‘Marvel’s The Avengers’ – Do We Really Want A Sequel?

OBLIGATORY WARNING: This article is all about Marvel’s The Avengers. If you have not seen the movie yet and are worried about spoilers, don’t read it, okay?

What was once unimaginable is now reality. We are now living in a post-Marvel’s The Avengers world. A cake has been baked, we have been given frosting, the milk was cold, and, after very little hesitation, we have eaten the cake. Now, as I wipe the crumbs from my cheek and gaze at the now empty plate, I wanted to discuss a few points about the movie and then ask the very serious question: should there be a sequel?

Let’s take a step back. I went to the theater with an odd set of expectations. Usually with these things, I have some set of expectations tied into plot, or hopes based on the director’s previous work, or even worries based on similar movies. This time, however, I just hoped that it wouldn’t look like a bunch of hopped up cosplayers battling CGI beasts. Like, one guy in a costume, okay. A team in outfits that resemble uniforms more than individual costumes, like the X-Men movies, totally fine. But when you mix and match uniforms, it can just look silly. I was most worried about how Thor would look, talking to Iron Man and Captain America, with his cape and the armor and it totally worked, thanks in no small part of how naturally Chris Hemsworth wore the outfit.

I loved watching the actors “own” the roles. With the exception of Mark Ruffalo, the actors were coming back to a character they had created. This movie allowed them to report to set with a little more confidence, and though I hear that there was a lot of joking around during filming, when the cameras were rolling, I thought each of the actors fully took on the responsibility of the characters they were playing. I help teach acting classes to beginning actors, and (as I may have mentioned before), one of the things I learned from David Mamet was that the pressures that an actor feels about a particular scene usually have some analog with what the character they are playing is going through.

These heroes, when they put on the costumes, put on the mantle of being Earth’s mightiest protectors. They have the attention of the world focused on them. Same with the actors. The more fully they embrace their character, the better their performance, the better the movie, the more successful the movie will be and, of course, the more likely they will make more money.  (Hitchcock, when asked by an actor what his motivation was, replied to the effect of, “Your paycheck, stupid.”)

One of my lesser expectations was hoping for the chance to see some quieter moments, the “hanging around the mansion” scenes that Bendis does so well in the books. We did get glimpses of this and while I have heard some complaints that the characters were too hip in the quips, I quite enjoyed watching these egos make fun of each other. The post-credits sequence nailed this, with Ruffalo, allowing himself a chuckle at some memory of the day’s events, nailing what made this movie so fun, watching these heroes letting themselves enjoy this a bit.

What Marvel Studios has done over the past few years is establish a brand for their movies that is clearly not easy to pull off: build a universe where heroes exist and the stakes are dire but still have a sense of humor about the whole thing. I heard some complaints about how the overall plot was pretty simplistic–a hole in the sky with bad guys dropping out is not, technically, that innovative…

…but that’s not the point. While there may be other ways to go about it, I thought it injected some old-fashioned comics into the film. Bad guys come in through a portal and of course the portal is above New York. That’s Marvel Comics, and now it’s Marvel movies. Of course, that’s how I feel now. When I was thinking about the movie as I was falling asleep after coming home from the theater, I fought a sense of frustration that the movie wasn’t somehow more…complex, I guess. The plot structure, you’ll remember, is insanely simple — there are subplots, but they don’t amount to much and the main plot, “Loki needs to open up a portal for his invading army,” couldn’t be more basic.

But so was, “rag-tag band of rebels need to blow up planet-killing space station.”

No, when I think about the movie, I find myself less irritated by the simple plot line and basking instead in the smile and laughs that I experienced watching these heroes come together, these alliances–these friendships getting formed. My biggest guffaw had to come when Hulk dispatched Thor after a particularly stressful battle. I mean, I have to tell you, I honestly think that was a perfect moment and it would not have been so powerful and humorous without the character building that happened throughout the movie. Watching Hulk become a character and not just a beast has to be one of the great revelations in the film and I am not surprised to hear how many people come away saying that Hulk was one of their favorite characters in the movie.

