Everyone knew this. Making a modern Avengers film would be a big challenge. Director Joss Whedon talks a little bit about the challenge of developing a balance between the action and the characters for The Avengers. He also talks about Ruffalo’s casting as Banner/Hulk.
Whedon recently chatted with SFX UK (via AICN) about what it’s like working with Marvel so far, and how he’s going to balance the blockbuster action that has to be a part of the film, with the character driven stories we know and love the man for. And also he answers the question many of us were wondering a while back: Mark Ruffalo?
“There are definitely stipulations and restrictions, but Kevin Feige is very active as a producer and worked with me a lot on the story, but they are absolutely honoring the fact that this is my film. What I kind of think ultimately defines Marvel Studios was the first thing they did and that was cast Robert Downey Jr. They said, ‘What if we got great actors and let them have some time to be the people they’re supposed to be instead of going through the paces of hitting this mark and that mark?’ They don’t always get it right, but nobody does. But if you look at who they already had, and who they allowed me to add to the cast, they are thinking about the integrity of the characters. Obviously we have to get from point A to point B, and fans really want to see this – and ideas for set-pieces which I said are great. Now I’m going to make them matter and they are completely on board with the idea.”
“What I will struggle with, in the outline and throughout, is that I would like to put these actors in a room and just make Glengarry Glen Ross,” he laughs. “We’re talking about really exciting people and at the same time I have to keep the momentum of the thing going. I can’t let it turn into a lull fest. Knowing that I have enough time to do both of those things – that by the end of the movie you will feel ‘in’ with these guys – is the trick. It’s not an easy one but one that Marvel absolutely honors. They don’t hire Mark Ruffalo [the new Hulk] to say one iconic line and strike a pose. They hire him because he has so much humanity in him. He’s the antithesis of the iconic actor. He’s so human. He was my first choice to play the part, and the fact he is playing the part is nuts! They went to great lengths to make that happen and they understood exactly why he was right for the part.”
It’s a tough task; but it’s not one that is impossible to work out. You could say that Whedon is feeling the “heat” of the challenge right about now. He’s just being honest about how he needs to balance this thing out. I have big hopes for this film. It has great potential – but we all know, it’s going to be really difficult to please everyone.
What do you guys think? Will Whedon be able to create balance? Do you support him as the choice to direct this movie? Is there any REAL way for him to satisfy everyone? Really?
