"Loki, who has come to Earth, is far more powerful than he was in Asgard. Due to his ambition causing chaos on Earth, his brother Thor obviously cannot stand by idly. Although the other members of the alliance don't see it that way, Thor, who values family, firmly believes his brother will eventually come around."
At the latest press conference, Duke revealed some new information and officially informed the public that the Avengers' first assembly will face off against the most charismatic villain of Marvel Phase One Loki.
Tom Hiddleston instantly became a media sensation. According to the publicity strategy drafted by the production team, he also accepted interviews.
"Loki is like a grandmaster in chess, already ten steps ahead, playing everyone in the palm of his hand."
Facing reporters, Tom Hiddleston said, "It was only this month that I learned I would be joining The Avengers. Duke had just shown me the script. I was completely immersed from the first read and finished it all in one go it's absolutely brilliant. It's amazing how Duke managed to bring all these characters together while keeping it fresh. The Avengers script is the best superhero script I've ever read."
Apart from these promotional efforts, the crew's preparations are in full swing.
All the superheroes in the film will have newly redesigned appearances. Steve Rogers' costume differs from that in Captain America, with the newly designed battle suit offering greater mobility. The headpiece in particular looks more like the one from the comics, rather than a clunky helmet. Iron Man has a brand-new suit, and the Hulk's appearance has also been completely redesigned, unlike any previous versions.
Thor's outfit has become more angular than before. He will even remove his cape for the first time, revealing his muscular arms.
The iconic S.H.I.E.L.D. base the Helicarrier has basically completed its model and set design. The scene will be built on a soundstage at Warner Studios. It resembles an aircraft carrier in appearance, but differs from ordinary naval vessels. Duke hopes to showcase this significant element from Avengers history and deliver a truly breathtaking experience when the Helicarrier takes to the skies.
Additionally, another comic classic the Quinjet has also had its first model produced. The Quinjet serves as the Avengers' transport to and from the Helicarrier during missions and shares a similar design language. Some of the Helicarrier's technologies are also applied to the Quinjet.
At the same time, the cockpit shape, rear engine, and weapons systems of the Quinjet are designed to feel contemporary.
The set design team also has to "make up" a soundstage to resemble the exterior of Stuttgart, Germany. To create a highly realistic effect, the set builders made a large number of German-language signs and even constructed a "beer garden" on the stage.
Moreover, some actors have submitted many constructive suggestions to Duke and Marvel Studios.
Clark Gregg, who plays Agent Coulson, is more than just an actor. During filming, he volunteered to Duke, expressing interest in writing follow-up stories for The Avengers. He had previously showcased his screenwriting talent in 2000's What Lies Beneath and 2008's Choke.
Duke and Marvel were also very interested in his ideas. They are preparing to adapt some Marvel works into television series for example, Peggy Carter's life after leaving Steve Rogers, or the day-to-day operations of S.H.I.E.L.D. as supplements to the larger cinematic universe.
In Marvel's decades-long comic history, the Avengers' lineup has changed time and again, with new members constantly joining and old ones leaving. At one point, Iron Man and Captain America even engaged in a civil war.
However, no matter how the team's structure changes, their inner spirit remains the same. When the world is shrouded in a cloud of crisis, they will still stand shoulder to shoulder, embarking on new journeys. Of course, their familiar rallying cry also remains—"Avengers, Assemble!"
Duke knows very well that the best era of superhero movies has arrived.
In Hollywood history, musicals, westerns, epics, and action films have each dominated for decades. Comic book-based superhero movies had brief popularity in the 1980s and 1990s with Superman and Batman series. In 1989, Batman even took the North American yearly box office crown with $251 million. With the maturation of CGI technology in the 21st century, this genre gradually ushered in a better era.
Today, humans have already landed on the moon, sent probes to Mars, and digital and mobile technology is omnipresent. Communication and transportation have reached unprecedented levels of convenience, and information is nearly freely accessible. The power and influence of technology has extended to every corner of civilization.
In such an era, superheroes are destined to become the protagonists on the global silver screen. But why do people love these modern myths?