Given how the past Hulk films have been, this is an incredible achievement!

Was the film perfect? Of course not. Yes, there were moments when I thought it was a bit long, but now I just shrug that off: it’s just fun to be in that world, you know? It’s just fun to watch the freakin’ Avengers! Marvel understands that their fans know and understand the mechanics of their universe, and I think there’s an understanding that if the producers want to give some breathing room to the story to help cement that experience, then it’s okay.

There is a lot more to talk about, but I don’t want to rehash all the great conversations you guys are having on the Avengers thread, so let’s move on a bit.

We now have proof, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that when a studio makes a film that honors the legacy of the comics, the expectations (and intelligence) of the fans, that the film will be a success. Hulk is the strongest one there is and Marvel’s The Avengers has had the biggest opening weekend in history —both statements are true. As I write this, it seems like almost everyone is getting into the theaters to watch this movie and I bet it will continue to be successful, as word-of-mouth spreads and people go a second or third time (I am planning on it).  The headline is, again: The Nerds Have Won. We got our Lord of the Rings, we got our Batman, and now we have an actual superhero team-up movie and it just happens to be the biggest film on the planet.

Do we quit here?

Do we stop?

Do we risk a sequel to Marvel’s The Avengers?  Will the general audience really embrace Thanos?  Will the studio want to risk another $200 million? Will the actors want to return and risk being stereotyped from here on out?

I am going to just say it: as tempting as it is, I am almost thinking that a sequel would be a mistake, that we should “leave them wanting more,” and just quit while we’re ahead. I am reminded of Galaxy Quest, which is a terrific movie that could have easily had a sequel but never did — and that is one of the reasons I think it is so good, because it never got sullied by a crappy sequel.

I can see the reasoning behind a sequel, of course, I am not an idiot. The storytellers wouldn’t have to spend the first part of the movie convincing the characters to be on the team, first off. We’d get to see the Avengers Tower in all its glory. And Thanos!

But how long would this all take?

Ladies and gentlemen, we have more Marvel comic book movies coming. Iron Man 3, Thor 2, Captain America 2 and possibly a new Hulk movie, apparently. At the very earliest, we are talking a new Avengers movie coming out 2-3 years from now.

Can we sustain this? Do we want to? Or can Marvel do with their comic-book movies what other studios have done with the James Bond series, where one every few years is okay, expected, even?

I almost think…I almost think that with these other movies, there’s a bit of Avengers in each of them. Like, you open with an Avengers-themed storyline ending and then have a character split from the group to have his (or her!) own movie.  That way, you can have the Avengers storyline weaved through all of the movies (I almost wrote “books”!) and then set the stage for the big movie later on.

Of course, this is all just conjecture and hand-wringing for hand-wringing’s sake. I know that. Like so many of what is going on these days, these are unprecedented situations we are talking about here and good problems to have. I can see the “as long as they keep making them, I’ll keep seeing them” mentality, and, who knows? Maybe the interest in these films will spur more interest in comics, especially when you can watch the movie and read the comics on the same device?

Marvel’s The Avengers has happened and it will be interesting to see if this is the end of an era or the beginning of a whole new one.  Really curious to see what you think the implications are.

 


Mike Romo is an actor in LA who is very much available to play Hank Pym. You can reach him through email, visit his facebook page, and collect his tweets on twitter.

Comments

  1. “Like, one guy in a costume, okay. A team in outfits that resemble uniforms more than individual costumes, like the X-Men movies, totally fine. But when you mix and match uniforms, it can just look silly”

    So you’re a fan of the black leather and uniforms instead of super-heroes actually dressing like super-heroes? This has always really bothered me, and I’m so glad that Avengers wasn’t afraid to be colorful and true to the comics.

    • I think Mike was saying it could’ve looked bad and he’s glad it didn’t. Just because he was worried doesn’t mean he’d rather have Thor wearing black leather.

