The Avengers Whedonisms in TA

[Spider-X]

It was actually from "The Train Job," the hastily-written replacement episode for the two-hour pilot. But I agree, that was a great moment, and probably the one that sold most of us on the series. t:

Son of a! I haven't watched the series in too long, and i think that was the push in needed...

also:

 

[DACrowe]

I wonder though how much influence RDJ had on some of Stark's lines. Obviously the scenes were a lot more scripted than the Iron Man films, but we all know how RDJ likes to come up with stuff and try it out.

I imagine there was a bit of improv. But certain scenes felt so much like Whedon (like when he comes onto the bridge and makes fun of the guy playing video games, his literally poking and prodding Bruce Banner and his showdown of egos with Cap all felt very Whedon-esque). I think it may have been more collaborative than on other films.

Example: I read, I think in EW, that the scene at the end where Tony wakes up, he originally said something along the lines of "Did we win?" Downey thought there could be more there and told Joss that. Joss agreed and went and wrote like three pages of dialogue that included the "schwarmma" joke (very Whedon) and the thing about being kissed. But they shot it multiple times and had a lot of takes where Downey would riff on being pretend-excited they won.

So, there was a give-and-take. Probably much more so than on Iron Man 2, I suspect.

 

[DACrowe]

Son of a! I haven't watched the series in too long, and i think that was the push in needed...

also:

That's missing the awesome follow-up when he interrogates bad guy #2.

Here is the full 70-second scene:



For those who have never watched Firefly/Serenity (my favorite Whedon show) watch that clips. It's very amusing.

 

[buttercup]

Black Widow doesn't remind me of Buffy so much as Zoe from Firefly. Both are terse, tough and completely loyal soldier-types who will take zero guff from anyone. Also: when you see how scared Zoe is of the Reavers, it brings home how truly terrifying they are. Ditto Hulk; seeing Black Widow (who so casually fought three men while tired to a chair) authentically scared of Bruce Banner in India underlines how truly scary he is, even in his rumpled professor guise.

Loki vs. Hulk has echoes of Buffy taking on Glory. When Buffy in season five is fighting Glory, going to town on her with this awesome hammer, Glory's all: "you can't defeat me! I am a god!" and Buffy responds by beating her down. Heh, puny god!

Loki trying to mind-whammy Stark and failing: same thing happens in Serenity. We see an early scene of the Operative paralyzing a victim by pinching a nerve in his back. He tries the same move on Mal in their end fight, only it doesn't work because Mal had suffered a war injury that killed all sensation in that area... "This usually works."

And the Black Widow interrogation scene with Loki: pretty much every scene in the Whedonverse where a powerful male figure underestimates a woman, assuming she's weak, and she neatly flips the power dynamic around.

 

[Spider-X]

That's missing the awesome follow-up when he interrogates bad guy #2.

Here is the full 70-second scene:



For those who have never watched Firefly/Serenity (my favorite Whedon show) watch that clips. It's very amusing.

 

[TheHawkeye]

All of this is spot on. I wish I could remember the exact line BW says, because it's hilarious and super Whedon-y.

After the cognitive recalibration comment, she elaborates "I hit you on the head really hard"

The pop references, Clench up Legolas, Reindeer Games, etc etc.

The whole Thor/IronMan and Cap fight in the forest was typical Whedon. "shakespeare in the park?" then at the end when everything is leveled "are we done here?"

Camera work - mirror shots, through glass shots, etc. classic Whedon style. he went as far as putting a camera into a car, have the car flip over and get the shot of what it looked like from the driver's PoV.

 

[Drizzle]

The pop references, Clench up Legolas, Reindeer Games, etc etc.

I'm actually hoping that was just a reference to the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer song and not that god-awful Ben Affleck movie.

 

[TheHawkeye]

Oh, the "Glowstick of Destiny" was a definite Whedonism.

I'm actually hoping that was just a reference to the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer song and not that god-awful Ben Affleck movie.

No idea, can work both ways I suppose. Unless we ask Whedon.

 

[Joeyjojo72]

Loki has antlers. sort of.

 

[Superwhat]

All of this is spot on. I wish I could remember the exact line BW says, because it's hilarious and super Whedon-y.

I believe it was:

Hawkeye: How you get me back. (Something like that)

BW: Recognitive calibration, I hit you on the head really hard.

 

[Superwhat]

Son of a! I haven't watched the series in too long, and i think that was the push in needed...

also:

Who's that actor? He looks spot on for Ant Man.

 

[jaymes_e06]

Nathan Fillion he's on one of my fave shows Castle now.

 

[Superwhat]

Nathan Fillion he's on one of my fave shows Castle now.

I need to catch that show, I've seen it advertised but never paid attention to it.

 

[Avenger25]

It was kind of weired seeing a whedon production that didn't have a Grr argh at the end of the credits.

 

[jaymes_e06]

I need to catch that show, I've seen it advertised but never paid attention to it.

Do. It's one of those unsung treasures.

 

[Pink Ranger]

It was kind of weired seeing a whedon production that didn't have a Grr argh at the end of the credits.

The Hulk was in this movie, so all the Grr argh's were actually in the show.

 

[bonzob2000]

It was kind of weired seeing a whedon production that didn't have a Grr argh at the end of the credits.

It's kind of weird seeing a Whedon production that people are actually lining up to see (I say that as a fan).

 

[Spider-X]

It's kind of weird seeing a Whedon production that people are actually lining up to see (I say that as a fan).

I can has Serenity sequel now?

 

[jaymes_e06]

It's kind of weird seeing a Whedon production that people are actually lining up to see (I say that as a fan).

I know what you mean. Whedon even wrote a "thank you" note to all his die hard fans on his website, Whedonesque.com, that stuck with him even when it wasn't the "in thing" to do like it is now.

I must say though I'm happy he's getting all this due praise and acclaimation I do miss it when it was just between me and the elite who knew how awesome he truely was.

 

[Spider-X]

jaymes e06...to your signature, I say:

 

[jaymes_e06]

Just for you SpiderX.

See what I did there? :P

 

[Spider-X]

ha-ha! it's beautiful! well done

 

[DACrowe]

I can has Serenity sequel now?

If he had this hit in 2007, I'd dare to hope. But the cast is so much older and it's been so long. My silly wish is that Whedon does something middle-of-the-road in production value (kind of like Nolan and The Prestige) after his Internet movie this summer. He could write, direct and shoot it 2013 and have it released in 2014 while he's busy writing and beginning production on TA2. This said movie could be kind of like CAITW, but with mainstream appeal. Abrams had Super 8 fit this spot. Just something that helps establish his brand. Then afterThe Avengers 2 makes a bajillion dollars and is better than the first, he can use his next "down time" to have his brand push Serenity 2 into production....over ten years after Serenity came out.

Then, I realize that is just a ridiculous hope from a fan. Oh well.

 

[Doctor Jones]

Pretty much the banter, the Gallaca reference, Tony calling Thor Point Break, the early Banner scenes when he fake freaks out on BW, the scene between Loki and BW (which reminded me a lot of Silence of the Lambs) BW's characterization entirely.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I can has Serenity sequel now?

Considering the skilled construction of the banter and the interdependency between characters, The Avengers was, at least spiritually, the sequel to Serenity.