The Avengers

A strange man in a suit has just handed me this transcript, informing me that his boss doesn’t feel the true star of The Avengers has been recognised.

"Iron Man! Whedon!!! What about mother f------- Nick Fury?!!!" ... I imagine he told this suited minion.

If we were heading out for dinner in these outfits then it would be different, but we’re working on a film set and it’s a believable world.

From his perspective, The Avengers story follows Nick Fury – director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D. – as he initiates a daring, globe-spanning recruitment effort to assemble the world’s mightiest and unruliest super heroes together to defeat an unexpected enemy threatening global safety and security. The Avengers was a hit in cinemas in 3D.

The costumes in The Avengers make sense on set, not at dinner.

Despite pulling together the ultimate dream team, Nick Fury and longtime confidant Agent Coulson must find a way to convince these super egos to work with, not against each other, when the powerful and dangerous Loki gains access to the Cosmic Cube and its unlimited power. Advertisement

The transcript of the interview with one Samuel L. Jackson follows:

What was it like to work with Marvel’s The Avengers director and writer Joss Whedon? Joss Whedon is very good at what he does. He’s incredibly smart, and he’s a great director and writer. The script was constantly evolving. We would get eight or nine pages, and two days later he would say, “I was thinking about that… Now it should be this.” Once you look at it all on screen, it all comes together – and it’s very nice.

Why do you think the movie worked so well?

Joss knows more about the comic book genre than most people, especially within this particular franchise. He has an understanding of the relationships of the characters and he understands the Marvel world. He put the story and the characters together in a very unique and wonderful way.

How hands-on is Joss on set?

He was very hands-on and he was always incredibly focused on set. Actors like to come in, look at the script and then say, “I’m going to make this mine.” So I’d start saying words and then Joss comments, “Wait a minute… That’s not what I wrote in the script.” He wanted us to say exactly the same words that he wrote because that’s how these comic book characters talk. He only had to tell me once and I got it right away. He understands the language of comic books and that’s how we needed to sound.

How much research did you do for this role?

I’ve been reading the Fury comics since I was a kid. I remember when it was Nick Fury and his Howling Commandos in the War World II war comic books. That’s when I was introduced to him, and then I moved on. Then all of a sudden, I pick up an Avengers comic book and I was like, “Hey, that’s me!” It’s amazing. It’s great.

What were your initial thoughts when you met the rest of The Avengers cast for the first time?

To be honest, I knew nearly everybody in the cast. I’d worked with the majority of them before. I’ve done films with Jeremy Renner and I’ve worked with Scarlett Johansson. Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth were new to me, but I worked with Hemsworth’s wife, Elsa, because we worked on Snakes On A Plane together. I know Mark Ruffalo from different places, too, so working on this project has been great for me because I like all of the people involved. We had fun.

What was the atmosphere like on set?

There was a big family feeling on set. Joss set up the rules, and we showed up and played by the rules. We had a great time doing that and it was cool to be in that space where we could show the audience that these guys have superpowers, but they have normal attitudes, too. They get annoyed with each other and they argue about petty stuff. They can be smart asses, they can be heroes and they can also be jerks – but they all eventually find a way to love each other.

Is it hard to take each other seriously when you turn up for work in extensive Super Hero outfits?

No, because we’re all playing roles. If we were heading out for dinner in these outfits then it would be different, but we’re working on a film set and it’s a believable world. I remember when I was a kid reading Superman comic books. There were people with tights and boots along with orange, green and yellow hair and capes. In every movie, you accept the rules of the world where the movie is set. You show up and play by those rules, and you should be fine. Once you accept it, you’re there.

How long did it take in hair and makeup to get dressed as Nick Fury?

At a certain point in the production, it only took the makeup team 20 minutes to put on the eye patch and scars. However, the first time it took about an hour-and-a-half because we had to go back and forth to Joss. We’d have to ask things like, “Is this too much? Is this not enough?” We actually changed the scar to the comic book scar for this movie, which is something that a few people have noticed. If you look at the Iron Man and Thor movies, the scar looks like two little cat scratches.

Nick Fury is a very powerful guy. Is power something that is appealing to you?

Power is something that’s pretty much appealing to most people. However, I never really thought about power or how people wield it until I got to Hollywood. During the early days of my career, I started to discover the interesting ways that people give power to you and then take it away. They sometimes make you think that you have it, or give you the illusion of it – but you don’t always possess power. It’s a very strange and interesting thing.

What inspires you to accept a role?

Most of the time I’m looking for a story that’s exciting, or maybe a subject that I haven’t seen on screen before. Then I look for a character on the inside of that story that presents specific challenges to me. Well, unless I’ve been assigned a character already, which was the case with Nick Fury. That’s generally how it works for me.

Are you happy to watch yourself on the big screen?

Always. All those actors that tell you they don’t like seeing themselves on screen are lying. I don’t get actors who say, “I can’t stand to watch myself. Oh no, I’m horrible.” Why would anybody else pay $13 to go and see your face if you don’t want to see it yourself?

Which of your movies are you most proud of?

I’m proud of all of them, although there are some I like more than others. My favorite film of my own is The Long Kiss Goodnight because I like great action films. I think Geena Davis was brilliant in that film. She was a bit ahead of her time because that movie was shot before they knew how to market women badasses. She’s the quintessential woman badass. If you watched that movie, it’s great. Just like The Avengers is great, too. I’ve had a lot of fun working on this film and I’m really proud of what we’ve created. It feels great to be part of the Marvel universe.

The Avengers is available on Disney Blu-ray and DVD now.