Downey Jr., Cheadle, Black and Feige Talk Iron Man 3

Marvel has been the star of Comic-Con, but this comes to no ones surprise. At their panel, the big guns were out, co-writer/director Shane Black and actors Robert Downey Jr. and Don Cheadle were joined by Marvel’s Kevin Feige to talk Iron Man 3.

During their meeting with the press, they talked about the desire to continue the level of production that was shown in The Avengers, the many sides of Tony Stark, and much more in the third installment of the Iron Man saga.

Question: The Avengers had such great action and set pieces.  What is the pressure for Iron Man 3 to have bigger set pieces and live up to that level?

KEVIN FEIGE:  We’re not aiming for bigger, necessarily.  We’re aiming for different and fresh and new.

SHANE BLACK:  There is an idea about being big, but to me it’s an idea about capturing and doubling the intensity that The Avengersmanaged to capture.  It’s that lightening in a bottle feel of really stuffing so much into a limited space.  We’re trying to get as much in this, as we can.  We’re just looking to get a ton of thrills in a short space, and make a nice little stew for you.

Question: Kevin and Shane, can you talk about the Iron Patriot rumors, the picture that was online, and how that fits into the film?

FEIGE:  The not fun thing is that it’s online and you don’t have a whole lot of control over that stuff anymore.  The fun thing is that the reason it was online is because it’s a real practical suit.  It was on the set and someone took a picture of it.  It’s actually an awesomely designed suit that Mr. Cheadle does get to wear, in certain points of the movie.

BLACK:  The good news and the fun thing for us, just in terms of the fans and the fan blogs, is just how much all the guessing is so wrong.  It’s completely off base.  We should just get someone to walk around as the most obscure Marvel villain ever, or get some costume at K-Mart and have that show up.  But, we love the rumors.  That’s fun!

Question: Shane, you’ve written a lot of big movies for other directors and producers.  Did that prepare you for directing your own big movie? What’s surprised you about being on the director’s side of things?

BLACK:  What surprised me, frankly, was just how much generous help was available to me.  That made it as easy as it could be.  Jon Favreau was available to give me all kinds of tips and advice.  He just made it like walking off of one platform, onto another and gave me the transitional feel that I needed.  Marvel has such an affective special effects machine that they could walk me through this process, hold my hand, and ensure that I was free to concentrate on story and character and scale.  I said, “I want to do this,” and they said, “Here’s how you do it,” and within a week, I knew.  They’re terrific!  They’ve done this a lot.  They do it all the time.

Question: Robert and Shane, how did the storyline and the success of The Avengers impact what you wanted to do with this movie, and what did you want to dig into with Tony Stark this time?

ROBERT DOWNEY JR:  The Avengerseven surprised us, to a certain extent.  Looking back on it, you can dissect why it was the right movie with the right people and the right director, at the right time, and we feel the same way about this now.  I feel that Rhodey and Tony had not entirely been explored as much as they could be.  That was always a big part of the comics, and the heart of it.  We also tried to be practical, in a post-Avengers world.  What are his challenges now?  What are some limitations that might be placed on him?  And what sort of threat would have him, as usual, ignore those limitations?

BLACK:  Truthfully, the way to go about doing a part 3, if you’re ever in that position, as I’m lucky enough to be, is to find a way that the first two weren’t done yet.  You have to find a way to make sure that the story that’s emerging is still ongoing and, by the time you’ve finished 3, will be something resembling the culmination of a trilogy.  It’s about, “How has the story not yet been completely told?,” and I think we’re getting there.  I think we’ve really found ways to make this feel organic and new, based on what’s come before, and that’s what I’m happy about.

Question: Shane and Kevin, Iron Man 2 really set up pieces for The Avengers movie.  How is Iron Man 3 going to focus on Iron Man, rather than setting up the next Avengers?

FEIGE:  This is a very Tony Stark centric film, meaning not just Tony, but his world with Pepper and with Rhodey.  It was important to us, as part of the grand plan, from Iron Man 1 to The Avengers, to build that up.  Frankly, the first step of the grand plan, with Iron Man 3, is to prove they’re just as interesting, if not more so, by themselves, as they were when they were all together in The Avengers.  Iron Man 3, by design, is a very serious character study.  It’s not a serious movie, but we seriously dug into exploring more of Tony, of Rhodey and of Pepper, without calling S.H.I.E.L.D. and calling Thor or Cap.

