Monday Morning Quarterback Part III
By BOP Staff
May 9, 2012
BoxOfficeProphets.com
Kim Hollis: Which Marvel character from the movie do you think gets the biggest boost moving forward?
Felix Quinonez: I think that Iron Man will definitely get a nice box office boost because of The Avengers related Marvel movies, Iron Man 3 is next. But I think (or want to believe) that the Hulk will enjoy the biggest boost from The Avengers. I know that both of the Hulk movies were box office disappointments but the Hulk originally faced the same problems as a comic book character. His original series was cancelled after six issues but then he was featured as a guest star in other comics like the Fantastic Four before successfully relaunching his own series. I think his appearance in The Avengers movie could give him a similar boost. Yes, the whole cast was awesome but seeing the Hulk do his thing is what really drove the audiences crazy both times I saw this movie over the weekend. I read that there might be another solo Hulk movie and I think his appearance in The Avengers might be the motivator to finally get people to go see Hulk in his own movie.
Bruce Hall: Wow, that's a good question. I feel safe saying we didn't learn much new about Thor this time around. I think Hemsworth is an ideal casting choice, but his character probably benefited the least from The Avengers. There's little not to love about Downey as Stark but again, I don't think Iron Man developed much in this installment either. I'd like to see them stop tiptoeing around his alcoholism, but that's probably a pipe dream. Hulk is best absorbed in small doses not unlike a good port, a great cigar, or Beavis and Butthead. The character I came away with a better impression of is Captain America. His personality was better fleshed out in this film, perhaps in part because he's so different from the other characters. He's the sort of straight laced, Wonder Bread, Consolidated Petroleum Radio Hour character that's seemed like an anachronism since at least the Nixon years. But to me, his role as the Avengers' Unifying Force was critical to the success of the script, and it made me care about seeing more of this guy. That's right. Prior to last night, I cared about that long lost Scooby Doo plush I had when I was five more than I did about Captain America. But today, out of all the Avengers, he's the one whose solo act I'm actually looking forward to seeing more of. And this is from someone who is on record as being far less than impressed with Cap's inaugural outing. That's saying something.
Edwin Davies: It's between Hulk and Cap, for me. I liked both previous Hulk films, but I thought that Mark Ruffalo did a much better job with the character than either Bana and Norton. His more laid-back take on the character was really charming and likeable. I could happily sit and watch a movie featuring him as the main character, or, as seems to be Marvel's plan since they signed Ruffalo to a multiple film deal, as a supporting character livening up the films of the other Avengers. Captain America also displayed a slightly wryer sense of humor than in his first movie, and his straight-laced approach contrasted nicely with Tony Stark's more mercenary nature. The other Avengers either did not get enough material to really develop, or covered most of the same ground they did in earlier films, so whilst they weren't bad, they didn't impress as much as the other two.
Reagen Sulewski: I have to agree with the assessment of Hulk. If there'd been a second Thor and Cap movie in between last year and Avengers, you'd have seen a pretty big jump in box office just from people being familiar with the characters. A third Hulk movie might have been like that third Punisher movie - "wait, why are we doing this again?" (even though I kind of liked both of them). Now that the way has been shown for how to treat Hulk properly on screen, I think we can confidently say that someone's going to try a solo Hulk movie again.
Daron Aldridge: I agree that they hit the right mark with Ruffalo's Banner and Hulk but he needs a formidable adversary to sustain a full movie and I don't know if there is another one out there like Abomination was. It's for that reason that I am leery of another solo Hulk film, even though Ruffalo seems to embody that character quite nicely. At this point, I just want Banner/Hulk as a supporting player to prevent us from becoming bored with him turning into a feature film version of the arcade game Rampage. I actually just told our own Tony Kollath that after watching The Avengers, I am most intrigued by the upcoming Captain America sequel. In The Avengers, they moved him forward character-wise in the present day but retained most of that idealistic mentality that make him Captain America. Having him adapt to but not assimilate to modern times while battling a new adversary is what I want to see. I just hope that's the direction they take it.
Max Braden: I think without a doubt, given the way the movie ends, you most want to see what happens to Tony Stark next. Banner is interesting but I get the feeling he'll still spend his life trying to avoid trouble. I'd be interested in the further adventures of Hawkeye and Black Widow, but Tony Stark is the one you know will keep getting himself into trouble. I think audiences will want to see that the most.
David Mumpower: I agree with the opinion that Hulk is probably better as comic relief alongside the occasional bout of extreme violence. I liked The Incredible Hulk well enough, which is surprising given my disdain for Ed Norton. Mark Ruffalo was impeccable in this role, smoldering beneath the surface throughout the movie then revealing his secret at the perfect moment. Would that work for 100 minutes? Maybe. It is not something I am dying to see, though. Did the opinion of the $200 million worth of movie goers this weekend change enough to market a Hulk movie? Absolutely. The character I believe gains the most from the movie, however, is Hawkeye. That is a nothing character on the surface, an ordinary human who is good with a bow and arrow. I always considered his presence on the team as the weakness in the story. Joss Whedon attacks that head on in sublime fashion by having Hawkeye demonstrate his skillset in most impressive fashion. So, he goes from a dude who makes one quip in Thor to a guy who could star in a $65 million opener in 24 months. I feel the same way about Black Widow, meaning Scarlett Johannson is now capable of having an action career on the level of Angelina Jolie. The talented humans are the ones whose level of interest spiked the most this weekend. They went from non-factors to potential Thor/Captain America debuts.
Kim Hollis: As far as the character that probably will have the most true financial gain, I don't think it's any accident that Mark Ruffalo has been signed to a series of Hulk movies. I absolutely love him as the Hulk, myself, and I think that a movie with him as Banner might be the first time I'd have a real interest in a movie featuring the character. I do think that any filmmakers need to be very cautious in their handling of the character, though. He should not be dark and angst-ridden like he was in Ang Lee's version of the film.
I was also very pleasantly surprised at the character development we saw in Captain America. He has some glimpses of humor and is also nicely contrasted against Tony Stark. Some people might not think Hawkeye and the Black Widow are that interesting, but I think a story that told us about their background would be something I'd enjoy.