    • Sometimes things don’t translate well between mediums. Costumes that look awesome on paper can seem silly on a real person on film. This is most often obvious with female characters costumes; if movies really had women wear the outfits they wear in comics we’d have quite a few wardrobe malfunctions.

    • I think that if the X-Men movies had the team in yellow and purple, it would be really distracting and look silly. As it is, for me, I would have preferred to have had Cap were the uniform he wore in his film–I thought his current costume was just too bright.

      But yeah–my fear was that I thought it was going to look silly and it was not silly at all…

    • If you look at the Captain America movie with Salinger, you can see how this can go really bad really quick. They pulled the costumes off well here, but I am still happy they did not do yellow spandex in the X-men movies.

    • @rikemomo I completely disagree. I personally and I think many viewers go to the theater for an escape. Part of the reason I think The Avengers is doing so well is because it is such a fun bright escape. I think the costumes from First Class were much more interesting then the other X-Men films which were completely bland. Just seems lazy. I didn’t hate Cap’s costume in the film, nor did it bother me, but I did see a MUCH better version of it in concept art.

    • Wish I could edit my comments. I guess I don’t completely disagree, but to an extent obviously.

  2. Y’know what’s funny? I actually wouldn’t be surprised if The Avengers drove a few folks to try out some Avengers comics. Unlike DC, Marvel has a strong TPB program, so there’s plenty of good stuff out there for the curious to just pick up and grab. Who knows?

    • I’ve definitely wanted to read more classic Avengers since seeing the film (I haven’t read many superhero comics for the past couple of years, really.)

      Admittedly I’m already a comics fan, but that felt like an achievement to me. I’d be interested to see if it fully converted anyone.

    • I’ve often wondered about the effect that a movie has on former readers returning. We always hear that companies hope movies will bring in new readers (and I hope they do), but I’d love to know more about recidivism among former readers. I hadn’t read a comic in 10 years until I saw X-Men 2 and decided I’d like to find out what the X-Men had been up to.

    • My girlfriend had never read a superhero comic in her life. The first thing she did when we got back from watching Avengers Saturday was buy the first collection of Bendis’s Avengers.

    • I started reading Infinity War again.

    • @mono
      i started reading infinity war, too. also the infinity gauntlet. seeing thanos’ face at the end of the movie really inspired me to read up on thanos instead of avengers. he’s one of my all-time favorite characters.

    • Started reading the infinity gauntlet as well. Just finished reading “Thanos Quest #1 Schemes & Dreams”

  3. They really can’t do a “Thanos as the villain” sequel. It would just be another portal, another army, another war. Thanos should be part of a Whedon directed “Guardians of the Galaxy” which could stem from Fury creating S.W.O.R.D. as a response to the invasion in the Avengers film. That would let Joss Whedon use his Agent Brand character from Astonishing X-men in a live action format,
    The Ant-Man movie then should be about Hank Pym trying to become a superhero in Tony Starks shadow. He keeps inventing identities and powers, joins the Ultimate version of the Defenders and along the way, just happens to invent Ultron,
    Then the Avengers sequel could be all about fighting Ultron. It would give them chances for several fights as Ultron keeps evolving and upgrading during the film.
    ….oh yeah, and Agent Coul-vision when Ultron tries to bring the team down from the inside by creating a Coulson LMD.

    • ya.. as much as Thanos is my favorite villain .. an Ultron/pym plot would be much easier to translate into a good film. Thanos could be done well but it would take the right combination of talent and luck. The thing is weve been showered with robots as of late right? We dont want the next avengers too look like transformers although i agree with most of what your saying.

    • Sure they can do Thanos as the villian. Think about the possibility of the infinity gauntlet. That might be a great storyline.

      But I do prefer your idea of an Ultron storyline. That gets my vote.