Question: Don, will we see you suit up again, in this film?

DON CHEADLE:  I do suit up.  There are some different iterations that War Machine goes through, in this film.  I don’t want to give them away, but it’s fun to see those things morph and shift.  The Iron Man suit is really spectacular in this film, I think, with the innovation that’s happened with it.

Question: Robert and Shane, will there be more sides to Tony stark in this?

DOWNEY:  Yeah, I think that’s the big idea.  But also, interestingly enough, this film has a lot of breadth to it.  We realized, at the beginning of Iron Man 2, Tony was dying, and then he had a party, and then he was drunk, and some people were going, “We don’t like him!”  There’s a way to enjoy all of that shadowy stuff.  We just kept thinking about, “What would it really be like, if this guy was in this country?  Where else could he go in this country?  What sorts of themes and backdrops could we explore?”  If you look to the history of the films that Shane has written and directed, there’s a real desire for me, just as someone who loves the movies, to harken back to some of those themes, and they will occur in Iron Man 3.

BLACK:  Although, Tony won’t fall off the wagon.

DOWNEY:  You haven’t seen my rewrites!  Rhodey picks him up at Betty Ford, in Scene 2.

Question: Can you talk about filming in China and how that will be incorporated?

BLACK:  We’re not really going to China.  Can I say that?

DOWNEY:  This is why I love Shane.  He says it, and then turns to Kevin [Feige] and asks if he can say it.

BLACK:  Basically, we’re setting aspects of the film in China, but the First Unit won’t be filming there.  But, don’t tell anybody.

CHEADLE:  That stays in this room.

Question: How do you ensure that this film doesn’t step on the toes of any larger Marvel projects?

FEIGE: Iron Man 3 is the beginning of the next phase, so it will set the tone, in a lot of ways.  Certainly, with Tony’s journey, things could spin forward, but it’s as self-contained a story that we’ve done since Iron Man 1.

Question: How important is romance to the story ofIron Man 3?

BLACK:  The remarkable thing that Jon Favreau managed to do when he forged these movies was establishing a precedent of espionage, high-tech, Top Gun style thrills, coupled with romantic comedy, in a strange way.  That’s always been the mainstay of these movies.  That’s one of my favorite things about it, too.  The romance is definitely a part of it.  We’ve got Gwyneth [Paltrow] coming back, and some time has passed.  In The Avengers, Pepper and Tony are together and doing great, and living together.

DOWNEY:  Kevin said there’s never been a movie like this where the lead guy is in a relationship with the girl he’s going home to, who’s Gwyneth Paltrow, telling him what to do.  However, Rhodes is single!  What are we gonna do about that?

CHEADLE:  Is this a dating service?!  Are you starting something?

Question: How do you guys keep all of these films fresh for audiences without people feeling overloaded by Marvel films?

FEIGE:  Well, I’ve been at Marvel for 12 years now, and we’ve had that concern, going back to when X-Mencame out, and then two years later,Spider-Man came out.  And then, in one year, there were three films.  The trick and the formula is just trying to make great movies.  We try to make them all great, all different and all fresh.  What you’ll see in Iron Man 3, that Shane is bringing to it, is some very unique plot points and directions that were taken with the franchise.  The same thing with Thor, and the same thing with Captain America.  As long as they all feel fresh and you don’t fall into some sort of formulaic mold, I hope [people will want to see them].

BLACK: We were allowed to take some risks, and I think that’s very notable.  I think it’s very admirable, in a superhero movie, to be able to take a few risks.  That’s why I wanted to do this.

Question: Robert, how does it feel to be a hero in all these movies?

CHEADLE:  This better be a great answer!

DOWNEY: Well, I think I can speak for any of us who get to live in this world.  There’s something about it where you go, “What a great opportunity!”  It’s an odd thing.  I take it as seriously as Shakespeare

Lots to say but it’s clear this is a fun bunch, and they are getting ready for a massive film. They have a tough act to follow with The Avengers, and now that The Dark Knight Rises, is on the way, I’m sure people will up the ante even more in terms of comparisons.

