A Guide to 'The Avengers' Movie Now Online

Now that 2012 is finally here, I think we can safely say that opening day for Marvel's The Avengers is just around the corner (May 4 in USA, April 27 in UK) - so it's a perfect time to get caught up on all the news surrounding this mega-event. Now, honestly if I tried to compile everything there is to know about The Avengers, I probably would finish the article about the time the sequel was opening. The movie was first announced in 2005, and since then hardly a day has gone by without some news regarding its progress.

Fortunately, Total Film took on the huge task of creating a time-line of sorts - they call it The Avengers: The Complete Guide - it explains how the movie got from the concept stage to finished product in about six years. The author, George Wales, did a great job of connecting all the Marvel movies that've lead up to The Avengers and giving a little backstory info on the main players.

The only problem is, the article consists of fifty slides and can take almost an hour to read. Knowing that most people might not want to invest that much time, I've listed a few key quotes and hope that you bookmark the Total Film article. Be sure to check it out when you have the time.

The article collects quotes from all of the stars regarding their characters and how he or she fits into the  whole picture. Here's a few choice lines -

Thor - played by Chris Hemsworth

Hemsworth says - “Thor has more of a personal investment. It's not just some bad guy that he's gotta take care of; for him, it's family. There's a sense of, 'I'll beat him up and teach him a lesson, not you guys.' It's the first time in ages since he's seen his brother, and it's amongst all this chaos.” 

"I think Thor’s motivation is much more of a personal one,” explains Hemsworth, “in the sense that it’s his brother Loki that is stirring things up. Whereas for everyone else, it’s some bad guy who they’ve gotta take down. It’s a different approach for me, or for Thor. I’ve been frustrated with my brothers at times, or family, but I’m the only one who is allowed to be angry at them. There’s a bit of that.”

Hulk - played by Mark Ruffalo 

 Director, Joss Whedon, speaking about Ruffalo - 

“He was my first and only choice for Bruce Banner," Whedon told MTV. "I'm stunned that we landed that, just stunned. He has what I remember loving about the show, he invites you in in a way that [no] other performer has since Bill Bixby. He is a guy who's been beaten up by life, but not defined by that. That’s what I want from Bruce Banner, is a guy who’s still getting it done, even though he has his problem.” 

Ruffalo on the Bruce Banner/Tony Stark dynamic - 

“No one wants to set him off except for Iron Man, who just wants to see him pop,” reveals Mark Ruffalo. “It’s funny, there’s a really cool dynamic between Stark and Banner. They’re a lot alike in a strange way. They’re both these kind of scientists who are mavericks, kind of renegades. Banner, for all his mild-mannered mythology, he’s still the dude who was testing some pretty crazy shit on himself, so he has that rebel streak in him.”

Captain America - played by Chris Evans

“That’s where he is gonna get some conflict,” agrees Chris Evans. “It’s gonna be about not just adjusting to the fact that every human being he knows is dead, but adjusting to the evolution in society, and how modern values and morals have changed. But Cap’s not a complainer. He doesn’t whine. So it’s gonna be a matter of finding conflict but without moaning.”

Whedon speaking about writing the Cap role -
“I am the guy who loves Cyclops on the X-Men, because he is square,” admits Whedon. “[Captain America] is a little square, and he is aware that he is a little square, and he is aware that the world is a beat ahead of him, or in his case, 70 beats. I think that's very disarming and very charming. I relate to that guy. I also don't know who the popular singers are right now, so he is actually really easy for me to write.”

Hawkeye - played by Jeremy Renner and Black Widow - played by Scarlett Johansson

“I like [Hawkeye] because he isn’t a superhero,” he (Renner) told MTV. “He’s not a guy in tights doing his thing, he’s just a regular dude with a highly trained set of skills. I think that’s kind of cool, and I can actually connect to that more than if he was flying around with a codpiece on.” 

“Our characters have a long history,” confirms Scarlett Johansson. “They've fought together for a long time in a lot of battles in many different countries. We're the two members of this swinging group who are skilled warriors - we have no superpowers.” 

“It's a lonely game,” agrees Renner. “[Hawkeye’s] an outcast. His only connection is to Scarlett's character, Natasha. It's like a left hand/right hand thing. They coexist, and you need them both, especially when it comes to physical mission.” 

Some cool quotes there, yeah? Believe me, the Total Film article is a treasure trove of more Avengers info, so give it a look. Meanwhile, as always, gimme a heads up if you've seen any other great Avengers articles that deserve some love.

Some information in this article can be found at http://www.totalfilm.com/features/the-avengers-the-complete-guide/thor