Story updated: 11/7/07 @ 11:06 AM
With casting of the “Justice League of America” movie well underway, one of the biggest resulting questions is whether the Avengers, Marvel’s equivalent to the JLA, will ever see their own cinematic chances realized.
To get an opinion directly from the source, we sought out Joe Quesada, Marvel’s editor-in-chief, to get his take on the legendary superteam and what he thinks the chances are of getting them assembled on the big screen.
“Strictly speaking as a fan, who wouldn’t want to see [an Avengers movie],” Quesada enthused, adding that for his money, “who wouldn’t want to see just two of the characters teaming up…like a Spider-Man/Wolverine movie,” before placing the caveat that the chances of that happening would be “pretty astronomical.”
But with the company controlling more of its own characters under the Marvel Studios label than it ever has before, an Avengers film is arguably more likely than a two-character team-up. And while Quesada wouldn’t shed any detailed insight into the likelihood of it happening, he did offer up his own dream roster for an Avengers big-budget flick.
“It would be Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man,” Quesada stated. “You can have anyone outside of that, but if you had those three characters, you have a tremendous Avengers movie. Those three characters are sort of the Holy Trinity here at Marvel.”
That’s about all we could get out of the classically tight-lipped Joe Quesada, but with Iron Man set for release in ‘08, and both Thor and Captain America in the planning stages, could an Avengers movie be far off? Who would you like to see team up? Chime in below!
CORRECTION: Our original report inferred that Mr. Quesada had suggested that the chances of an “Avengers” film happening were “pretty astronomical,” when he was in fact discussing the possibility of a Marvel Team-Up movie featuring such characters as Spider-Man and Wolverine. Our apologies to Mr. Quesada.
November 6th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
f this were to happen, here are my picks for the heroes:
Captain America
Thor
Iron Man
Black Panther
Spider-Man
Ms. Marvel
Monica Rambeau
November 6th, 2007 at 4:27 pm
I’m sure its much more likey than Quesada thinks what with Marvel going independent. It just means there will be no chance of having Wolverine or Spidey.
I’ld love to see…
Captain America
Iron Man
Thor
Giant Man
Wasp
Scarlett Witch
Quicksilver
November 6th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
I would hope that they would stay true to the most classical group of superheroes for an “Avengers” movie. Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, + Black Panther, etc. We all know that a “Justice League” movie is being made. They are talking about doing Jon Stewart for Green Lantern; which in my opinion, is a mistake. If Marvel makes the same mistake w/ “The Avengers” as DC is making w/ “Justice League” it will hurt the movie. When casting a superhero movie you have to put the right character persona to the right character. Does anybody want to see a “Batman” movie where Bruce Wayne isn’t “Batman?” Where Diana Prince isn’t “Wonder Woman?” No! Imagine an X-Men movie w/o Logan Wolverine?!
November 6th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
Joe Quesada isn’t exactly the man to ask about the upcoming movie slate. Yesterday at the Q3 earnings report Marvel stated that the movie was still in the works. Here are your Avengers if I was doing it…
Captain America
Thor
Iron Man
Giant Man
Wasp
Hawkeye
November 6th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
I hate the idea of John Stewart being in the Justice League movie. I heard in the Green Lantern movie that it will be Hal Jordan so I hope that it is actually Hal going to be in the JL movie.
My line-up:
Captain America
Ironman
Thor
Hawkeye
Vision
Wasp
Giantman/Antman
November 6th, 2007 at 5:14 pm
So there’s a holy trinity that does *not* include Spider-Man? I think not. That being said… no, Spidey and Wolverine should/would not be in an Avengers film. It’s silly enough that they’re on the New/Secret Avengers in the books right now.
Jeff probably is closest to a team that large, with Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch the obvious alternatives. I’d remove Vision or Wasp before Hawkeye or Ant-Man. Anyway, fun to speculate.
November 6th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
Matt Harper rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 6th, 2007 at 6:20 pm
I hope they do an Avenger’s film. With Iron Man and Incredible Hulk next year and hopefully Thor, Captain America and Ant-Man films to follow in 2009-10, they can really set this up.