First Official Set Photo From Iron Man 3

Production is underway in North Carolina for Iron Man 3, and today we got proof with our first set photo.

This comes straight from Disney, as we see all of Tony Starks armor lined up. I’m sure we will find out why Iron Man has oh so many suits.

The film stars Robert Downey Jr., Ben Kingsley, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Rebecca Hall, James Badge Dale, Ashley Hamilton, and Guy Pearce.

Iron Man 3 hits theaters on May 3, 2013.

Here is the press release Disney sent along with the photo to announce the start of production:

Following in the footsteps of the record-breaking Marvel Studios’ release “Marvel’s The Avengers,” production on the highly anticipated film “Iron Man 3,” directed by Shane Black, has commenced production in Wilmington, North Carolina. The production schedule will also include locations in Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, Miami, Florida and China.

Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1963, “Iron Man 3” returns Robert Downey Jr. (“Iron Man,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”) as the iconic Super Hero character Tony Stark/Iron Man along with Gwyneth Paltrow (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2,”) as Pepper Potts, Don Cheadle (“Iron Man 2”) as James “Rhodey” Rhodes and Jon Favreau (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2”) as Happy Hogan. Set for release in the U.S. on May 3, 2013, Marvel’s “Iron Man 3” marks the second feature to be fully owned, marketed and distributed by Disney, which acquired Marvel in 2009.

“Iron Man 3” continues the epic, big-screen adventures of the world’s favorite billionaire inventor/Super Hero, Tony Stark aka “Iron Man.” Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige is producing the film. Executive producers on the project include Jon Favreau, Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Charles Newirth, Victoria Alonso, Stephen Broussard and Dan Mintz.

The creative production team on the film includes two-time Oscar®-winning director of photography John Toll, ASC (“Braveheart,” “Legends of the Fall”), production designer Bill Brzeski (“The Hangover,” “Due Date”), editors Jeffrey Ford, A.C.E. (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” “Captain America: The First Avenger”) and Peter S. Elliot (“Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer”), and costume designer Louise Frogley (“Quantum of Solace,” “Contagion”).

Marvel Studios most recently produced the critically acclaimed “Marvel’s The Avengers,” which set the all-time, domestic 3-day weekend box office record at $207.4 million. The film, which is currently in release, continues to shatter box office records and is The Walt Disney Studios’ highest-grossing global and domestic release of all time and marks the studios’ fifth film to gross more than $1 billion worldwide.

In the summer of 2011, Marvel successfully launched two new franchises with “Thor,” starring Chris Hemsworth, and “Captain America: The First Avenger,” starring Chris Evans. Both films opened #1 at the box office and have grossed over $800 million worldwide combined. In 2010 “Iron Man 2,” starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke, took the #1 spot in its first weekend with a domestic box office gross of $128.1 million.

In the summer of 2008, Marvel produced the summer blockbuster movies “Iron Man” and “The Incredible Hulk.” “Iron Man,” in which Robert Downey Jr. originally dons the Super Hero’s powerful armor and stars alongside co-stars Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow, was released May 2, 2008, and was an immediate box office success. Garnering the number one position for two weeks in a row, the film brought in over $100 million in its opening weekend. On June 13, 2008, Marvel released “The Incredible Hulk,” marking its second number one opener of that summer.

Jon Favreau Talks Iron Man 3 and Avengers Success

The next Avenger to hit the big screen will be Tony Stark, for a third time, and boy does he have some act to follow.

With The Avengers breaking a new movie record almost daily, Iron Man 3 has a tall task to even get close to comparable.

Jon Favreau, who has had success behind the lens, recently he dropped the bomb confirming he would produce Iron Man 3 after serving as a EP on The Avengers. 

Iron Man 3 is about to launch production, and with recent additions of Ben Kingsley as the villain, along with Guy Pearce and Rebecca Hall to pair with Robert Downey Jr. Iron Man 3 is certainly anticipated.

Favreau recently spoke about the success of The Avengers and the third Iron Man film, actually revealing that he’ll be producing Iron Man 3 and will actually have a big role in what happens with the film.