There's an unavoidable truth in today's Hollywood: original science fiction films are rapidly declining, while superhero movies are on the rise.
Since 1977, sci-fi films have been Hollywood's box office darlings, producing countless classic blockbusters. Now, however, that position is slowly being overtaken by superhero movies, which are adapted from once wildly popular American comics. These films blend action, adventure, fantasy, and science fiction, gradually becoming global commercial juggernauts.
In fact, old Hollywood didn't rely on aliens or masked superheroes to make money. Musicals, westerns, epics, and evergreen action films were the darlings of film producers.
Times have changed. Superheroes have become the new icons of the post-industrial age. From a certain perspective, comic book superheroes are the cowboy spirit entering the city, fused with modern culture.
As Americans built their society from the wilderness into modern cities, then submitted to law and order, industrialization compressed people from vast lands into assembly lines. Urban civilization demanded that everyone become a cog in the machine, like the workers in Modern Times or Metropolis. People could no longer ride horses across the frontier or defy unjust laws like old-time cowboys. They could no longer experience the mystique of ancient mythologies.
Urbanites needed a new kind hero. more glamorous, exaggerated, magical, with richer and more hidden inner worlds. These heroes had to transcend the limitations of the mechanical and digital age, becoming new myths that carry new dreams. Superman, Batman, and later superheroes fulfilled all of that.
More importantly, these superheroes could be mass-produced on assembly lines in countless variations and styles, yet could be bought for just a few cents. From the Great Depression of the 1930s to post-9/11 America, what could be easier to obtain, more entertaining, and more spiritually comforting than this "simplified Bible"?
Especially after 9/11 and the prolonged U.S. economic downturn, the public needed new, flesh-and-blood screen heroes to bring them a sense of security, a revival of American spirit, shiny modern tech, and stylish idols. Interestingly, the Spider-Man movie boom of 2002 happened to land just one year after 9/11.
Undeniably, societal conditions helped shape that film.
The Avengers is completely different from traditional Hollywood sci-fi films. In Duke's design, this film didn't even need the heavy reliance on plot that sci-fi movies often have. The whole movie is nearly devoid of story—it's basically a group of super freaks going from independence to forming team cooperation, then going on a wild monster-slaying spree.
In other words, this film is far more focused on building a worldview than telling a story.
Previous sci-fi and superhero films mostly relied on story and characters to attract audiences. For instance, 1977's Star Wars told the story of a young man answering the call, leaving a remote planet, joining a cosmic war between justice and evil, and ultimately becoming a hero.
All classic genre films are like this, relying on personalized characters and engaging stories, along with genre-specific traits such as thrilling car chases, intense shootouts, dazzling special effects, etc. to form the film's main highlights and selling points.
2009's Avatar can be considered a turning point. James Cameron used what seemed like a very old-fashioned storytelling formula to make a revolutionary film.
This revolution was not just about the 3D trend. More importantly, it lay in the construction of a worldview: the social structure, settings, aesthetics, character relationships, etc. The audience was brought into a new world within the film, fully immersed in its grand and realistic visual display. Moviegoers were no longer consuming the story or the actors, but instead consuming a kind of technology, a worldview.
Before this, series like Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and many other sci-fi, fantasy, and superhero films had already been moving in this direction. Avatar was the milestone.
Without a doubt, Duke pushed and developed Marvel's grand plan even further based on past experience. He and Marvel transformed the formerly linear development of film series into a network structure. Each superhero is like a small star in the night sky they shine individually and illuminate one another, forming a vast world system.
Every new Marvel movie can be seen as the sequel, side story, and trailer for the next movie.
What's so good about The Avengers' script and setup? Is it the story? Are the characters rich and deep? The answer is certainly no. Its greatest success lies in being the first to harmoniously place multiple superheroes with different personalities, powers, and backgrounds—into one universe.
Speaking of this, one must mention the enormous role of Marvel film Easter eggs. In the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Easter eggs are not some optional gimmick, but rather the threads that connect all the individual superhero films together.