To be fair, Joss Whedon is geek royalty, and needs no introduction.
So hopefully, he wont mind that we gave him such a lousy one.
Was there any particular favourite scene you wish you could have saved?
Well, there was more shirtless Thor.
The DVD extras are going to be enormously popular.
The flow of it, thats all.
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We cut out an hour.
And we cut 45 minutes on the first one, and I dont regret any of that.
And is that where Loki ended up?
Or was that only a rumour?
No, youre right.
Itll be in the DVD extras.
Being charming as always.
Its was central to the theme of this film that we find out who he really is.
Rather than going later on there will be a robot exploding and its going to be wonderful!
Youve said before that your interests go from comic books through to opera and other totally different art-forms.
Will there be a big creative swerve from you next?
Id love to swerve.
Id like to have a swerve.
We know youre a fan ofCrank 2.
Could this be the opportunity for you to team up with Jason Statham?
Is that the dream?
[Laughs] I actually saw Jason Statham in a store one time.
And I was totally star-struck!
I dont normally get that.
For some reason, he made me go ooooh!
But he doesnt call, he doesnt write.
We dont know each other.
Its sad to hear that.
From the press conference yesterday, it doesnt sound like youve totally written-off the idea of doing more Marvel.
Would you be more advisory again do you think?
We havent really discussed it we finished the film like 36 seconds before people saw it.
And now theyve got another 36 seconds to finishAntMan.
So, it hasnt come up.
At the same time, part of me thinks thats the only way Ill get anything else done.
Nahhh, I think in some ways it was a bit behind its time.
I enjoyed it, but there are some things that just could have been better.
You must get that now, the other way around.
What do young writers ask to you, and what do you say back?
I dont actually ever talk to young writers.
I dont like them and I dont want them around… No!
Honestly, Im doing this [gestures to Avengers pictures].
If someone asks me how to break into the business, I just break into a cold sweat.
Im terrible at questions like that.
I have friends, if they write scripts, I will look at them.
My advice is often terrible.
Im not really aware of how the business works, and I didnt study writing.
So I have a few tips, but Im not much of a mentor Im sorry to say.
Do you think teasing upon teasing isnt really necessary now that the whole phase is announced?
No, no, we just didnt have anything we loved.
So I give him full credit for that, and how important than scene was.
But then we thought maybe we should just make the scenes that come before the credits really good istead.
Did you see the fake Spider-Man one?
Wait, did someone actually make one?
Oh, I thought it was just a rumor, I didnt know that was what they were doing.
That someone actually made it.
Its not ours though, nope!
Well, Joss Whedon, thank you very much.
We also joined Mr Whedon for a roundtable interview later in the day.
[Walking into the room, full of male journalists] Finally!
[mimes dealing out a deck of cards as he sits down] Ideal!
Have you recovered from making this movie?
I read that you found it exhausting…
[Raspy voice] Im fiiiine.
No, I havent recovered because I think I still have a little filmmaking PTSD.
And, so, sudden notes can really set me off!
But Im looking, Ive got the end in sight.
Some more press tomorrow then Im officially unemployed.
Are you looking forward to that?
Uhhh, I may cry.
In front of all of you.
Thus ruining our guys night out.
You followed the firstAvengerswithMuch Ado About Nothing, so are you planning to do something similar soon?
No, Im really going to take a break!
Just, you know, it exists for a certain kind of project.
So, I dont know if that kind of project may come up soon or not.
Which I am excited to do.
I wish I could have used any phrase that didnt involve the idea of me bald and naked.
Its just horrifying, sorry.
Things I never thought they would let you say in a summer blockbuster I got to say.
All youre ever writing is yourself.
And I miss it every time.
Oh yeah, now I see… Um, I felt it was disingenuous not to raise the stakes and show that there is a price.
There has to be a cost.
And, that theres an emotional cost.
So you really want there to be emotional stakes.
The first movie is about putting them together, the second movie is about tearing them apart.
EvenEmpire Strikes Back, its like wait a minute… things are not awesome.
In general, it feels like the Marvel films recently have been getting darker.
Was that a bigger plan?
How much do you have to deal with bigger plans when you do a Marvel story?
You know, every movies got to have its own energy.
And the movies are the same way.
They approach it film by film, there is no mandate.
That doesnt mean they couldnt make something very intense, but that would be more of a niche thing.
I think they came fromArrested Development, they are very versatile, thats the thing you gotta be.
Honestly, my only advice to them is start training.
Get a trainer, and start eating protein.
[Everyone laughs] Im deadly serious.
Because the physical toll of making these things is phenomenal.
And its going to be twice the price.
Is it because you work so many hours?
And theres two of them.
But I dont sleep!
So, Im very careful of staying away from the doughnuts.
Did you have the opportunity or the will to give them some tips?
No, you know what?
James [Gunn] came in, and we went overGuardians, notes and stuff like that.
Im not like, Old Man Filmmaker: [crotchety deep south voice] you know what, son?
What you need is a wide show, so you’re able to see all the people!
Is the physical toll the reason you said this is your last Marvel film for a while?
Are you a bit bored by the Avengers now?
But I do think there would be diminishing returns.
Um, but, Im a filmmaker, thats just going to happen.
You have to be all-in when you make a film.
Something where the ensemble grows and grows, I think every one and their mother will be inInfinity War.
In this film, we get some insight in the past of Black Widow.
How do you explain the fact that there hasnt been a Black Widow movie yet?
Whos he fighting with?
Money guys… You know?
And why are the money guys not prepared to do it, in your opinion?
Thats really the language.
its like, a lot of them, they were in the comic books!
Fuckin Phoenix, and Storm?
Who are clearly the strongest people on their teams.
Do you think it says a lot about Hollywood then?
You sound insane, or like a woman!
[All laugh].
Yeah, Hollywoods incredibly fucking sexist.
And Im sure the auto industry isnt a bastion of feminism…
But everyone sees what Hollywood makes, rather more clearly, because North Korea didnt hack Chevrolet.
But yeah, everyones moving slowly in the right direction, but it takes time.
Well, you know, for me, some people are radical.
And, I wasnt the only person doing it.
There wasXena, and other things before that.
But I got to be part of that wave that crested and did change things.
And you just make people comfortable with it.
You make people realise that they didnt even know they were watching something different.
At what point did you decide not to stick Captain Marvel into this one?
I saw that it wasmaybe on the cards…
I never decided not to.
Um, they havent cast Captain Marvel!
Which is great, because I love westerns.
Its the old guy that matters.
They dont make a lot of movies where the old guy matters any more.
Theyre just there and we say look, weve reached into the future of Marvel!