My rooster for the Avenger’s first film would be:
Captain America
Iron Man
Thor
Hulk
Ant-Man
Wasp
Go with the original to stay true to the comics.
November 6th, 2007 at 7:06 pm
First, they had better put Hal Jordan in the JLA film and not John Stewart (if they did, it would be for the soul purpose of diversifying the JLA.) Hal Jordan is a much deeper character, and has a larger fanbase…
I don’t think that an Avengers film would happen either… If it did, it would be as a seperate universe from the films that Marvel are producing now, like with the JLA film being in a seperate DC universe from the Superman Returns and Batman Begins film (even tho Brandon Routh was interested, Christian Bale was not.)
November 7th, 2007 at 2:15 am
When Quesada syas that Cap, Thor and Iron Man are the holy trinity at Marvel, he means in terms of Avengers. You cannot have an Avengers film, or cartoon for that matter as evidneced by the doomed 90’s series, without those three heroes.
Anyway, the best line-up, in my opinion, would be…
Cap
Thor
Iron Man
Wasp
Hawkeye
Vision
Scarlet Witch
Hank Pym as either Giant-man or Yellow Jacket
… maybe Quicksilver
November 7th, 2007 at 2:38 am
Personally I’m hoping if they do it they adapt The Ultimates
November 7th, 2007 at 3:34 am
They’ll use the Ultimates lineup.
So it will be
Captain America
Thor
Iron Man
Giant Man
Wasp
Hulk
Nick Fury
Good sized group IMO
November 7th, 2007 at 5:51 am
Joe Quesada is not the man to speak with about their film slate. He probably thinks it is still as it was a few years back when Marvel had liscensed out Captain America, Thor and Iron Man to seperate film studios. Now those characters are all back under Marvel’s roof. The only Avengers character whose liscensing agreement has not yet expired is Black Widdow, who isn’t needed in the film anyway.
My choice for characters.
Captain America
Thor
Iron Man
Wasp
Giant Man
Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers)
I enjoy having Wolverine and Spiderman in the Avengers comics, but not in an Avengers film.
November 7th, 2007 at 8:29 am
They better have Hal Jordan in the new JLA movie. It would definitely rock if he is GL.
But if DC insists to have John Stewart, then…
Make Parallax the villain!!!
Then the new GL movie will be like a prequel to this JLA movie. Hell yeah!
November 7th, 2007 at 10:41 am
So long as they don’t try to cram too many characters in, or adapt a comic storyline that they simply cannot do justice to in 2 hours, or let Tim Story (or Mark Steven Johnson) anywhere near it, or try to tone it down for wee little kiddies, ~cough~ Batman 4, X-Men 3, Spider-Man 3, Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Ghost Rider ~cough~, then we should be ok. That said, if Cap and Thor, along with the Incredible Hulk and Iron Man films already in production, get their own standalone flicks before Avengers hits screens they can do away with those major backstories for starters, leaving more room for story and action. The other characters (and here is where I throw in my vote for Hawkeye) could be introduced initially through a montage voiced over by Uatu The Watcher, pre-opening credits, then fleshed out as the movie progresses.
That’s my half penn’orth anyway.
November 7th, 2007 at 11:07 am
I think have Jon Stewart in Green Lantern would be awesome. With the writers’ strike keeping The Daily Show out of production, would he have the time to do it now?
November 7th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
Well I am sure that Penn will come up with a great script and story but here is my idea for the first movie.
Tony Stark (Iron Man) forms up a group of inventors and scientists out of concern for a growing threat. The world’s scientists are disapearing. Hank Pym (Ant Man) is an old friend and fellow inventor and quickly heralds the call with his wife (Wasp). Dr. Banner (Hulk) also heralds the call sensing the threat to the world and to the members themselves.
As the team is investigating the disapearances Hank is kidnapped by Black Knight. A similar attempt is made on Tony Stark by Enchantress and Executioner. Thor arrives as he has been tracking Amora (Enchantress). They fend off this attempt and Thor joins the team who is now without Hank.
