Earlier this week, Moviefone spoke with Much Ado About Nothing director Joss Whedon about the buzz surrounding his acclaimed Shakespeare adaptation and, of course, his Marvel Studios ventures. After explaining how he's approaching The Avengers sequel differently, Whedon shared the advice, if any, that he gave to Marvel about Guardians of the Galaxy and its director, James Gunn.
"I've talked to them about the story from the beginning, and the different drafts," Whedon said about Guardians of the Galaxy. "One of the questions they asked me was "What do you think of James Gunn?" And I giggled like a school girl because I was like, "Oh, this movie is going to work." It's weird, because I feel like maybe there are people who do -- and maybe you could -- but people ask, "Did you talk to Kenneth Branagh about adapting Shakespeare?" Of course not! [joking] "Hi, sir. I'm making one, too. Just like you! What should I do?" Joss Whedon added, "It feels intrusive and, also, you sort of feel like, "No, I've got this." James is very assured. We had a great talk after we had both done our first movies, where -- it was probably some time a year after or less -- and we discovered that both us could not write. We realized the director in us had killed the writer. Because, for the first time ever, all the compromise, all the throwing out of the stuff you love, was done by you. And then to go back to the blank page and know that you're not even safe from yourself had crippled us for a while. And then we got past it & that was a great bonding thing."
Continuing with his Guardians of the Galaxy thoughts, "When it comes to this, for me, my only piece of advice has been: I want to hear more of James. Let's pull out the formula. Give me more James. Make it weirder. The only way to achieve that "Star Wars" vibe is not to chase it -- is to try to be an original universe and have all the fun and do all the stuff. And James is... he's perfect for that because even I said, "A raccoon?" And James's thing was, "Here's the deal. It's about the raccoon. This is why I love it: because of the raccoon and the tree." And I'm like, "Okay, that's the guy you need." In a separate interview with Bleeding Cool, Whedon was reminded about all the British and Irish actors that're being linked to Guardians of the Galaxy and, more recently, The Avengers sequel. "Some things [obscured audio] or deny… and James Gunn is geting some of that. We heard that there were some actors in England who had some training and might be good. But I don’t know any personally. We’re following Guardians at Shepperton [with Avengers 2] but we won’t be swapping cast members. Every movie is its own thing and has to be. Unless I take a lot of peyote and write a very different draft… and I’m not ruling that out."
As Joss Whedon directed Much Ado About Nothing amid production on The Avengers, the filmmaker was asked if he had any projects similarly planned with The Avengers sequel. "There is not right now," he replied. "I enter upon "Avengers 2" with a different mindset than I did the first one. I feel like I know so well what it is that I want to accomplish, and like "Much Ado," I now have a real sense of the troop I'm working with and the strictures and the opportunities. My little passion, sidebar project comes out May 1, 2015. There are a couple of things having to do with leadership that I feel like it's about time I've learned," Whedon said after being asked if he learned anything from The Avengers that he plans to do differently. "Honestly, "Much Ado" unlocked something very pure in me that I'd cut myself off from, of just enjoying every moment of the process. There are fewer moments of the process than there are for something like "Avengers," but I give everything I have, as much as I can, to my work. And yet, somehow, I feel like I haven't quite been able to let go and just go, "Okay, I'm on a location scout. That's good. It's fine." Everything that wasn't writing or directing used to make me insane. And there's a ton of "hurry up and wait," especially on a production like that. And I felt guilt, and I felt weird and very unhappy about all of those moments, and now, I sort of have this understanding of "No, you know what? You need sleep. You need winter. You need the things in between. And you have to honor them and enjoy them because, well, this is what you do. So I just feel much more serene about the experience. Now, that doesn't mean I won't be a frightening mess who yells at people, but I'll be yelling at them from love. I'll be yelling at them about the right thing." What do you think?
So far starring Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, with Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, Marvel's The Avengers untitled sequel is written and directed by Joss Whedon, and starts shooting early next year for a May 1, 2015, release date.
Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Michael Rooker, Ophelia Lovibond, John C. Reilly, Enzo Cilenti, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan and Glenn Close with Benicio Del Toro, Guardians of the Galaxy is written & directed by James Gunn, and is set to be released in theaters on August 1, 2014.