Rumors have been flying since “The Avengers” debuted last May as to what the follow up film will be about. Of course, there will be a galactic battle with the “Mad” Titan Thanos, but what about the cliffhanger at the end of “The Avengers 2.” Reports have pointed to director/writer Joss Whedon adapting the beginning of the “Planet Hulk” storyline, which will lead to a standalone Hulk film followed by the third Avengers film surrounding the return of the angry green giant in “World War Hulk.” At a recent press interview for the upcoming release of his film “Much Ado About Nothing,” Whedon had this to say about the Hulk oriented storyline.
“Well I’m really not supposed to comment, but no, that’s nonsense.”
Although “Planet Hulk” was made into an animated film in 2010, no script for “The Avengers 2” has been written to date, but things have been known to change in the blink of an eye in Hollywood. Whedon could be misleading fans to throw them off the scent. What he did want to emphasize is that he will derive his inspiration from some unlikely films. Whedon went on to elaborate:
“I’ve got the next story, and it’s a corker. I haven’t even been thinking in terms of superhero movies. The films I’ve been thinking about are The Godfather: Part II and Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. Those are the stars by which I chart my course.”
“The Avengers 2” is scheduled for a May 1, 2015 release. Robert Downey, Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Samuel L. Jackson, and Anthony Mackie are expected to star. Joss Whedon will write the screenplay based on characters created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. Joss Whedon directs.
Sources: IGN, IMDb