO have faults- they're not the Super Friends, who were all best buddies and had no visible faults of any kind- and they'll be acting like Marvel characters.
marvel72 - 8/31/2010, 6:55 AM
@ integrity

i think the next few years are gonna be quite intresting at marvel studios.
Orphix - 8/31/2010, 7:05 AM
Juggernaut @"Is this going to be "One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest" with powers or what?"

OMG! Thats a freakin GENIUS idea!!! I would pay to see THAT!
MassExecutions - 8/31/2010, 7:34 AM
He probably though of everybody in Firefly as damaged, and those were still compelling characters that could stand up and take action. The only problem with that show was the lack of budget, and the no doubt related lack of action.
samadCBM - 8/31/2010, 7:34 AM

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fan_fic/news/?a=22071

FOR CAPTAIN AMERICA FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fan_fic/news/?a=22089
Watcher - 8/31/2010, 7:40 AM
lol @ Orphix:

Let's just hope he makes the characters believable.
You can make characters believeable without bogging the whole thing down with spending a bunch of time on each chartacter's individual issues.

There's beleiveable and then there's trying too hard
BrotherStarkofMABMindz - 8/31/2010, 7:51 AM
Good sounds good
BrotherStarkofMABMindz - 8/31/2010, 8:34 AM
@Itruder that is a horrible Pietro
kalel38 - 8/31/2010, 8:53 AM
why cant i hear the interview
Geeksiah - 8/31/2010, 9:42 AM
First, let's get this out of the way
Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch are part of Fox, it's a know fact we will not see them till the X-franchise returns to Marvel.

Second, This is a great interview. Some of you guys are going to bitch, for bitching is what you do but he put everything in perspective.
Yes It's going to be hard
Yes its going there will be changes from the comic.
Yes a Moster, god, guy in armor, guy wearing the flag and so on is silly on some level.

He undersatands and that will be the movie's saving grace understanding it on various levels.


ckal - 8/31/2010, 10:05 AM
Sounds great. Everything I've heard Joss say about The Avengers makes me think it is going to be such an awesome movie on all accounts. I think he really understands what to do and how to do it.
ClaireLannister2016 - 8/31/2010, 10:11 AM
I can't access the audio at my school. What does he say? :)
JoshWilding - 8/31/2010, 10:28 AM
Amazing work Ed! :) I think that this is probably the best interview/exclusive, I've ever seen (well heard in this case, lol) on CBM! I was already happy with Whedon as director, but now I know he's the perfect guy for the job!
lalosuper3001 - 8/31/2010, 10:34 AM
I believe in Whedon. evrything I have seen from him, leaves a mark in my mind. Sometimes a sad, angry, depressing one, but at the end of the day he makes his story burrow into my brain. Unlike other movies that my brain immediately spews, like Wholverine, Xwho3, Superwho returns, The Which Airbender, Aeon Sux, STShitt Fighter: the Legend of Who Li, Dragon Poop: Evloution, etc.
lalosuper3001 - 8/31/2010, 10:36 AM
The only Who I remember with all my heart is DOCTOR WHO!!! In fact, he can come save the Avengers when everything else is lost. Imagine: The last one standing is the Hulk, and with his last breath he looks at he little blue box and manages to say: Who..? And the Doctor saves the day!! Yeaaah!!!
EdGross - 8/31/2010, 10:57 AM
Thanks, JoshW. Sincerely.
Sturmpionier - 8/31/2010, 11:15 AM
Great interview, Ed. This is really, really good work.

On the overall Whedon front, a friend and I were chatting about Whedon doing the Avengers and he suggested that I check out Firefly and Serenity to get a good idea of Whedon working with an ensemble cast. So, I plugged in my Netflix and checked out both the Firefly series and the Serenity feature film. After watching them I will say this: if Avengers is as good as they are, I will be very happy.
DCMarvelFreshman - 8/31/2010, 11:45 AM
Just got home to finsh listening to this! Great interview :)

I really need more faith in this movie, because all I can imagine is the things in the film people will complain about. I NEED STORY DETAILS!!!

