David Pierdomenico
Though Joss Whedon’s original The Avengers is one of the cherished installments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the latest installment, Avengers: Infinity War, is far better off without him. Here are five reasons why.
1. The Most Eagerly Anticipated Film in History?
No one could have predicted that when Marvel debuted their new film studio that it would build into the cultural juggernaut that it did. On May 2, 2008, Marvel Studios took a second tier superhero (since so many of their more popular ones were owned by other studios), and cast an actor who had suffered one of the greatest falls from grace in Hollywood history. And in an after-credits scene they teased were building towards something larger. At the time, many audience members though that’s all it was, a tease. But yet here we are. 10 years and 17 films later, we stand upon the precipice of the most anticipated film since The Phantom Menace or The Force Awakens. One can barely even fathom the amount of pressure to deliver on such expectations. And it’s because of that pressure that Infinity War had some creative change ups behind the scenes a few years ago.
Who could forget the way they felt the first time they saw Nick Fury at the end of the original Iron Man movie?
2. The Legacy of Joss Whedon
To be fair, this wasn’t the first time Marvel Studios faced immense expectations. Back in 2012, The Avengers had to deliver on the promise made at the end of Iron Man, and Marvel turned to Joss Whedon to fulfil it. Given his background with Buff the Vampire Slayer and Firefly, and the sense of humor present in those shows, he seemed like the perfect choice. And while the film was very well received and broke box office records, does it really hold up as much as we believe? Amidst all the hype and excitement of seeing our favorite heroes interact, there is something gravely missing from that first Avengers film: a plot. When one removes the thrill of seeing Captain America interact with Iron Man for the first time, one left with a film that is incredibly slow for the first two acts and is all just building to a giant battle for the third. It’s still a great film, but Joss Whedon couldn’t get by doing the same thing for any future Avengers-themed movies and expect the same level of praise and acclaim.
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3. The Age (or Debacle) of Ultron
There’s no shortage of articles or stories documenting the internal turmoil that was Avengers: Age of Ultron. There’s no point in discussing the farmhouse scene versus Thor’s “magical hot tub” scene. What Age of Ultron truly reveals is Whedon’s flaws with handling such large and complex source material. Throughout the entire film, Ultron never feels like a true threat. He has far too many sarcastic quips, even for a villain created by Iron Man. At no point in the film does the danger or severity of the situation seem real. Whedon excels at fun and lighthearted action, but there’s a time and place to take things seriously and walk that balance. Balance is key, because at the same time, the film shouldn’t have been quite as dark and gritty as Batman v. Superman (whose tone was the least of its many issues). But it was obvious from the final product that Joss Whedon was worn and weary from both the scope of the project, as well as trying to please Kevin Feige and the rest of the Marvel executives. In his hands, Infinity War would have been just another underwhelming addition to his filmography. Even when he left Marvel and salvaged what was left of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the final product he delivered suffered from the same problems. It was full of jokes and quips, but was again mediocre and at times forgettable. And with a film as anticipated as Infinity War, that’s the last thing audiences want.
Age of Ultron had a serious effect on Joss Whedon. Some even joked it broke him completely.
4. Two Heads Are Better Than One
Initially Whedon was slated to write and direct Infinity War, but dropped out after everything that happened with Age of Ultron. This left a void for Marvel to fill and an enormous task to place in someone else’s hands. Enter Anthony and Joe Russo, better known as the Russo Brothers. Marvel has demonstrated the ability to pull directors from seemingly obscure places and give them larger budgets than they’ve ever had before. The Russos were no exception. Their biggest claim to fame had been directing the Owen Wilson comedy, You, Me, And Dupree, as well as countless episodes of TV comedies Arrested Development and Community. They entered the MCU with the sequel Captain America: The Winter Soldier and managed to blow everyone away. Here was a film that developed the title character even further, was different in tone from the The First Avenger, and disguised a 1970s spy thriller as a superhero film. Many fans called it just as good if not better than Avengers. What made it brilliant was the Russos’ ability to walk that balance between fun and grit, between an enjoyable comic book film and a political thriller with something to say. They also boasted the ability to use realistic looking practical effects in a genre that is often criticized for being too CGI heavy. As skilled and equipped as CGI gets, audiences will never be fully fooled that what they’re seeing is really there, unless practical stunts and effects are utilized. The Nick Fury chase scene from Winter Soldier looks incredibly more realistic than the entire climax of Avengers.
Joe Russo’s cameos in Winter Soldier and Civil War, playing doctors in both roles. His brother Anthony is a bit more camera shy apparently.
5. They’ve Already Directed An Avengers Film (Sort Of)
In a way the Russos have already proven themselves with an Avengers film. For all intents and purposes, Captain America: Civil War is an Avengers film. It features the whole lineup (minus Thor and Hulk) and sees them dealing with issues and ramifications from Age of Ultron. This film is another excellent example of how the Russos balance fun and lighthearted humor (with the interactions of Spiderman and Iron Man), but also the dark and seriousness that the story needed to delve into (the entire final fight with Cap, Iron Man and Winter Soldier). Where Whedon failed with juggling tone, characters, and a massive plot, the Russos thrived with even more of each. To be fair, they’re also two people, and this might the quintessential component to their success. Putting all this pressure on one single director is a great deal to ask. But with two of them, they have the ability to delegate among each other, as well as a rapport they’ve developed since birth, being brothers.
Captain America: Civil War is basically Avengers 3.
It’s very easy to be skeptical about the upcoming Infinity War, because after all look what happened with all the dreams and expectations of The Phantom Menace. But Marvel made the right choice putting them in charge after Whedon resigned. They’ve already demonstrated twice their ability to craft a brilliantly funny, emotionally poignant, and inspiring film. It is because it is in the hands of the Russos, and not Joss Whedon, that Infinity War will have the absolute best chance to succeed.
