IRON Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye are back for another grand adventure as The Avengers.
This time, the superhero team is going to include an even bigger ensemble of heavyweights.
Try over 20 champions of humankind in one epic movie! Avengers: Infinity War is the 19th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and the culmination of a decade-long build-up for fans to see their favourite comic book superheroes get together for a battle royal with the up-till-now foreboding intergalactic villain Thanos.
Directed by brothers Anthony and Joe Russo, the story is set two years after the Avengers were torn apart during the events of Captain America: Civil War.
Thanos, played by Josh Brolin, arrives on Earth to collect the Infinity Stones for a gauntlet that will allow him to bend reality to his will. So it’s up to Team Avengers to join forces with the Guardians of the Galaxy for the ultimate showdown with the fearsome fiend in order to prevent his destructive cleansing of the universe.
Plenty of drama is expected to ensue in this sequel to Marvel’s The Avengers (2012) and Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015) and sacrifices will have to be made as the superheroes unite for the new mission.
GROWTH AND DIVERSITY
Actress Scarlett Johansson has been a mainstay of the MCU franchise since first appearing in Iron Man 2 back in 2010 as the fan favourite Black Widow.
The long journey has been an exciting one as the 34-year-old actress recounts her experience in playing the Russian super spy, also known as Natasha Romanoff.
“It’s been an incredible opportunity for me to be able to continue to come back to a character that I love so much and be able to peel back the layers of a character that I think, in many ways, kind of reflects myself and reflects my own growth and my own challenges,” she says.
Considering the experience an incredible gift, she adds: “I don’t think there are many other opportunities like that in film, to play an iconic character that means so much to people. I thank the audiences for embracing my portrayal of her from the beginning and allowed me to walk in Natasha’s shoes and kick ass in them too.”
In Infinity War Johansson explains that Black Widow has gone rogue after the Civil War incident and has aligned herself with Team Captain America.
“She and Cap are trying to monitor and take care of as much as they possibly can without having the structure that they had in the safety of the Avengers. They’re operating their own team so to speak. It’s kind of rough when we first find them. I imagine that Natasha is a little bit hardened from what she’s experienced and what she’s had to go through,” she says.
Natasha and Steve Rogers (Captain America) have a very fluid communication between them. “They’ve been on hundreds of missions together, in life or death situations. So they operate very much like teammates. It’s a kind of unspoken communication that they have at this point,” says Johansson.
The actress adds that it’s great to also have more female faces in the new movie, which include Elizabeth Olsen (as the Scarlet Witch), Zoe Saldana (Gamora) and Karen Gillan (Nebula).
“I’ve been advocating for more female energy in the cast and crew as a whole for a better part of a decade. So it’s really great to see a more diverse group and certainly great to see that the audiences are embracing and even asking for really strong female super heroines. It’s wonderful to feel like you’ve witnessed and been a part of that growth,” she says.
LEADING THE WAY
What does it mean to see this franchise through to this point? Johansson says that it’s been really exciting to be able to work with some of the actors from different franchises that she admires. She goes on to say that they are sort of an extended family.
“Of course, there are new characters that are also being introduced to the family. That part of it is wonderful because certainly what Marvel has really championed for, I think, is hiring actors who are unexpected, dedicated and fresh. They advocate for the ‘new’ and that part of it is exciting,” she says.
Johansson adds: “It’s bittersweet for me too as I look around and see the cast and crew that have become very close friends of mine, and I know that perhaps this could be the last time that all of us are together in this kind of way. It’s a bittersweet feeling but I’m really proud of the work that we’ve done. And I’m proud of what we’ve built.”
Life on the set involves really hard work, which includes all the blood, sweat and tears, but there’s fun to be had as well. For the new actors it would be a little intimidating to say the least, being on a grand, mega scale movie like this.
“I love working with actors. If I can help in any possible way to make another actor feel more comfortable or maybe discover new choices or help them get acclimated to what could maybe sometimes feel like a cool kids club, it’s great,” says Johansson.
She adds: “It’s nice to feel that there are people in your workplace who you trust and it’s a safe environment, where you can, kind of, spread your wings and fly. I love to be able to shepherd other actors in that way. It’s awesome.”
IN GOOD HANDS
Chris Evans who plays Captain America says that it was a powerful feeling to be back on the Avengers set. “To be with these people you’ve been on almost a 10-year journey with. So many good memories. I couldn’t imagine a better group of people to be sharing this ride with,” he says.
The 36-year-old actor adds that his character is in good hands. “You hope you get some good stuff. But Marvel has always done right by Steve Rogers. So I always feel that the character and the arc is in good hands and that’s really how I felt about this one,” he says.