    • I don’t think Thanos would need an army if he had the Infinity Gauntlet – if he wants to destroy something, it is gone by pure thought. To conquer a planet is an infinitessimally small thing to do via the Gauntlet. And there is the story: the temptation of ultimate power. The way it could work is that, in each of the next few films, somewhere there’s a piece of the Infinity Gauntlet. The Gauntlet itself is in Asgard (Thor 2), one of Mandarin’s rings could be retconned to be an Infinity Gem (Iron Man 3), and Cap and Hulk…eh, work it out. The others would obviously come from other galactic locales (it would be a little too easy if all the gems were on Earth), and could even be the opening act of Avengers 2, or the plot of a Guardians movie. Then Avengers 2 is about Thanos vs. the Avengers. Bring in some Starlin-esque cosmic concepts, the psycho-analysis of Thanos, and some Avengers having the chance to take up the Gauntlet and resisting or giving in, and there’s your movie.

    • But you’re skipping over that there will be 3 other movies prior to Avengers 2. A lot could happen. And it doesn’t mean Thanos is the villain in every single one… it could be one scene in each film that builds up to Avengers 2.

      I would NOT be surprised if each film seemed like random, separate events, only to find out Thanos was controlling it all from behind the scenes. That would make for a great build up.

  4. I want a sequel in about 5 years. Let them get Iron Man 3, Thor 2, and Captain America out first. Then hopefully a Black Widow and Hawkeye movie. And hopefully they can get Ant Man out within the next 3 years. Guardians of the Galaxy would be a great segue into the Avengers 2 if they kept up Thanos as the villain. We just don’t need to rush into a sequel because this one made bucketloads of money. There will probably end up being about 8 Marvel Studios movies before we get to the next Avengers movie.

  5. What Marvel has now in the Avengers (and its related franchises) is an engine to introduce new characters into their movie business. For example it’s much more reasonable to see a Dr. Strange movie if he makes his first appearance in Thor 2. Hank Pym & Janet in Iron Man 3. Black Panther in Captain America 2.

    • I completely agree with this.
      Although, I don’t think certain characters can hold their own movie.
      I think (and this is just my opinion) that Hawkeye / Black Widow / Hank & Janet Pym couldn’t hold their own movie. They thrive bouncing off of other characters.
      Characters like Dr. Strange and Black Panther could possibly do well with their own movie, if handled well and introduced within a Thor / Iron Man / Captain America / Avengers movie first. This would gain interest in those characters with a large audience who would otherwise not know who they were and would pass on a stand alone movie. Think about how a large percentage of movie-goers scratched their head when seeing Thanos at the end of Avengers, not knowing who he was. I’ll bet that search engines have spiked with searches of “villain at the end of avengers” or “Thanos”.

    • Not to mention Guillermo Del Toro’s Hulk TV series w/ Ruffalo? Think about all the characters they can drop in? That show would end up being a breeding ground for film characters!!

  6. I am a bit nervous that there is nowhere to go but down. But how can I not want to see a movie featuring my favorite Marvel character ever – Thanos? The Infinity Gauntlet = Marvel Comics for me as a kid.

    But I get the trepidation. But ya know what? I’m going to try and not being cynical – Avengers shouldn’t have been as great as it was – yet it was. I say bring on round two!

  7. I understand the concerns given here. I have heard differentiating stories as to how it is to work with Joss Whedon but here is my feeling. First I could never imagine anyone cooler to get to work with. Secondly I would be more on board than off board for an Avengers sequel. I think what Whedon did that was amazing (as said before) was to give us a bigger and better Hulk after two failed movies AND let’s not forget Black Widow. I remember her performance being not all that memorable in Iron Man 2 or even making it seem like she was anything outside of a martial-arts sexy super-spy. And what do we get in Avengers? A really strong opening and introduction with her pulling off amazing stunts and how could we ever discredit her amazing rope-a-dope interrogation scene with Loki. Joss was able to clean up slack in past characters. I would like to think whatever the decision, Mr. Whedon would NOT go for trying out an Avengers sequel unless he felt like he had all the pieces in their place and had in line a movie to better his past success. But, that’s just my opinion.

  8. I absolutely want a sequel, and if I have to wait a few years then no problem, as long as they take all the time they need make it good. I also hope they can get Joss Whedon to come back, I think that would go a long way towards ensuring the sequel works.

