FILM PREVIEW: 'THE AVENGERS'

A Heroic New Preview for Joss Whedon's Super Marvelous Movie

By: Rachel Heine

February 6, 2012

(Marvel Studios) From Batman to Wolverine, Superman to Iron Man, our favorite heroes and villains draw moviegoers to theaters in droves. 2012 is the year where these iconic characters will be seen on an even grander scale. With Christopher Nolan’s penultimate Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises, and Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, the classic caped crusaders are taking over in a big way. Yet, none of these upcoming blockbusters are so jam-packed with superpowers as Joss Whedon’s The Avengers.

Marvel has had a series of successful superhero films in the past few years, leading up to any comic book nerd’s dream-team -- The Avengers. This mash-up of characters is technically the sixth in a series. Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America were all origin stories for some of Marvel’s lead heroes. With The Avengers, Robert Downey, Jr.’s snarky Iron Man and Chris Evans’ all-American sweetness will learn to work together, leaving fans to wonder: can this really be as awesome as it sounds?

Whedon himself is one of the kings of genre television, with such credits as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly on his impressiv. If anyone knows how to work an ensemble cast, it’s Whedon. With his wry sense of humor and dedication to the source material, Whedon is bound to capture Thor’s bumbling arrogance, Tony Stark’s dry wit, and Hulk’s inner torment.

The Super Bowl is known for its commercials, but this year, Marvel released another minute-long teaser trailer for The Avengers to get fans pumped for what’s ahead. From previous trailers and articles, we know that the team assembled by S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) consists of Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), the Incredible Hulk, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). Thor’s devious little brother, Loki (Tom Hiddleston), is the main villain, but who knows what other nemeses will show up? (My bet is on Captain America’s time-jumping Red Skull.)

Marvel’s new trailer, although brief, packs quite a punch. One thing is clear: Loki is back from Arsgard, and this time he brought back-up. Whether the foreign lackeys zipping through the city are Frost Giants, aliens, or other beings we haven’t seen yet, they’ve got Thor’s hammer, Iron Man’s suit, and the Hulk’s fury to face. Early reports note that the story is mostly from Captain America’s point of view, as he is the relative newcomer to present day.

While some comic book origin stories have been disappointing, The Avengers boasts a talented cast, rich back-story, and the genius of Joss Whedon’s writing and directing. Movie buffs, comic geeks, and kids alike only have four more months to wait for The Avengers to show off its nerd credibility.

For Fans Of: Joss Whedon, Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk,

Why We’re Excited: The Avengers, Comic Book Movies, Most Anticipated Movies 2012

Marvel Studios' 'The Avengers' will be released in theaters on May 4, 2012 in the United States in 2D and 3D.