Joss Whedon is doing a lot of talking lately, and it's probably because we won't be seeing or hearing much from him for the next three years. Sure, his name will be all over the place as the guy contracted by Marvel to oversee their Phase 2 plans leading up to The Avengers sequel, but it's also because of that he'll have to remain extremely tight-lipped. As for the job itself, which has him serving as a consultant of sorts for every upcoming Marvel film and the S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series, Whedon has his typically jokey perspective on it. He explains his role to 24 Hours....
Whedon: "Very talented people are writing and directing these movies, and what I don't want to be is the guy they dread, who's going to come in and say" - here, Whedon affects a pompous British accent - "'Oh, well I have the power to say change this.' I'm not that."
While Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America will all be receiving sequels, one of the new additions to the Marvel mythos is Guardians of the Galaxy, based on a comic that I would say it's being generous to call "quirky". The space-faring team includes a talking Rocket Raccoon who wields a gun the size of his entire body, and a sentient tree creature named Groot. Off-the-wall stuff to be sure, but perfect for director James Gunn, who gave us the Rainn Wilson dark comedy, Super. Whedon talked briefly with MTV about the confidence he has in Gunn, who he happens to be good friends with, and why he thinks the film's crazy tone just might work...
Whedon: “James
is what makes me think it will work. I myself was sort of like, 'Well, I
liked Rocket Raccoon as a kid, but I'm not sure how that plays [to a
wider audience].' And then they said, 'Well, we're thinking about using
James Gunn.' And I said, 'Oh, then no, you're fine.' He is so off the
wall, and so crazy, but so smart, such a craftsman and he builds from
his heart. He loves the raccoon. Needs the raccoon. This is the guy who
wrote 'The Specials.' People don't understand how influential that movie
was about heroes, about taking heroes and making them mundane. And [he
directed] 'Super.' Gunn has barely started, but already has a very
twisted take on it, but it all comes from a real love for the material.
It's going to be hard for the humans to keep up," said Whedon. "I know
he's going to come from left field and I'm going to go, 'What?' And
then, 'Of course, why didn't I think of that?' And then I'm going to
beat him!”I'm glad he mentioned The Specials, which we mentioned as the likely reason Gunn was hired in the first place. Going back to The Avengers, Whedon can't really get into any specifics, but he does have a thematic plan for his combustible team of assembled heroes, and as you might expect he plans on making things a whole lot tougher....
Whedon: "The creation of the team is not the happy ending. It is the beginning of something that is complex and difficult, and now I get to dig a little deeper. And maybe, while I'm digging, just twist that knife. And that's exciting for me."
Guardians of the Galaxy opens on August 1st 2014. The Avengers sequel assembles on May 1st 2015.
