Kevin Feige talks Avengers – Hulk is in!

When Kevin Feige gets off on a rant you just step back and aim the microphone at him. He will tell you a LOT of things if you let him go.

For instance, he has spilled that the core Avengers lineup will consist of Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, Hulk and Fury. Yes! Hulk will be in Avengers. I was kind of hoping he would be the misunderstood badguy and the good hearted heroes learn of his struggle and bring him in to help him (which may be a theme anyways). Now this is not final, and the roster might flesh out with a couple minors as well (that can spinoff into their own films after -ahem Scarlet Witch/Vison, Antman/Wasp)

First Showing quotes Fiege:

“My only concern is that when we launch a franchise–whichever character’s franchise that may be–it should stand on its own two feet… So by the time ‘The Avengers’ comes in 2012, it’s not just a team superhero movie with a bunch of characters with powers. It’s three people- four including the Hulk; five including Nick Fury- who you’ve seen before in other movies, coming together for the first time.”

Of course all this planning has quickly become extremely fun, and although they’re introducing characters (especially in Iron Man 2) who will take up valuable screentime, Feige says they’re wise to not let it get too convoluted ad reinforces their respect of each franchises’ individual boundaries:

“It’s fun now, and we’re introducing some new characters in [‘Iron Man 2′]. But it’s not about just cramming in lots of new people; that’s sort of the cardinal sin of the sequel – adding in too many characters. This is totally Tony Stark’s story. And that’s gonna weave into Thor’s story, and Steve Rogers’ story, and it’s already ingrained with Nick Fury’s story and and organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“…we’re doing the Jack Kirby/StanLee/Walt Simonson/J. Michael Straczynski ‘Thor.’ We’re not doing the blow-the-dust-off-the-old-Norse-book-in-your-library ‘Thor.’ And in the ‘Thor’ of the Marvel Universe, there’s a race called the Asgardians. And we’re linked through this Tree of Life that we’re unaware of. It’s real science, but we don’t know about it yet. The ‘Thor’ movie is about teaching people that.”

“I’d love to break into the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe even more- it’s kind of there in ‘Thor.’ J.J. Abrams’ ‘Star Trek’ got me jonesing to do that. It’s what I grew up on – ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Star Wars.’ I want to do a big space epic. And we’ve got them in Marvel.”

I agree that there is potential for some space stories in Marvel as well. Hell, do a Starjammers movie!! Hells ya!!

I would love to see the Starjammers and the Shiar Empire and stuff like that. Of course they would have to leave out the part where Corsair is Cyclops’ daddy (Since X-Men is Fox toy right now) but it would be a great space pirate adventure.

I do like how its not just introducing the characters in their own stand alone films and then throwing them into Avengers. There will be an intertwined subplot going on here that is stronger than just the Nick Fury cameo.

But the real question that is still unanswered…. who will be the Villian – or evil organization that the Avengers are brought together to fight off? Masters of Evil/Thunderbolts?