The Avengers Directed by: Joss Whedon Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo Rating: Not Yet Rated Release Date: May 4, 2012
TRAILER SCORE: 8/10
Thoughts by TSR: It’s kind of amazing to me that this film exists. Even as the Marvel cinematic universe expanded I kept waiting for something to throw The Avengers off track. It wasn’t until 2010’s Comic Con, where the Avengers assembled for the first time, that I truly felt like it was going to happen. We’re still months away from the film’s release, but for now I’m thrilled we have a satisfying first look that offers hope Joss Whedon and company will pull it off.
Before I get to the things I liked, I do have a few minor issues. The first is how on the nose the Nine Inch Nails song “We’re in This Together” is during the trailer’s second half. The other moment I didn’t love was when Tony Stark essentially named the Avengers by saying, “If we can’t protect the Earth, you can be damn sure we’ll avenge it.” Neither of those gives me major pause, but they are worth mentioning nonetheless.
More notable is the general lack of Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). We see them in action for a moment, but I would have liked to get a better sense of how they fit with the team. At this point it’s understandable that they're putting Iron Man at the forefront, but if some of the “lesser” members are sidelined in the final film it will be disappointing.
Onto the things I like, the biggest one is that they are keeping the enemy off screen. We see things blowing up, soldiers firing into the sky… but we don’t see what the threat is. It’s clear it’s a formidable foe, and that’s all I need to know. I love Tony Stark’s sharp witted response when Captain America asks what he'd be without his suit of armor (and Thor’s chuckling sealed it). I’m also pleased Tom Hiddleston is reprising his role as Loki. He was one of my favorite aspects of Thor, so I’m glad he gets to be part of the action. Oh, and Hulk! Great way to cap off the trailer.
One other really intriguing thing is the shot of Thor and Cap fighting. I have a feeling a certain God of Mischief may be involved, but that’s the type of thing I look forward to finding out while watching the film.
Next summer is going to be a big one, and while my heart belongs to Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, this trailer for The Avengers leads me to believe they are both going to pack a punch.