On Monday, Marvel Studios and Disney held a global Twitter chat for “Avengers” fans, corralling director Joss Whedon and stars Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Clark Gregg (Phil Coulson) to engage in a brief Q&A over the social networking service. In the process, a few minor tidbits were revealed, and we’ve highlighted the ten most illuminating factoids below:
Joss Whedon
1. Joss Whedon has read every single “Avengers” comic ever made
“I had already read them all,” answered Whedon to a fan who asked how many of the comics he’d pored through to prepare for the film. He also never saw daylight until the age of 17.
2. The film will be a mixture of both classic and Ultimate “Avengers” storylines
Answered Whedon to a question concerning the nature of the film’s references: “It’s a combo platter: classic, Ultimate, plus a little ‘Richie Rich’ & ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking.'” Wait, what about “Avengers Next”?
Joss Whedon and Clark Gregg
3. Clark Gregg signed a woman’s gigantic chest at New York Comic Con
“May have signed some large boobs at NYCC,” tweeted the actor, when asked about his funniest experience with an “Avengers” fan. And it was actually a man! I imagined him saying next.
4. Joss Whedon would’ve put The Wasp in the movie if he could’ve
“Was there an Avenger you wanted to put in the movie but couldn’t make it work for whatever reason?” asked a fan. Replied Whedon: “I’m a fan of the Wasp. She’s goofy and sting-y.” Maybe in the sequel then? Oh god, please let them cast one of the Kardashians.
5. Samuel L. Jackson practically is Nick Fury in real life
“How much of your portrayal is based on comics Nick Fury and how much of Nick Fury is based on you?” a fan tweeted to Jackson, to which the actor replied: “There’s a lot of Nick Fury in me already.” He then began tweeting the lyrics to the “Shaft” theme.
6. There is no Spider-Man cameo, dammit! None! So stop asking about it, seriously.
“There is no Spider-Man cameo,” answered Whedon to the inevitable question. “But the Avengers do turn off the dark.” At that exact moment, Whedon’s phone began lighting up with calls from Julie Taymor’s lawyers.
Samuel L. Jackson
7. Black Widow is Samuel L. Jackson’s favorite Avenger
“Black Widow is my pick!” tweeted the actor, a preference that I’m sure has nothing at all to do with Scarlett Johansson’s boobs.
8. You needn’t have watched any of the earlier movies (“Iron Man”, “Captain America”, “Thor”) to understand what’s happening in “The Avengers”
“But you need to see ‘Steel Magnolias’, like, six times,” added Whedon. God, that Sally Field wailing scene gets me every time.
Tom Hiddleston
9. Not many people knew this, but “The Avengers” actually went into pre-production during the Carter presidency
“I started when I was 12 and should be done by May 3rd at 11:59 pm,” tweeted Whedon, after being asked by a fan how long the film took to shoot. We’re pretty sure he was joking, but not positive.
10. Samuel L. Jackson would choose Mace Windu over Nick Fury any day of the week…we think
Tweeted the actor after the question was posed: “Jedi or mortal? You be the judge!”
“The Avengers” hits theaters on May 4th.
Follow me on Twitter @HitFixChris