The Avengers movies ruled the blockbuster movie scene for almost a decade like no other. No one can deny that MCU’s 2008-2019 run is the most impressive — and almost every film in the franchise raked in big bucks at the box office. But not every movie in the lineup received the same level of praise from both critics and fans.
The MCU introduced many superhero names throughout the epic 23-film journey of the Infinity Saga. But the main focus of the Infinity Saga was the Avengers — the ultimate superhero dream team, consisting of — Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and the Hulk.
Their debut in Joss Whedon’s The Avengers was a success, making their second team-up movie highly anticipated. However, it fell short of expectations and ended up being a disappointment.
The Avengers Director Joss Whedon’s Warns Turning Movies into Episodic TV
Regarding sequels, the Age of Ultron couldn’t match the first film’s magic and become everyone’s least favorite among the four Avengers films released so far.
In an interview with Buzzfeed, Writer/director Joss Whedon opened up about his challenges and how he fought to maintain the quality of the Avengers franchise. He said:
“No matter how much they may talk about, ‘Well, this is going to lead to some terrible stuff down the line,’ in my movie, it’s designed to be a complete experience. And if I don’t do that, if I haven’t brought you on that journey and closed it out, f*** me. That’s the danger of this sort of serialized storytelling, turning the motion picture experience into episodic TV. Because we have episodic TV, and now you don’t even have to wait to watch it, you can binge it. So that’s to me a dreadful mistake.”
The director emphasizes making each movie a complete and satisfying experience for the audience rather than relying on future sequels to provide closure. The director did everything possible to protect the franchise, but the movie didn’t do well due to how the audience perceived it.
Joss Whedon’s Contract End Unleashed Candid Revelations about Avengers: Age of Ultron
Avengers: Age of Ultron is the weakest link in the saga and to the MCU. The issue with the second installment was — that it didn’t just play out on the big screen, but the problems began behind the scenes in the relationship between Joss Whedon and Marvel too.
Whedon was deeply involved in MCU’s Phase 2, but once his contract with Marvel ended, he couldn’t help himself share his experiences. He revealed that the studio somewhat restricted his creative freedom on Age of Ultron, which led to conflicts with editors and executives (who weren’t on board with certain scenes in the film).
Besides this, in terms of the story, the movie focused more on setting up the future of the MCU than crafting a solid follow-up with a standalone story. Fans also asserted that Ultron, the supervillain, didn’t look as frightening as he was meant to be. Though the Age of Ultron had all the ingredients for success, it just literally missed the mark.
Source: Buzzfeed