Here is what Favreau said about the success of The Avengers:

“Look, it was something we always planned for, and hoped for, but anything could have gone wrong and it took a lot of things to go right. First and foremost, Joss [Whedon], to be able to pull together, four different characters based on four different sets of films, that shared a lot tonally and they shared some cast-wise, but he had to pull all those things together and make it work, it’s a very high degree of difficulty for him. But we had done a lot of setup in Iron Man 2 and even in Iron Man 1, we were hoping that it would come to this.”

Favreau was asked about the status of Iron Man 3 and him being a producer of it:

“Yeah, down in Wilmington, it’s starting to shoot in a couple weeks. I was just talking to Shane Black and Downey and look, I think it’s a really smart way to go. After Avengers, you want to start with something really bold and inspired, and if you’ve ever seen Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang you’ve seen that when Downey and Shane get together, interesting and unexpected things happen, and I’m happy to see that it’s taking a bit of a tonal shift from The Avengers and it’s going to be something completely different and exciting, and I’m happy to be a part of it.”

When asked if by “tonal shift” Favreau meant that Iron Man 3 would be dark, he clarified:

“No, just a little bit more offbeat, I’d say. Shane and Robert definitely have an original point of view and an original take on the character, and I think it delves deeper into what makes Tony Stark tick, and plays on the unexpected original unpredictable quality of the character that I think fans gravitate to.”

Iron Man 3 is set to open on May 3rd, 2013.

Iron Man 3 Lands Rebecca Hall

Rebecca Hall, who was brilliant in The Town has a slew of films coming out to put her on the map.

None will be as big as the third installment of Iron Man.

Now that Jessica Chastain turned the role down due to scheduling conflicts, Hall has signed on to play a sexy scientist, to rival wits with Tony Stark, played by the great Robert Downey Jr.

Hall’s role will be that of a scientist who plays a pivotal part in the creation of nanotechnology known as Extremis.  The tech, which winds up in the hands of terrorists, is a carrier for a viral outbreak that causes considerable damage, especially to anyone who happens to be wearing a high-tech suit of battle armor.

The plot for Iron Man 3 will be loosely based around  Warren Ellis’ six-issue series, “Iron Man: Extremis.”

Gwyneth Paltrow and Don Cheadle will reprise their roles from Iron Man 2, new additions along with Hall include Guy Pearce and Sir Ben Kingsley who will play the villain.

Shooting begins this month in North Carolina, and is scheduled for a May 3rd, 2013 release.

Disney Give Green Light to The Avengers Sequel

Brace yourselves, you’re about to be rocked to the very core – The Avengers is getting a sequel.

I know, you fell out of your seat. I can’t blame you, I never saw it coming.

Anyway…

Yes, this is arguably the least shocking news to possibly EVER come out of Hollywood, but today, Disney gave the thumbs up for the sequel.

Disney CEO Bob Iger has officially announced that The Avengers 2 has begun development.

In a statement, Iger said that the success of the first movie, written and directed by Joss Whedon, is “a great illustration of why we like Marvel so much.” Paired with tremendous merchandise sale, Iger and Disney say this is the way to go.

After notching over $200 million over their opening weekend, breaking every possible record known to man, it would be stupid not to make another film.

Yesterday it was reported that the worldwide total for The Avengers eclipsed $700 million.

But don’t expect a sequel right away.

First up will be Iron Man 3 next summer, followed by Thor 2 in the Winter, and then another Captain American film in the spring of 2013.  There is also talk now of an Ant-Man and a solo Hulk film with Mark Ruffalo.

The tentative estimate for The Avengers sequel would be 2015.

Review: The Avengers

Even with the power of science, mythical God’s, or an endless supply of money; alone the heroes we’ve come to know are weak, together they are The Avengers.

It’s been years in the making really, now that all the main heroes got their individual, origin films, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, countless Hulk remakes, it was finally time to bring them together for the greater good.

The Avengers kicks off where Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger left off after the final credits. The evil Loki, power hungry, and ready to feast on the destruction of earth has an army ready to take over, that’s where Nick Fury of the S.H.I.E.L.D comes in as he assembles the Avengers initiative featuring Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, in order to stop the end of civilization.