BTW Marvel put me under the spell with Iron Man too! Awesome movie.
ComradeGrey - 8/31/2010, 12:03 PM
@Intruder

Why do you hate Zac Efron? He's not a *great* actor and he doesn't have very good taste coming out of the Disney tradition, but he seems pretty nice, from what I've seen of him.

Are you just saying you hate him as an obligatory fan hate to all things mainstream?
48and2 - 8/31/2010, 12:23 PM
Awesome Ed - must give massive props!!! =)

Here's one thing about Whedon, he's capable of doing alot with a little. Serenity's one of the very few if any? canceled tv shows that got a sendoff on the bigscreen... however he did write part of Waterworld =P
BrotherFromAnother - 8/31/2010, 4:21 PM
Props to Whedon for taking the chair for this movie, it takes big brass balls to stand before the unruley mob of Geekville who are ready to throw rotten vegetables and proclaim that he thinks he can pull it off. I got your back man, however this thing turns out. BTW- I think his balls should have a cameo.
BrotherFromAnother - 8/31/2010, 4:25 PM
His Brass ones that is.
GUNSMITH - 8/31/2010, 5:07 PM
OK SOOOO ITS A TOTAL REBOOT?
Dakjaniels - 8/31/2010, 5:14 PM
Whedon's got his shit together. Can't wait to see that group shot. Awesome interview.
Luigi - 8/31/2010, 6:19 PM
It's quiet... too quiet -.-
113 - 8/31/2010, 7:00 PM
I think the best question and the best answer was the last one about putting all the characters together and not having them look ridiculous. And Whedon got it right, there is obviously a big level of ridiculousness to the whole thing but you can't let that hinder you. It's a movie so a suspension of disbelief has to occur. Having said that he knows he has to stay as far away from camp-territory as possible and he's trying to do that by experimenting with different color palettes and tone etc.

I'm becoming more confident in his ability to pull this off, he seems to be headed in the right direction and also keeping a level head. The two worst kinds of directors to have on this project would be a) one who doesn't give a shit about comics or superheroes or thinks that they are stupid...and b) a director who is obsessed about what all the fans think about every little detail. You can't become a slave to us fans. Respect the source material but don't become a slave to it, some liberties must be taken to translate comic characters to film and most reasonable comic fans understand that. But he knows he can't give us the finger as well.
Orehrepus - 8/31/2010, 10:11 PM
Script version, please. Can't watch movie.

Thanks!
alittler - 8/31/2010, 11:58 PM
@poseidon stop being an idiot, declaring FIRST any time makes anything you say henceforth look retarded
TheStig - 9/1/2010, 4:45 AM
I love how in all these Avengers pics RDJ is just stealing the shot and is having way more fun than the rest combined.
Kalabog - 9/1/2010, 6:30 AM
@TheStig

RDJ is stealing the shot? Actually the first question that pops in my mind when I saw this pic is whether or not RDJ is kneeling or not? If he is not kneeling then I can understand why he is stealing the shot. :-D
TheStig - 9/1/2010, 6:40 AM
@Kalabog

Haha I didn't even notice that haha, I just assumed he was kneeling...but perhaps some overcompensation?
Sweep99 - 9/1/2010, 6:54 AM
I just thought he needed people to lean on to be vertical? I would party with that man.
RorMachine - 9/1/2010, 10:26 AM
Woah, this is amzing work Ed. What an exclusive! Whedon seems like a really cool guy. Like Josh I was already excited that he was helming teh film but the more i hear him speak about it the more i'm certain he's the man for the job
tripttwe - 9/1/2010, 11:09 AM
I think Zac would make a great Quicksilver!
Todd Gray - 9/1/2010, 7:11 PM
Whedon is so going to hold this movie back.
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