Evans, who first took on the iconic role in 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, explains that it has been a surreal experience when he steps back during shooting to consider what he’s doing.
“There’s something about these movies, where for the first four of them it almost felt like it was happening to somebody else. I was almost outside of myself watching it,” he says.
But he’s settled in now and feels it to be a really cool thing to be a part of. “I started to appreciate it in a way where it doesn’t feel like a dream anymore or that I’m floating through it. I’m present for it and it’s just so unblemished because there are so many wonderful people around me. It’s not something I’ve had to compromise or suffer in any way. It’s such a great ride,” he says.
When asked whether he was surprised at how dark these films got, Evans says that he’s never surprised by anything that Marvel does. “They have a deep bag of tricks. They know what they’re doing. They know how to keep fans excited. They know how to raise stakes and keep the engine pumping. I’m just excited that I get to be there when it happens,” he says.
KEYS TO SUCCESS
Having worked with the Russo brothers, who had directed two Captain America movies (The Winter Soldier and Civil War), Evans says that they’re wildly affable and incredibly likable guys.
“There isn’t anyone that doesn’t get along with them. They really know how to modulate their direction to each individual in a way that’s just very palatable to that person. Beyond that, they have an encyclopedic knowledge of film. They’re true cinephiles and their methods of communication are by referencing other films, which is something that I wish more directors did.” he says.
And what about working with Robert Downey Jr.? The actor who plays Iron Man in the movie of the same name back in 2008 kicked off the MCU franchise, which led to success after success.
Evans says: “Downey has been incredibly thoughtful in his care of the other actors, me especially. In the beginning of this franchise, I was really nervous but he extended his kindness and warmth, and helped pick me up in a lot of ways and gave me confidence and direction and support. He’s an incredibly giving actor and he’s so complimentary even though I don’t always deserve it.”
He adds: “I would’ve been lost had he not been on this movie. He is the patriarch. He is the one running the show and that really came to life on this movie more than the other films. There were so many actors in and out every day and he went out of his way to make sure everyone felt welcome, especially the people who don’t have their own franchises or have smaller roles in different movies. It can be intimidating to come onto a set with 20 or 30 actors that you’ve seen in other films. But every day we would break and have a big lunch at his place. Right away you just feel like you’re part of the club.”
The Captain America star explains that all this has led to a rewarding experience on Infinity War. “I really like what they let my character experience in these movies, besides the emotional connection I have to this experience and what the movies have done for me personally and professionally,” he says.
Evans adds that the movie is emotionally layered and has depth. “The actual day-to-day experiences on set have been really satisfying in what my character gets to go through. It’s really satisfying to have my character experience the struggle and the sacrifice and the culmination of friendships that have had peaks and valleys. It’s a layered, colourful experience and just as emotionally layered as any other film I’ve ever done,” he says.
NEW SETTING AND BIG BAD
Part of Infinity War will be set in the fictional tropical nature-futuristic hybrid environs of Wakanda, where Black Panther hails from.
“It’s exciting to change up the scenery. Each character has an environment that they fit in, and it’s nice to move some of those pieces around and cross some lines. It was great working with Chadwick Boseman (who plays Black Panther) too. He is just a powerhouse, very talented. In my opinion he should have an Oscar already. His dedication to the role shows on this movie as well,” says Evans.
He adds that Wakanda is a really powerful ally, as seen in the recent Black Panther movie and an untapped, dependable resource for Captain America. “Captain America is there to help and there’s a mutual respect between him and Black Panther. There’s a kind of internal nobility. The men respect each other and have similar moral compasses and are eager to be there when the other person’s in need. Black Panther just happens to have a whole army at his back, so, when the Avengers call upon him, he’s ready to take the call,” says Evans.
When it comes to the big bad that is Thanos both agree that he’s a force unlike anything they’ve seen before.
Johansson says: “Natasha’s a very strategic fighter and she’s going to come at Thanos with whatever she has and a lot of that is with her brainpower. She will make whatever sacrifice she can in order to save as many people as possible.”
Evans adds that Thanos is the most powerful entity in the universe. “So Captain America knows that we need everybody working as a team and it’s been all heading towards this. That’s the best thing about Marvel. Every single movie has set the chessboard up for this really tense standoff,” he says.
“And it’s exciting to finally see Josh Brolin step on set as Thanos and see him become the character that we’ve been hearing about for so long,” says Evans.
Avengers: Infinity War opens in cinemas nationwide on April 25.