Poring over the new poster for Marvel’s superhero smorgasbord “The Avengers” is like reading a year’s worth of comics.
Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Captain America (Chris Evans) and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) are all crammed into the ultra-busy graphic, where they appear to be posing in front of a Michael Bay movie. It looks a bit too photoshop-y, recycling some previously-seen poses that make it appear like the heroes are in different stages of battle, and are all looking in different directions (well, maybe they’re surrounded by Loki’s thugs). Cap in particular looks like he’s in a completely different situation. He and Iron Man are dangerously unmasked as well, allowing audiences to see their handsome faces.
It may have been more timeless, artistically if not commercially, if it had been a painting (is Drew Struzan still in business?) instead of a group of photographic images. But the real point of it is to show the team working together and to promise some Marvel-sized mayhem and action…and it delivers on both counts — it captures the fun found in classic “Avengers” issues.
And Hulk is huge! Will he look that much bigger than the rest of the crew onscreen? Let’s hope so.
Get another look at the film when Marvel unleashes the new trailer tomorrow at 9 am PT on Apple.
“The Avengers,” directed by Joss Whedon, opens nationwide in 2D and 3D May 4.
What do you think of the poster? Grade it at the top of the story.