Joss Whedon brings personal style to film in superhero relationships
Joss Whedon has written screenplays for top-rated shows like “Roseanne,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Firefly.” He wrote screenplays for feature films like “Toy Story,” which earned him an Academy Award nomination. He also gained directorial experience filming the movie “Serenity.”
But this summer, Whedon, along with audiences across the country, will see his biggest project, Marvel Studios’ “The Avengers,” enter theaters everywhere. Whedon held a college press conference call last Thursday, allowing college students from across the country to listen in and have their questions about his experience on the set answered.
Based on the popular comic books series of the same name, the story will follow the formation of a team featuring iconic superheroes Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk, Thor, Black Widow and Hawkeye. These superheroes are brought together by an international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D. to counter an enemy that threatens the security and safety of the world. The story will feature many character interactions, but the tragedy is that not all the characters interact with each other, according to Whedon. Whedon found enjoyment in writing the relationships between the characters, particularly the Bruce Banner and Tony Stark relationship.
“Banner is the first person for Tony Stark to come across that operates at the same level as an intellectual,” Whedon said. “I also love Tony and Steve (Rogers) and how much they can’t stand each other. And I was very invested in Natasha and Hawkeye and their deep friendship.”
As the director for a Marvel Studios film, Whedon sought to bring his own directorial style compared to previous Marvel Studios directors as he realized the difficulty of using an aesthetic similar to that of directors like Jon Favreau and Joe Johnson. Whedon, however, did take the aspect that worked for their movies and inserted it into his own style. Whedon further commented that he tends to be forward with his camera work and dialogue, in a way that brings about a realistic version of a comic book universe.
“It is the way that I can reconcile the different styles,” Whedon said. “My own style is kind of smack dab in the middle of what those other guys do.”
Whedon already had a directorial vision in mind before even writing the screenplay. According to him, half of writing a script equals writing visually, figuring out what to make the script look and feel like. The process for writing the screenplay was pretty organic for Whedon with everybody running on a strict schedule, and requiring him to design the set pieces and action sequences before actually writing the script.
“I was writing visual cues and action descriptions before I finished structuring the story,” Whedon said. “So, all that was happening all at the same time. It was very difficult structurally to figure out how to make it work.”
Whedon compared himself to the character Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. who was responsible for rounding the superhero team together, in terms of directing the film. As the director, Fury is removed from everybody even if he likes them and is putting them in harm’s way, according to Whedon.
“Hopefully, I’m not putting my actors in harm’s way,” Whedon said. “But, you know, I’m not as intelligent or manipulative as Nick, and I didn’t have as many problems because my actors wanted to be together. They enjoy each other.”
Whedon felt that it was his responsibility as the director to make sure that his actors were giving their best with their roles and playing off each other as well as servicing them with the camera at the time.
His attachment to “The Avengers” project not only involved his friendship with the film’s producer Kevin Feige, but also originated with his status as a comic book fan. Whedon was especially drawn to “The Avengers” comic books as they were steeped in science fiction and featured that sense of realism Marvel Comics is known for.
“‘Spiderman’ was sort of a catalyst for “oh, they just meet people in New York,” Whedon said. “Even though the Avengers made their home in New York, they would so often have to go to space and deal with artificial intelligence, being from another world and monsters. I love that element.”
Whedon further commented that Marvel Studios played a significant factor in his attachment to the project as well. He said that Marvel has a great nose for a director that has a passionate vision, someone who isn’t famous for churning out big budget hits, but brings something fresh toward the concept of a superhero movie.
Whedon feels that “The Avengers” is an ideal summer film that people should see compared to other modern day summer films. He describes “The Avengers” as the type of old-fashioned film he always wanted to make, not created as a concept and featured intelligence, real acting and had a story that unfolded.
“More and more summer movies have felt a little cynical,” Whedon said. “That has been the case when people throw so much money down that they are not interested in a story. They are just interested in barraging you with excitement and imagery and brand names. Marvel doesn’t operate that way.”
As somebody who had sat in the directorial chair, Whedon also provided some advice for aspiring student filmmakers. His advice was to simply sit. Someone can be in that director’s chair, remarking on how filmmaking has changed to the point where anybody can make a movie.
“When I came up, you wrote a script and you hoped and hoped or you raised enough money to make a short film,” Whedon said. “Things are different now. The best way to get your work out there, not just as an offering to somebody else, is to show yourself as a filmmaker, to learn as a filmmaker.”
Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, The Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye and Nick Fury will fight to save the world in theaters on May 4.