Phase Two of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe is set to kick off this May with the release of Iron Man 3, and fans are understandably eager to see what’s in store for this next set of superhero films. In addition to the excitement of seeing sequels to Iron Man, Thor, and The Avengers onscreen (as well as the addition of Guardians of the Galaxy), we can also take comfort in knowing that there’s one highly talented man overseeing the creative side of it all: The Avengers writer/director Joss Whedon.
Following the ridiculous success of The Avengers, Marvel signed Whedon to write and direct The Avengers 2 and to act as a creative consultant on all of the studio's other upcoming comic book films. If that wasn’t enough, Whedon is also writing and directing the pilot for ABC’s S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series. The incredibly busy Whedon recently spoke a bit about all of the aforementioned projects, offering an update on the status of the Avengers 2 script, when S.H.I.E.L.D. starts filming and his goal for the series, and his involvement on the other upcoming Marvel films. We also have news regarding when and where Guardians of the Galaxy will be filming. Hit the jump for your Marvel fix of the day.
Speaking with MTV News, Whedon confirmed that he has an outline completed for The Avengers 2 and is currently working on the sequel’s script. He said that the script should be finished in “a couple of months,” and talked about his goal with the follow-up:
"Don't go bigger; go deeper. All of these people have met, so you have that out of the way. Now you can spend your time just digging in — and by digging in, I mean with a scalpel, to cause pain."
Whedon also talked about the S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot that he co-wrote and will direct:
“[We start filming] a week from Tuesday. You have to bring a bit of spectacle to [S.H.I.E.L.D.]; it's got to be bigger than your average cop show. But at the end of the day, it's about the peripheral people. It's about the people on the edges of the grand adventures. The whole point of the show is that even with all these big things, the little things matter. It's about people who don't have super powers. There will be some people with powers, there will be FX, and there will be the spectacle of science-fiction storytelling — but all played on a very human, small level. That's the appeal of the thing.”
Finally, Whedon has been involved in the development of the other upcoming Marvel movies. Though he admitted that he hasn’t seen a cut of Iron Man 3 yet, he did elaborate on his role in Phase Two:
“I read all the scripts and I give notes on everything. I'll look at cuts when they're ready to show me. I'll talk to directors if they want to. I try to make myself useful without being intrusive. I've gotten to be a part of all of them. That's a dream job for a kid like me.”
In other Phase Two news, ScreenCrush is reporting that writer/director James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy will be filming in London at Pinewood-Shepperton Studios this summer, the same place that Thor: The Dark World was filmed. This is in keeping with the film’s August 2014 release date.
With the S.H.I.E.L.D. pilot filming next week, we should hear firm word on whether the show is going to series or not within the next couple of months. The Avengers 2 is set to hit theaters on May 1, 2015. Watch the full MTV interview below.