  9. Great article Mike. My answer to the question of “Do we really want a sequel?” is yes, but I want a really good sequel. I think Thanos will require some build up. His cameo puzzled the audience I was in. People were clueless as to who he was and why he would be important.

    • They were clueless because it wasn’t explained. it was a teaser for the fans of marvel comics. yaknow what else should have confused your audience, just who the hell these aliens were who were invading and why. thatwas the actual plot of the movie, not a teaser during the credits.
      marvel has some four or five movies now to build up Thanos and the Infinity Gems (plant seeds in the next wave of hulk, cap, etc.) before the Avengers sequel, and casual audiences have as many years to figure it out and perhaps *gasp* actually read some comics!

  10. While the thought of a sequel fills me with dread, there is a tiny little bubble of hope somewhere that whispers “Empire Strikes Back…Aliens…Batman Dark Knight…”. I’m going to focus on THAT for a while.

    And whether or not we think we need a sequel, we all KNOW we are getting one. No suit is walking away from this much money.

  11. Galaxy Quest was so awesome, and I for one will tell you that a sequel to that would have been it’s undoing!! Tim Allen is so old now and wait so is William Shatner (BILL), hmmm… maybe there is a way to do a sequel however, it would have to be that good.
    The Avengers need a sequel to cement their greatness in history even further before our beloved characters get to old and then have to reboot all over again. A second and final movie would be fantastic, go for it Marvel and then maybe you could introcude some other characters and follow them. Oh well, I say yes do a sequel!!

    K

  12. Whedon said in an interview that the next Avengers movie would be smaller and more personal and tragic which leads me to believe Thanos will still be in the shadows manipulating events and then his plan will kick into action in the third movie.

    At the end of the day I just want 5 things for the sequel: Joss Whedon, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth. If they’re all involved I’m sold.

  13. More more

  14. The impossible was just released and it was amazing. I’m not going to be questioning Marvel Studios for a good long while.

  15. I understand the unease of a sequel and trust me, I am scared for another one too. Even if Whedon comes back as writer/director how many times have we seen a sequel just become worse then the first movie?

    • With Spider-Man. No wait, that was better. X-Men then. No wait…
      I don’t think there is some sort of rule. A sequel is at least a chance for a great movie.

    • dark knight…no wait. godfather…well fuck.
      there are plenty of awesome sequels. hell, i thought iron man 2 was cool, too, despite a lot of people saying it didn’t live up to the first one. those people are bonkers.
      it’s the third installments that get a bit tricky. unless you’re star wars.

  16. A sequel? Yes, please! I suspect the long-term plan is something to do with the Infinity Gauntlet. They already showed a prop of the Gauntlet a couple years ago at SDCC, and the staff that Loki was given in the film clearly seems to have a soul gem. Why not do a sequel where there is another gem involved and get in a little Ultron action while you’re at it? Double your action, double your fun. 🙂

  17. I totally believe in keeping them wanting more. A seq. would be so much pressure having to be bigger and better and then the actors getting typecast. This needs to stay Avengers and then go to a new storyline in the Marvel U and new and old characters could meet at that movie.

  18. Avatar photo Paul Montgomery (@fuzzytypewriter) says:

    This sounds like quitter talk, Mike.

  19. At this point, a sequel would really diminish the hype. Like my view towards the X-Men movies became,”Oh, another one?” And as far as sequels go, Highlander was awesome, where Highlander 2 made me want to stab myself.

    And on the note of plot line, Thanos can’t possibly deliver any other plot than “portal in the sky with badguys flying out of it.” And while, that’s fun and very much has a classic comic book feel, we’ve gotten our fill of that. I think we should get something more like Superman, where is greatest enemy is just a normal guy, albeit, very rich and powerful (He’s the president for christ sake!) But still just a guy.

