Once deemed a cornerstone of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s infancy, Joss Whedon‘s reputation is now in tatters. Now, fans are roasting him over his characterization of The Avengers cast.
Before his Avengers days, Whedon was known for his work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly. Now, Whedon’s legacy is not quite what it once was. One-upped by the Russo Brothers with their two Avengers films in Infinity War and Endgame, fans are now discussing how drastically different the Avengers act in the director’s differing visions.
In particular, Whedon’s work on Captain America is not appreciated by fans, with them complaining of his simplification of Steve Rogers.
The old-school idea of Captain America is very much what Whedon leaned into, which quickly changed after Captain America: The Winter Soldier’s directors got the Avengers gig. Notable in how the Russos changed the character is making his ideals clear, and his conviction far more progressive.
Though there is one character fans think Whedon has done better than his successors, and that is Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk. A man teetering on the edge of meltdown is how Whedon envisioned the character, whereas he’s since become more like a comedic relief role after Taika Waititi’s Thor: Ragnarok.
This is all very reminiscent of how different comic writers treat characters. In particular is Tony Stark, who in comics is either a very jaded, bitter alcoholic man; or a completely exuberant playboy.
Stephen Strange is not too dissimilar, with the Russos version showing more of a calculated, measured figure who believes the ends justify the means. Raimi’s version leans more on the smarmy cocksure adventure hero tropes, but all these things have happened in the comics.
Whether or not Whedon will ever work on another Marvel film is up in the air. With controversies from his time working on Justice League it would appear not. The entire Marvel saga can be streamed on Disney Plus.