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Everything you need to know about Avengers Assemble

Some assembly required

Few films can claim to be five movies in the making, and even fewer in the way that ‘Avengers Assemble’ can. A team of superheroes, each with their own character-establishing film, coming together to fight for the survival of the human race. Splendid.


Iron Man, The Hulk, Thor and Captain America have each enjoyed at least one film since Marvel kick-started its very own Avenger initiative back in 2008 with the hugely successful first outing for Iron Man. That’s ten hours of film and a lot of information to take in.

So here’s a quick round-up of everything you need to know about the Avengers and their upcoming blockbuster.

[Related content: Our review of 'Avengers Assemble']
[Related gallery: Pics from the film's European premiere]
[Related video: Tony Stark and Loki clash in 'Avengers' clip]


S.H.I.E.L.D
The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division is the organisation responsible for bringing together the super-powered heroes and is lead by Nick Fury, played in the films by Samuel L Jackson.

He popped up in the post-credit sequence of ‘Iron Man’ for a surprise cameo that turned a great film into the start of one of the most ambitious projects Hollywood has ever attempted. Surprising hero Tony Stark as he returns to his Malibu home, Fury wastes no time saying, “I’m here to talk to you about the Avenger initiative.” Millions of geeks yelped with glee.

There’s more to S.H.I.E.L.D than Fury though. Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) has been ever-present in the films and has overall enjoyed more screen-time than his boss. The character has quickly become a fan-favourite as well thanks to his sense of humour and Gregg’s great performances.

Then there’s Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), who are field agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Each is a trained killer and part of the Avengers team despite neither being super-powered, they also may have a romance going on.


Iron Man aka Tony Stark
Stark modestly describes himself as a “genius, playboy, billionaire, philanthropist,” in the first ‘Avengers Assemble’ trailer, which just about says it all about the man. He made his suit of armour in a bid to escape kidnapping in Afghanistan (Vietnam in the original comics), eventually refining it into the arse-kicking suit we know today.

His powers derive from a hugely powerful energy source attached to his chest, the magnetism of which prevents shrapnel that can’t be surgically removed from making its way to his heart and killing him. The suit is basically a mini-arsenal capable of taking on entire armies.

Iron Man is the hero with the closest ties to S.H.I.E.L.D and its director Nick Fury, having met with him several times. At the end of ‘Iron Man 2’ Fury decides that Stark isn’t a team player, and decides not to include him in the Avenger initiative. As we can tell however, that doesn’t work out, but what changes Fury’s mind?

Captain America aka Steve Rogers
One of the trickier comics to bring to the big screen, director Joe Johnston ended up doing a great job last year with ‘Captain America: The First Avenger’. It was a great adventure film set during the Second World War, which certainly adds to the film’s slightly campy adventurous feel.

Chris Evans plays Steve Rogers, a scrawny but good man who most adult men could probably snap over their leg. He has a heart of gold that makes him perfect for the Super Solider programme however, a programme that eventually gives him his powers of strength and speed (and also makes him totes buff).

At the end of the film, having overcome villainous super-Nazi Red Skull, Captain America finds himself frozen and in a sort of stasis until he is unfrozen in modern times by S.H.I.E.L.D. The tragedy is that the girl Cap loves, Peggy Carter, remains in the past, and would be in her 80s by the time Steve Rogers was unfrozen.

The question for ‘Avengers Assemble’ is how will Cap adapt to modern times, and how will he take to Tony Stark, whose father’s arrogance never sat well with the once constantly-bullied Rogers? If you’ve seen the trailer then you know they hardly get along famously.


The Hulk aka Dr Bruce Banner
Director Louis Leterrier brought The Hulk back to the big screen in 2008 under Marvel Studios and with Edward Norton as the lead. The film neither references nor renders Ang Lee’s 2003 film ‘Hulk’ obsolete, instead choosing to side-step the origin story that everyone already knows.

The film had a good performance from Norton but its interpretation of the big green monster was another failed attempt at making him the hero of the comics. By all accounts the new film presents a much better version of The Hulk.
 
Norton was always going to be an actor difficult to nail down for a sequel, let alone an ensemble film in which he isn’t the biggest star. He left the project, leaving room for indie-darling Mark Ruffalo to take the role. He fits it well and will be the first actor to play both Banner and The Hulk thanks to motion-capture technology.

At the end of the 2008 film Banner seemingly had his anger management issues under control, but the new film finds him still choosing solitude over a normal existence. How will he be convinced to join a team?


Thor aka The God of Thunder
Of all the films leading into ‘Avengers Assemble’, ‘Thor’ is the most crucial to the plot. For a start it brings in elements like aliens, alternate dimensions and ‘magic’ into the mythology of Marvel’s films which was necessary for both Thor’s own inclusion and to bring in suitable threats to the team.

Thor’s story in the film sees him go from bratty prince to courageous hero while his little brother Loki turns from slightly creepy brother into top notch villain. As the titular hero, Chris Hemsworth was good in his first major role but it was Tom Hiddlestone as ‘Loki’ who stole the show.

Loki is the main threat to Earth in ‘Avengers Assemble’ and he’s bringing an army of aliens to help him invade and take over our planet. The dynamic between the brothers will be a key part of the film, as will the trust the Avengers have in their alien friend. After all, it is his brother they’re fighting so Thor’s allegiances will be brought into question...

‘Avengers Assemble’ is released Thursday 26 April