  20. Movie studios very rarely avoid releasing crappy sequels as long as there is money to be made. As long as there is a consistent vision a to what this world is like and they maintain it then I think that’s fine. The James Bond comparison might be apt but that’s very different from superhero movies that feel a need to reboot the characters every ten years or so. James Bond was rebooted and retconned very well in Casino Royale after being seen in 20-something films previously. I couldn’t imagine a similar series of movies in the Marvel Universe. (Although it could be awesome.)

  21. Am I the only one nervous for the Iron Man, Thor, Captain America sequels? I’d rather they not make all three sequels and focus on bringing some new characters to screen, then let Whedon do a bigger Avengers! (I have faith he knows ensemble casts and wouldn’t mess it up)

  22. If Joss Whedon is back as writer and director and Thanos is in fact the villain, then obviously yes. Also, there is going to be a Guardians of the Galaxy film, which probably means they’ll show up as well. The only thing that makes me a bit sad is he doesn’t have ALL of the Marvel characters to play with (Spider-Man, X-Men, Fantastic Four, etc.).

  23. Hell yes I want a sequel! They can take all the time they need. If Whedon and the main ensemble are involved, I’m there.

    I dunno about Thanos though. It’s been quite a while since I read Infinity Gauntlet, but if memory serves, they’re gonna have to do quite a bit of tailoring. Even as a kid, it struck me as the worst kind of ridiculous. Maybe I just need a re-read.

    Regardless, I’d say this cast and crew have at least two more Avengers movies in them. Even if it doesn’t live up to the first one, I’d say it’s worth a shot. Nothing can diminish the quality of this installment for me.

  24. I really thought about it and yes, I do want a sequel.

  25. Robert Downey Jr. is very clearly the strongest appeal to outside fans. I think they should make Avengers 2&3 back to back. He’s not getting any younger and that is a huge issue imo. Their already talking of what they will do when the time comes to recast. Can you at this point imagine someone trying to take over as Iron Man? I wish they didn’t bring Jim Rhodes in just so they could save him as a young apprentice to Stark. It wouldn’t fix the problem of Downey but would at least make some sense story wise.

    • Was thinking the same thing. I imagined that before A2 Iron Man would get captured by the big villain. And by the end A3 Tony Stark would go into space in a sort of ultimate sacrifice type thing.

      You never see the body so if he comes back as another actor… it’s fine.

    • The thing to remember about Downey is he doesn’t need to be in shape and do stunts like the rest of the actors because he’s always in the Iron Man. As long as he doesn’t age too much in the face for the inside the helmet shots we’ll be good

  26. Yes we want a sequel, I know I do. Plus they’ve already announced Iron Man 3, Thor 2, and Captain America 2, and personally I’d be much more hyped for Avengers 2 than any of those.

    Though if they get the rumored SHIELD movie off the ground that’ll do too, just gimme more Nick Fury, Black Widow, and Hawkeye.

  27. Seems to me making only one Avengers movie would be like making only one Avengers comic ark.

  28. Also, I do not understand the characters being typecast all of a sudden. If they haven’t been by now why would they be? Their all excellent actors.

  29. I would say “YES!!”, but also see your point. We all know the studios tend to mess things up…given the time. Look at Batman for instance. You have these great Tim Burton movies within a few years of each other. Warner Bros. then gets greedy, Burton walks away, and they give it to Shumacher! Then again look at Superman. 1 and 2 were classics, the 3rd was horrible, and who even remembers the 4th. It will happen. The call of $$ is too strong for the studio execs to walk away.

  30. We all understand the trepidation but fear should never be the reason why something is not pursued. One of my concerns is simply the age of the actors in the movie. I mean, Samuel L Jackson is already 63 at this moment. A very spry 63 year old but still, time slows for no man.

    And besides, even if the sequel doesn’t turn out so well, at least we’ll always have the first Avengers movie.

  31. I don’t care if they ever make a sequel, that movie was near flawless and I said this coming out of it. If they do, hope its still Whedon with bigger dreams cause he can pull it off.

  32. I hope they do a better job of introducing new characters in IRON MAN 3, THOR 2, CAPTAIN AMERICA 2… Black Widow’s appearance in IRON MAN 2 was pretty weak, especially now that you compare her expanded role in AVENGERS. And Hawkeye’s forced cameo in THOR was pretty pointless too.

