The Avengers

Five reasons The Avengers is quintessentially Joss.

Joss Whedon, that convivial Prince of Pop Culture, is having a very good year.

At the time of writing, Whedon’s latest film Marvel’s The Avengers is the fourth-highest worldwide grossing film ever, and sits at a more-than-comfortable 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Millions of superhero fans are now flocking to the Whedonverse to join the millions who already immortalize him for his 90s vampire slayers, his cult sci-fi hits, and Eliza Dushku.

And regardless of The Avengers’ blockbuster flavor, it remains a Joss Whedon film through and through; a smart piece of action cinema with a wry sense of humor and a knowing wink at the audience. It is remarkable Whedon succeeded in making the ambitious movie work at all, let alone making it his own.

Here are five reasons why the most successful superhero blockbuster of all time belongs to Joss.

BEWARE OF SPOILERS. THIS ARTICLE IS ALL SPOILERS.

Strength in Numbers

Two of Whedon’s most beloved TV series to date, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly, presented us with an array of characters who sparked off one another in an endless variety of exhilarating combinations. The same is true with The Avengers; all six - seven if you count Bruce Banner and Hulk as two - possess show-stealing abilities, and beyond that, show-stealing charm.

While they vie for our attention amongst the escalating spectacle, it is to Whedon’s credit that all share screen time fairly, ensuring none are lost in the mix. He carefully introduces each member as individuals first and as part of the team second; character is paramount. Even Steve Rogers/Captain America, the wholesome time-traveler who could easily have been a one joke whipping boy, gets to shine both as a conflicted innocent in quieter moments and as a leader in the film’s scorching final battle.

Kick-ass Women

The finesse with which Whedon writes women is unusual in the particular Hollywood bubble he works in, a translucent thing populated by - for the most part - equally translucent female characters. Whedon’s women, on the other hand, are funny, tough and have substance, their ability to kill things a pleasing but inessential addition. One’s mind immediately jumps to Buffy (or, to a lesser degree, Echo) but let’s not forget the Anyas, the Willows, the Cordelias, the Zoes and the Faiths; fully-rounded characters whose ability to kick ass is matched with a wicked way with words.

Natasha Romanova/Black Widow, as played by Scarlett Johannson, could have been a bland, hypersexualized character. Instead, Whedon plays with the audience’s expectations of Natasha’s femininity and sexuality and upends them from her very first appearance, as she turns an interrogation - admittedly in the tightest of outfits - on its head. This same trick is repeated during a second interrogation, as the audience is briefly left to question Natasha’s effectiveness before she reveals her true intentions in one swift move. Her ability to emotionally manipulate is unnervingly efficient, and as important to the team as an indestructible shield.

Self-awareness

Whedon’s characters don’t speak like people in the real world; they’re impossibly funny and impossibly weird. Sometimes they’re so quick off the mark you only register what they’ve said a couple of seconds after they’ve said it, and your laughter takes you by surprise. Much of this is due to an ability to articulate their self awareness with a finesse beyond mere mortals.

Tony Stark/Iron Man is the most self aware of all six, unafraid to muse on himself and his fellow teammates with hilarious accuracy. When Steve Rogers questions his worth without the Iron Man suit, Stark replies “a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist" without a second’s hesitation. And while the rest of the team sidestep Bruce Banner’s internal angst around “the other guy,” Stark has no qualms about expressing his appreciation of Banner’s ability to “lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster.”

Flawed Heroes

Whedon’s heroes frequently eschew traditional hero roles. The lovestruck Doctor Horrible and cartoonish Captain Hammer in Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is Whedon at his most obviously subversive, and while characters like Firefly’s Jayne, Angel’s Wes and even Buffy’s Spike are painted in softer shades of grey, they still posses enough undesirable traits to nudge them into villainy. Frequently the only discernible heroic trait in a Whedon hero is the desire to beat the bad guy.

The very idea of heroics in The Avengers is thrown about as an “old fashioned notion.” The heart of the first half of the film lies, of course, in the difficult assembly of the team, each individual bearing crosses so in line with today’s angst-ridden superhero. But conflict is key to a good ensemble, and while the aggression sparks between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers, we have a greater tension still between Bruce Banner and his bestial alter-ego, "the other guy." There’s certainly a feeling of catharsis when Banner finally hulks out with intention. I mean, it must feel good. The guy’s always angry.

Pop Culture

Whedon’s work holds a special appeal to those of us who have grown up alongside him in the same media landscape. He has an uncanny ability to deliver obscure cultural references in a a way that never patronizes his audience, so entrenched are they in his own joyful geekdom. It’s that self-awareness at work again - that gentle nudge in the ribs of the audience.

The references in the Avengers range from an ill-regarded John Frankenheimer movie (Reindeer Games), to Stephen Hawking, to broader conversations around the Avengers universe. Agent Coulson’s admiration of Captain America is a tip of the hat to Marvel’s fan base, likewise the appearance of Stan Lee as an Avengers naysayer. Whedon also has a blast riffing on classic lines; the first and only utterance of the corny "Hulk...smash" turns the quip on its head.

It is the moment when Loki tries to stop a raging Hulk with a dramatic and hubris-laced monologue, however, that encapsulates Whedon’s masterful grasp of the world in which he is working in. The carnage that follows, topped off with Hulk’s characteristic use of the word "puny," is pure fan service.