A mysterious villain is running the show and it is revealed that he is building an army of androids to conquer the world. He is a munitions expert and has enlisted the help of Black Knight (a geneticist), Enchantress (a sorceress), Executioner (Enchantress’s muscle), Melter (a munitions inventor), and Radioactive Man (a nuclear physicist). The mysterious villain is eventually revealed to be Baron Heinrich Zemo. The group adopts the name, The Masters of Evil.
Zemo uses his influence to attract another member to the team as well, Wonder Man. Wonder Man, obsessed with the failure of his family’s munitions company at the hands of Tony Stark quickly joins forces with the Masters but as a secret agent. Wonder Man joins the Avengers and appears to be a valued member until he lures them into a trap. Iron Man and Hulk are imprisoned by Zemo in his headquarters in the North Atlantic.
Thor and Wasp remain the only free members of the team and they are able to track the Masters to their base. Iron Man has been relieved of his weapons and is in a cell. Hulk is being experimented on by Zemo and is subjected to psychological punishment. Pym is employed creating the artificial intelligence for the android army.
Wonder Man is vexed over what he has done as he watches Zemo torture Banner. Wasp convinces him to help them free the heroes and make amends. The three free Iron Man and he directs them to another hero imprisoned, Captain America. Cap has been a frozen statue kept for Zemo’s amusement after being recovered from the frozen waters of the North Atlantic.
The heroes save Hank and Hulk and face off against the villains (Hulk vs Radioactive Man, Cap vs. Zemo, Iron Man vs. Melter, Ant-Man & Wasp vs. Black Knight, Thor vs. Enchantress & Executioner, Wonder Man attempts to destroy the army of androids). Black Knight and Zemo are killed in the altercation while the remaining Masters manage to escape. Hulk is convinced that it is not safe for him to be around the rest of the team so he leaves the Avengers. Wonder Man is put in a coma in his attempt to destroy the androids. The remaining team members reform to form the official Avengers.
November 7th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Just make a Nextwave movie. That would be sufficient.
November 8th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
Captain America
Iron Man
Thor
Hawkeye
Wasp
Hank Pym(alter ego doesnt really matter,Hank Pym is Hank Pym no matter the costume he wears)
Scarlet Witch
Quicksilver
S.H.I.E.L.D. MUST be involved(cough…Ultimates Volume One….cough)
NUFF’ SAID
November 9th, 2007 at 1:55 am
Wouldn’t it be great to have a comic book movie that accurately reflectes how the story was originally written? Guess thats impossible though. As for characters, im thinkin Cap, Ironman, Thor, Spidey, and Wolverine. Anything less than that is just not right. Of course it would be great to have the others too, like the Hulk, and Black Panther, etc. but after seeing the last X-men movie I realized that movie makers just can’t handle covering so many brilliant and complex characters in a single movie while giving each hero the proper amount of screen time. Yea, thats a challenge. Oh, and please don’t cast Hugh Jackman as wolverine. not that he’s a bad actor but for cryin out loud, Wolverine is 5′3″. Hugh Jackman is 6′2″! Attention to little details like this would be nice. Well, if anyone who has any type of say in the production of this Avenger movie reads this by any chance, please be the answer to my prayers. Im sure im not alone.
November 9th, 2007 at 5:47 am
Well, I can’t say Dougray Scott (who went off to do Mission: Impossible II), or even Brandon Lee (who was lined up back in the day, before his untimely death obviously, when they were batting around the initial X-Men movie concept) could have done a better Wolverine. If you watch X-Men dvd extras Jackman does a much better Wolverine before it’s edited or reshot. But his gutteral roars, facial intensity and physical violence is deemed a bit too OTT for the little kiddies to watch, so they tone it down. The height discrepancy hasn’t really bothered me (apart from the Fastball Special in X3, Colossus was too small and Wolvie too big).
Though it would be a complete travesty I can’t help but smile at the thought of a little guy like Danny Devito shoe-horning himself into the yellow spandex.
