Were they simply the safe picks? Don't get me wrong, I like what they've done with these two... But I still think Wasp and Ant Man should've been there from the start... Or they could've introduced Wanda and QS in this instead.
BW and HE are just too dull (compared to the other options) to have so many starring roles in this series IMO.
A man walks into an Ackbar... Bartender says: It's a trap!
Same reason they started the whole thing with Iron Man: a 'normal' human who builds something that makes him extraordinary, which he uses for good. Next we get a 'normal' human that becomes more because of an accident, this time stretching the audience's suspension of disbelief a little further along the 'weird' vector. Then back to the first guy, but now adding other examples of what normal humans can do (Widow and Hawkeye), only to segue our SoD to include the extra terrestrial. Then we combine all these elements in some backstory to the whole thing, before bringing it all back to the present day and culminating into this movie, just to place the mark at "this is what's all possible at this moment". After that, the foundation is built and the sky is the limit.
Bringing a shrinking man, a sorceress, and a speedster into the same universe too early, before our SoD was properly stretched to include all this, would undermine people's acceptance of these things as 'possible'. What we would get is a series of movies that can't take themselves too seriously, just so they can have us laugh away any inconsistencies in plausibility. The Fantastic Four movies come to mind, movies that are practically apologizing for their own existence.
In order to build a solid foundation, you need to gradually introduce these increasingly wild concepts. Do it too fast and you might as well do it all at once. You get X-Men, and none of the things that makes the MCU characters special would mean a damn thing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kkcvHaiG_M
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RIP Terry Pratchett
True. Ant Man would've been a pretty big risk in phase one. I imagine they were probably pretty anxious about Thor too. He absolutely requires the most SoD for me. But he's basically essential for the whole alien angle to work. Also, he's got far more name recognition than Ant Man.
Still though, I sort of wish they replaced Black Widow a bit earlier. She was the safe choice in phase one but giving her starring roles in so many of these movies seems wrong. Superficially speaking, she has no powers and doesn't deserve so much spotlight. You could make a valid argument that she's a good character, but personally I don't agree with that either. She works well with the cast and is plenty likable, but she's also a boring generic action movie cliche: the spy who can do anything just because she's a badass...
Hawkeye is only in three movies, so I'm ok with him so far. But he really is starting to feel unneeded now that so many others are joining the franchise.
A man walks into an Ackbar... Bartender says: It's a trap!
There have always been some nonpowered people in the Avengers. I'm actually glad to see the combination of both. It shows that not only enhanced can save the world.
Besides, Hawkeye is seen an every man in the movies.
And they have their place in the film. I'm glad they're there.
[deleted]
Yes, I agree about the slow progression and into the Marvel world, starting light and going deeper into the weirdness that is the comic world (for non comic people).
I disagree about only having people with powers in the Avengers.
I think it's good to show 'normal' people fighting alongside enhanced. That's been shown in the comics for quite some time. And a lot of these people have skills of their own. Hawkeye is a sharpshooter, Widow is a spy, and both are excellent fighters. I think in the comics they are shown to actually have enhancements, which hasn't been shown in the movies.
It doesn't help that Renner is terrible in this, of course he's terrible in everything so that was always going to be a thing.
shareYou mean two-time Academy Award nominee Jeremy Renner ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kkcvHaiG_M
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They used The Hawk and Widow because they couldn't use SpiderMan and Wolverine. I would bet my left n*t to this day that had Marvel had the rights to these two characters, Natasha and Clint would never have even seen the light of day.
shareTrue, except that both Hawkeye and BW were closely associated with The Avengers from very early on, whereas Spidey and Wolverine didn't join until 30 or 40 years after The Avengers first were published.
shareAnyone else picturing Tony Stark's new assistant as a grumpy, cigar smoking brute ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kkcvHaiG_M
Fabricati Diem, Pvnc !
RIP Terry Pratchett
The DC fanbois like to picture a 16 year old boy being their assistant.
shareYeah, but those guys are just weird...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kkcvHaiG_M
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RIP Terry Pratchett
I personally would have loved a more classic telling of the original Avengers. But I can understand why they wanted SHIELD to tie it all together rather than just have some random heroes decide to team up. That in turn leads to Widow and Hawkeye who I personally have liked in the MCU.
Reading my signature constitutes admission that I am correct. (Too late)
Although I LOVE both SJ & JR AND their characters and although I collected the West Coast Avengers comic book series (the group was started and headed by Clint Walker/Hawkeye)... I will say that historically the real beginning of The Avengers started with Janet Van Dyne as The Wasp and "Ant Man" who went through a number of incarnations and eventually married her... The Avengers were started and RUN by Van Dyne. She was the one in charge, the real power and authority behind them and they didn't, to my knowledge, answer to Shield or anyone else at that time. In point of fact, Hank Pym was kind of a weak character in comparison to her and one of the reasons he left the group and went crazy was because he couldn't find his "true self" and couldn't live in his wife's shadow.
Of course, that was also a VERY long time ago in a "galaxy SO FAR AWAY" very few will be old enough to remember it!
But I like BOTH characters and BOTH the actors who were chosen to portray them. I think SJ & Renner both ROCK!
That's just my opinion however. Along with a little bit of info on what Stan & Jack were actually writing at the series real beginning.
"You told me I had nothing. But you were wrong. I have love, I have hope and I have faith."
I take on board what General_Ackbar and bicuhang have said.
But, Hawkeye and Black Widow jar in the final battle scene, particularly Black Widow.
Really? She can hold her own against monstrous aliens?
The fact she, and to a lesser extent, Hawkeye, don't have powers really stands out and looks a little ridiculous.
Ant Man and Wasp were supposed to have a movie during Phase One but Edgar Wright was digging his heels and the movie wasn’t made. Therefore, they couldn’t be in Avengers for a long time.
shareI would have loved to have seen Antman and Wasp fighting with the avengers,I mean Hank and Janet,I hate that they are old in the mcu
shareI cared nothing for any of the side characters. They were not very well known to most people. Spiderman and Venom, yeah.
But Antman and Wasp, not so much. Black Widow I thoroughly enjoyed for obvious reasons and she could have made a good female motivation for Captain America.