    If they try to work in Ant-Man or Wasp or Ms. Marvel in the individual character sequels, it needs to be in service of the story of those films, not just the eventual AVENGERS 2…

  33. Another thing. Thanos doesn’t make the movie special, the Infinity Gems do that.
    With them you have 6 MacGuffins.

  34. Great comments everyone–had to share Harry Knowle’s review of the film–it’s the total opposite of what I wrote, which is kinda funny: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/55399 (he wants a new Avengers every 2 years..!)

  35. The movie is going to make 2 billion dollars and is based on an open-ended concept. There will be an Avengers 2 and they will make it as fast as they can considering what they have already committed to. So whether you want it or not, it is coming. The bigger question is whether they will try to continue this back and forth dynamic between the solo and group films or try to bunch up more Avengers films faster. That would be a mistake, but who would be really surprised to see Hollywood strangle their golden goose for as much money right now as they can get? As to whether I want one? If it is these actors and Whedon, hell yes. Most of these actors and Whedon, mostly hell yes. Some of these actors and another director, yes but with trepidation. A lot of comic book sequels have been damn good, Iron Man II being a serious fly in the ointment. It is the third film that tends to suck…

  36. Avatar photo tripleneck (@tripleneck) says:

    There’s going to be an Avengers sequel whether we want it or not. I’d bet that it still happens even if Whedon is not on board and there might even be a cast change or two. They keep making Hulk films without the same actor. They keep making X-Men and Spider-Man movies without the same actors & directors and they keep making money. They’re going to make the next Hunger Games film without the same director. They did that with the Twilight franchise and they did it with Harry Potter. And they’re going to make more Batman movies after Nolan retires from the franchise and (thank god) Christian Bale. Profit is the imperative. I’m just happy this one worked out so well.

    If I was Whedon, I would make my next project a different blockbuster-type spectacular, one that I wrote, directed, and produced, have a smash hit, and become one of THE most important figures in Hollywood. Similar to what Nolan did with Inception. Then, I may or may not choose to do an Avengers sequel depending on how much money they threw at me.

  37. Yes, we absolutely want a sequel. It’s not like if it turns out to be terrible we wouldn’t always have this movie. But the only way we’d know was for them to make it. Besides, after an opening weekend like that I don’t think there’s anyone involved with making the movie that doesn’t have a few dollar signs in their eyes. Think of it this way, everyone can come back for more money. I’m sure that sounds ok to them lol.

    Thanos would be perfect for the sequel as well. People keep expressing worry to me that they can’t do the Infinity Gauntlet story justice, to which I say… great. Let them write something that uses the Gauntlet (clearly what Thanos is known for) that actually works in the Marvel movie universe. A direct adaption would only add too many elements to what is already a very fine balancing act of characters.

    I have to say though that I don’t think the Avengers movie will lead to new comic readers. Avengers takes everything that is cool about comics, weeds out everything that sucks about comics, and then magnifies the good. It’s fast and fun, is for most if not all ages, and despite building off other stories doesn’t require you to know anything beforehand, giving a total and complete story for your money while leaving you wanting more. That’s pretty much the opposite of what comic book companies have been doing for years, and most people who pick up a comic book after watching the Avengers will only wonder how they got such a good movie out of it. Don’t get me wrong, I am a lifelong fan of comics and I will probably never stop reading them until the day I die. But as far as entertainment media go, they are working hard to get more money from fewer people, not the other way around.

    • I know a few people who have expressed interest in reading the comics after seeing the movie, but you’re right – wider audiences are going to get their fix from the movies, not funnybooks.

  38. I walked out of Avengers wanting more (who didn’t?) but I can see where Mike is coming from. I’d much rather see fewer great movies than more unsatisfying ones.

