For those readers in the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe, today is the day that Avengers: Age of Ultron finally zooms into theaters, with early reports revealing that Joss Whedon’s sequel is tracking for a mammoth opening at the box office. Whether it can topple its predecessor’s haul – which currently stands as the third highest-grossing film ever with $1.5 billion – will be determined over the coming weeks and months, though one thing is for certain: Age of Ultron will act as Whedon’s final outing in the director’s chair under Marvel.
With The Winter Soldier‘s Joe and Anthony Russo set to carry the torch henceforth, the fan favorite has reflected on his time at the helm, revealing a great many intriguing tidbits about the inner workings of the MCU. One facet that still bothers Whedon, though, is the decision to revive Clark Gregg’s Agent Coulson for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Nautrally, Marvel needed an amicable face to spearhead the once-bold TV spinoff, though many fans felt that his abrupt resurrection undermined the significant of his death scene in the original Avengers, given that it was trumpeted as a defining moment in the narrative, uniting the dysfunctional family against Loki.
Speaking with BuzzFeed, here’s what Whedon had to say on the matter, and how he believes that Coulson has no further place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“As far as I’m concerned, in this movie, Coulson’s dead. If you come back in the sequel and say Coulson’s alive, it’s like putting fucking John Gielgud in the sequel to ‘Arthur.’ It mattered that he’s gone. It’s a different world now. And you have to run with that.”
This news comes in tandem with the revealing of yet another clip from the movie, only on this occasion, the footage shifts the focus from Earth’s Mightiest Heroes onto The Vision, the embodiment of Tony Stark’s AI assistant, J.A.R.V.I.S. One thing’s for sure, the robot sure knows how to make an entrance.
Avengers: Age of Ultron opens in North America on May 1. Stay tuned to We Got This Covered when we’ll have our own verdict on Whedon’s sequel for you to enjoy in the coming days.
Marvel Studios presents “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.