Lets start with the script. Joss Whedon, Zak Penn, and co. deserve a ton of credit for writing a witty, smart, and all inclusive dialogue, unlike anything we have seen from any of the Marvel films before. Even with all the tense action packed scenes, there are so many jokes, good ones at that, littered throughout the film to let the audience catch their breath. This most certainly applies to Tony Stark. The script written for Robert Downey Jr. was absolutely, dead on perfect. Stark, in his condescending, and snarky tone makes fun of Thor, Hulk, Captain America, with either low blow jokes or pop culture references from The Wizard of Oz to Point Break. I guess you have to have seen a bunch of films to get some of the jokes, but I was laughing out loud many times that Stark spoke.

Now even though there have been stand-alone films for most of the Avengers, Whedon did a good job of incorporating a small dose of back-story with each character. He didn’t do it in an obvious way, it was more through chitchat with other characters, and it was effective, a sort of catch up system. Helps those who aren’t major Marvel fans, or who just forgot how these super heroes, became super.

After Captain America: The First Avenger, I said that his character would have had a better in a smaller role, and even wrote that in the Avengers film, everyone will be showcased equally, which meant less screen time, but better overall storytelling.

And I was dead on correct.

By giving every Avenger shared screen time, from interaction, to fight scenes, the film flowed so well, never slowed down, and made each character relevant, instead of an afterthought. The balance is so equal, there is never a lull, you never go 20 minutes without Hawkeye, or Thor, the time management, while on the outside might not seem like a big deal, in a film like this where the focus is on more than six characters, it can make or break a movie.

My two gripes had to do with the lighting of the film and the 3D.

There are a ton of scenes shot at night or in cavernous spaces where little, to no light is given to the scenes. It’s so dark it became hard to make out what was happening. Perhaps this can be attributed to the 3D screening I went to, but regardless it seemed to be too dark, for many scenes. Once the daytime shots or ample light shots made their way to screen, there were stunning visuals. The 3D, as ALWAYS was completely unnecessary. It did not enhance the film one bit for me, and this stupid gimmick needs to die, and needs to die now. I can’t stand it, and every superhero film wants to shoot in 3D for whatever reason, please stop. I hate 3D already, and having to wear 3D glasses, OVER my actual glasses, does not make me happy.

But I digress…

For the die-hard fans, this will be paradise. The buildup of Mark Ruffalo ask Bruce Banner A.K.A The Hulk is done so well, and well, no one likes The Incredible Hulk, when he’s angry, and he gets angry a lot here. I can’t say enough about the comedy in the script, I was hysterically laughing at The Hulk, there are subtle things he does with his face, or to other Avengers, that while may not be intentionally funny, I thought were a riot.

What’s more is that each Avenger got more of a persona, you began to really sense whom they are. Chris Evans as Captain America, his whole story about being frozen for 70 years, and coming back to still be the soldier, and alpha male of the group, because that’s the only way he knows how to be. Good luck standing next to Mr. Stark. Captain Steve Rogers actually came off as the most corniest of the Avengers, some of his stupid cliche one liners, had me laughing in embarrassment, I guess you always need that one guy.

Chris Hemsworth as Thor, and Tom Hiddleston as Loki both continued their love/hate relationship for each other, as they battle the God’s, their powers and the bond as brothers. Hiddleston does an amazing job once again as Loki. If you don’t hate the sight of this guy within the first five minutes of seeing him, there’s something wrong with you, he plays the villain like a pro.

It’s fair to say as the audience you’re about to go on a roller coaster, unlike anything Marvel has done before. This compilation was done very well, crafted to perfection that will have every comic book reader practically weeping once the credits roll.

Speaking of credits rolling here’s another *FODDER TIP* — stay in your seat till after the credits finish!!

Since Marvel has started putting out it’s grand spectacles of superhero films, it’s been a bit formulaic. More than a handful of them have fallen on their face, with cheesy production and effects along with less then enticing story lines. Finally, after being incredibly disappointed with Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger; they got it right.