  39. yes, i want a sequel. i am somewhat nervous that it could be mishandled, especially if it really going to be an infinity gauntlet sequel. but i was scared that avengers would be mishandled and it turned out great. i just hope that they keep making movies until modok shows up. (i also really want a dr. strange movie and iron fist, which could both be incredible movies)

  40. I look forward to a sequel. I don’t get turned off by them. So I feel they should make more, but I think they need to be done well.

    I’m mostly surprise they went for Thanos instead of maybe bringing other Avengers villains like Kang, Ultron, The Masters Of Evil. Be it will be good to see how it develops.

  41. one thing i was thinking about for the next batch of movies, they could treat those end tags after the credits like a back-up. for example, if they’re really going to use thanos and the infinity gauntlet in the avengers sequel, they could take a few scenes at the end of the movies to show thanos gathering infinity gems or something like that. the tags would have to be a bit longer, but it might be a cool way to build up for the next movie, especially since it will probably be a long ways off.

  42. This is a great philosophy. I wonder what would have happened if Stan Lee said bugger writing more after Avengers #1 or Fantastic Four #1?

  43. Um….yes?

    That is precisely like saying “That first issue of [INSERT ANY ISSUE 1 THAT WAS REMOTELY GOOD] was amazing. Let’s not do a second one.”

    Way to widdle on the bonfire.

    The argument of lesser sequels sullying the originals is always one I find obtuse. I’m fully capable of separating distinct works from each other. So The Matrix sequels weren’t great… doesn’t change how good the first one was.

    I’m pleased that the world in general seems to love this movie – but that doesn’t matter to me. What matters is that I loved it. When it all comes down to it, all a film has to appeal to is an audience of one.

  44. The risk of a sequel is all on us. At this point the studios know that they could be lazy with this and we’ll still come in because there’s a promise of more time with our favorite group.

    I’m interested in a sequel because we FINALLY have a villain who is not just devious, but also can go toe-to-toe with the Hulk or Thor. I also want to see if the Avengers team expands. ANT MAN AND WASP, Y’ALL!

  45. “Do we really want a sequel?”
    Maybe…totally enjoyed the movie but I ‘m a bit skeptical at the moment especially with Iron Man 3 and Thor 2 and…and….

  46. Hell Yes we want a sequel. I hope they make 10 more Avengers movies! Bring it on!

  47. Yes to a sequel because Whedon is capable of better than this.

    I can’t think of another person that could be guaranteed to pull it off. Maybe go the same route with someone else who is obviously capable but for whom it would be a big step up – Drew Goddard for example. Guillermo Del Toro? Edgar Wright even, if he toned down his style. But this would only be if Whedon bowed it – I guarantee he has first dibs on this.

    But sure, if they gave it to someone like Leterrier or Bay, then hell no to Avengers 2. I wouldn’t even see it.

    All depends how they play it.

  48. *bowed out

  49. Sequel? Yes. As much as I wanted to see more and would love a sequel right away, as they say “good things come to those who wait.” In my opinion, Whedon understands the character AND the fan base. The Avengers was accessible to comic book fans and to those who have never seen a Marvel movie (my brother in law went to a midnight imax showing with me opening night and the only previous movie he had seen was Iron Man three years ago and he LOVED the Avengers. He quoted lines from the movies for days afterwards).

    Iron Man 2 could have been a better movie, but it was rushed because of the writers’ strike (from what I have heard anyway) and I honestly feel that the next Avengers movie will benefit from having to wait for other movies to come out: IM3, T2, CA2, Hulk Smash (that should be the title in my opinion), and whatever else. Whedon probably has the next 2-3 years to work on the script and all the preliminary stuff before he even has the actors around. My guess is A2 comes out sometime in May 2016.

    One other note: I realize that this situation could be different (and maybe Thanos will be the villain) but the Iron Man after credits sequence didn’t deal with Iron Man 2, but a separate franchise. Perhaps the Avengers is following that? Either way, we will probably have a better idea of where Marvel is headed after Iron Man 3 gets release next year.

    (Sorry for the long post…does anyone know where an iFanboy message board is, or is it all article related comments, I am new to the site…thanks!)