November 11th, 2007 at 9:45 am
Oh, and weighing in on the “Who would want to see a Batman film where Bruce Wayne wasn’t Batman?” mentioned a few post ago, if Nolan sticks around, and the characters were introduced right in the next couple of flicks, I think the Knightfall trilogy (abridged sympathetically) would make an awesome Batman movie. Having Bane break Bruce as the coda to the preceding movie would also keep those not au fait with the comics on their toes. Besides it wouldn’t be so much a Batman film where Bruce wasn’t Batman, it would be a Batman film with two Batmen, and a villain (in Azrael) that isn’t really a villain. Whereas most Bat-baddies know they are doing wrong, even relish it (Joker, Black Mask [by the way, a Black Mask Bat-movie would also be awesome]), the best are the ones that are adamant they are right. Plus Bane was criminally treated (no pun intended) in his last movie outing.
April 28th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
The Avengers of the 60’s & 70’s were the best. In a movie I’d vote for Captain America as leader, seconded by Iron Man. Additionally, I’d add Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Goliath (Hank Pym), & the Wasp. I’d keep the early uniforms, and have them face classic villans from the comics of that period. (What, no Thor or Hulk? Well, how much “big galoot” muscle do you need? You don’t want the team too powerful…give the bad guys a chance, too!).
Jim M. Gau
Hancock, MI
May 6th, 2008 at 1:09 am
Nick Fury - Recruiter
Captain America - Leader
Iron Man
Spiderman - Comic Part
Thor
Wolverine - Action part
The Hulk - then they have to calm his a$$ down
Fantasic Four
I kno thats too many but it’d be awesome
May 6th, 2008 at 1:51 am
Well let’s just put everyone in line. You shouldn’t put Wolverine or Spiderman in the Avengers movie. I mean really. Come on. They’re too iconic to their own realms. I did however just see the new Iron Man movie {did you stay till the credits were over?} and here is my list.
Nick Fury {Samuel Jackson}
Captain America
Iron Man
Thor
- the three obvious choises
Wasp
Pym
Hawkeye
Black Panther
- and here’s a tie in for those mutant lovers
Quicksilver
Scarlet Witch
- with having mutants you can start collaberating the M universe together and make it more congruent.
{also… has anyone thought about throwing in teasers for us true geeks out there?
ex: maybe a screenshot of the X-Men’s “Blackbird” flying overhead in a Spiderman movie, or, show something with Stark Industries written on something in an X-Men movie….just a thought}
May 6th, 2008 at 10:43 am
There are soooo many licensing issues with the way Marvel divided up their characters, you may as well forget about seeing any X-Men in Spidey or Avengers, or Spidey in the other two, etc. I think they should go old-school on the Avengers, and give a bunch of heroes who have become b-list a chance to shine: Nick Fury & Iron Man (done deal, according to the post-credits teaser in the IM movie), Hulk (movie coming), Ant-Man (movie coming), Thor (movie coming), and Wasp (b/c what’s Ant-Man without her?). I could see a huge adventure going on, in the middle of which the team discovers Captain America, and enlists his help. They leave out Cap’s backstory, and it’s a perfect teaser into a Cap movie, which would be a flashback-laden story of angst and regret, as most decent Cap stories tend to be, with the hero triumphing even though he’s a throwback. I think the flick could end with the recruitment process, and intro of some c-listers like Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, and Hawkeye. As for villians? Loki has to be the ultimate string-puller, even though someone like Zemo would be the apparent leader of the villian group. Either that, or the Avengers would face off against a Skrull invasion, as they’re prepping to do currently in the comics. Lotta potential……
May 11th, 2008 at 4:42 am
Darren pretty much nailed it. It even sets up for a sequel (2012/2013) of Ultron and Vision (heck even Ultron recruiting: The Grim Reaper, Living Laser and Klaw for a team of his own; which in turn would then have The Black Panther join the heroes.) Then in “Avengers 3″ (2014 - 2016) could have Kang (and possibly start out with the Wreaking Crew getting creamed by the Avengers as Kang watches from the future and plots to destroy the Avengers.) Please Marvel Studios hire that Darren guy to write/script the movies. His short story nails all the marks (and doesn’t include unnecessary characters like Wolvie or Spidey) isn’t too overloaded and seems to cover the first 20 issues of the series (with the obvious omissions.)
May 13th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
my line up would be
cap
thor
vision
scarlet witch
hawkeye
ironman
wasp
gaintman