The Avengers is the perfect mesh of action packed, show off superhero film combined with a story to make it all tie together, this is for the comic book nerds and the casual fan alike. The excitement level throughout the film remains at a 10. The way The Avengers have to protect earth, while watching New York City get torn to pieces in it’s final half hour of the film, is amazing on screen.

When you have Samuel L. Jackson as S.H.I.E.L.D leader Nick Fury as more then just a one eyed talking head, and Agent Phil Coulson, played by Clark Gregg, stealing scenes, you know you’ve done a bang up job. Even when the mortals, Hawkeye and Black Widow, played by Jeremy Renner and Scarlett Johansson, have significant roles in the film, no one is forgotten, or under utilized.

This is the funniest Marvel Superhero film we have seen to date, the banter back and forth is quick, witty, and doesn’t feel forced. It’s also by far the best overall product from the studio, no question about it. Whedon has directed and sculpted a stunning exhibit for the world to see. What he really has done, is put his mark, his stamp on a story we were all familiar with, yet he made it his own.

The Avengers is 142 minutes of pulse pounding, ass-kicking fun, that makes it impossible not to grin like a kid in a candy store once it’s over.

Rating: 8.5/10

Potential Iron Man 3 Plot Revealed?

Robert Downey Jr. has been the perfect actor to portray Tony Stark. The brash, cocky billionaire philanthropist, and super hero is amongst the most popular, and for sure one of the most bankable.

With The Avengers hitting the silver screen in two months, we’ll see Iron Man don the suit and go to work fairly soon, but up until now we haven’t heard a peep about the third installment of Iron Man’s solo films.

Word is that  “an idea planted in Tony Stark’s head by Captain America in The Avengers” will lead directly to a big story element of Iron Man 3.

Sources are saying the idea centers around the “technology-based solution to replicating the super solider serum that turns Steve Rogers into Captain America,” known in layman’s terms as nanobots.

This more or less originates from Warren Ellis‘ Iron Man: Extremis storyline, in which Stark battles a terrorist by “[writing] himself into the Iron Man suit at a cellular level, making him Iron Man inside and out”; such a decision grants him the ability to “store the inner layers of the Iron Man armor in the hollows of his bones as well as control it through direct brain impulses.” There is also the mention of “multiple villains,” but we’re talking about a superhero sequel here.

So as we all gear up to see Hulk, Hawkeye, Thor and others pair together to save the world, we now have a small glimpse at the next Tony Stark adventure.

Trailer: The Avengers (2)

The second, highly anticipated theatrical trailer has arrived for one of the years most anticipated films.

The Avengers have formed and are ready to save the world.

As May 4th, draws near it seems like the explosions and action get bigger. We’ve been teased with little hits of The Avengers until now, where we get a full blown, in-your-face preview of what’s to come.

When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. The star studded cast includes Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Cobie Smulders, as well as Tom Hiddleston and Stellan Skarsgård who are reprising their respective roles from Thor.

Trailer: The Avengers

During last night’s Super Bowl, there were many trailers, none generated the type of hype that the anticipated The Avengers trailer did.

The film that will kick off the summer of blockbuster Super Hero films, is getting closer and closer.

As we await May 4th, 2012, here is a new trailer for the team of heroes called The Avengers.

New Images for The Avengers

One of the most anticipated films of the year is The Avengers project.

Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow, Iron Man, Hawkeye and others will be teaming up in a motion picture that is sure to be a huge summer hit.

Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, the film is being directed by Joss Whedon, and we are now getting more and more info on the film.

Here’s the official synopsis for The Avengers:

Marvel Studios presents in association with Paramount Pictures “Marvel’s The Avengers”–the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner and Samuel L. Jackson, and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since. Prepare yourself for an exciting event movie, packed with action and spectacular special effects, when “Marvel’s The Avengers” assemble in summer 2012. In “Marvel’s The Avengers,” superheroes team up to pull the world back from the brink of disaster when an unexpected enemy threatens global security.

In case you are not familiar with whose who…

Here we see Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and a casual, non-green Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) with Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.).

Chris Hemsworth reprising his role as Thor, Chris Evans as Captain America, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. Tom Hiddleston also returns as the villainous Loki.

The Avengers assemble on May 4th, 2012.