Avengers: Age of Ultron Is a Cinematic Event Comic That Introduces Generic New Characters
Avengers: Age of Ultron grossed $187.7 million dollars on opening weekend, the second-highest domestic box office debut of all time. (The first Avengers holds the #1 spot, with an opening weekend of $207.4 million.) Age of Ultron also scored $439 million overseas, a number sure to climb when the film finally opens in China and Japan.
Even though the new Avengers film is going to remain on top for a while, I think Xander Markham's Age of Ultron review here on Ruby Hornet sums up my feelings: "Even the most successful philosophy will struggle when weighed down by repetitive storytelling." The film plays like a bigger rehash of the first Avengers, though the CG action has a weightless sense of spectacle to it. The film's quieter moments allow the characters to play off each other, giving the movie some personality.
Too bad the four new characters introduced in Avengers: Age of Ultron are so generic. Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Vision, and even Ultron feel like bland superheroes and villains. They have no discernible personalities, but are just vessels for superpowers and the dictates of the plot, which sort of makes sense since the Avengers movies seem to serve as the event comics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
(Spoilers ahead.)
Rumor: Marvel approaching Katee Sackhoff for a Captain Marvel film?
Earlier this week, Marvel shorts director Louis D’Esposito (Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter) was discussing Marvel’s interest in a female-led superhero film, stating: “There’s obviously a drumbeat that is banging louder and louder that we want a female lead superhero…[W]e have strong female characters in our films from Black Widow to Pepper Potts to Peggy Carter and you never know. Maybe there’s an offshoot film with one of them. Or Captain Marvel, you know?”
Interestingly enough, rumors have come out that Battlestar Galactica star Katee Sackhoff was approached and asked about her availability by, you guessed it, Marvel. During a podcast interview with Schmoes Know, Sackhoff shared a tidbit of information: “Um… There’s been some stuff going on. Um… there’s been a lot of checking of availability… I don’t quite know exactly… I don’t know… there’s been a lot of questions about the first quarter of next year and then the…”
Q1 2014 is when Avengers: Age of Ultron begins shooting, and if Marvel continues their standard of superhero cameos, she could be appearing as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, leading into her own feature-length film in Phase 4. Whatever the case may be, I’m especially glad that Marvel understands the importance of their female characters, both those introduced in the films and those who have yet to appear, and the allure of multifaceted, strong female leads would serve to be a great contrast to the superhero genre driven by over-masculine characters.
[via Bleeding Cool, Coming Soon]