“…or else.”
That’s how I imagine the higher-ups at Disney and Marvel end every conversation with Anthony and Joe Russo when it comes to Avengers 4. “You can speak at this public event, but don’t say anything about future Marvel Cinematic Universe movies… or else.” So, if you were hoping the sibling directors would reveal anything about Avengers 4 at Business Insider’s Ignition conference — like, say, when the first trailer would be released (the current rumors say this Friday, but who knows) — I have some bad news for you: they didn’t. But the Russos did confess what Disney thought of Infinity War‘s ending.
You know what happened: Thanos, Infinity Stones, snap, “I don’t feel so good,” etc. It was a shockingly bleak ending for a Disney movie, but it turns out, the Mouse House didn’t mind. When asked if they got any notes, Joe responded, “We did not. They were incredibly encouraging of the choices we made.” Anthony added, “The only way to drive a conversation is to surprise people. If you’re constantly adhering to convention, you’re not going to surprise people.” Plot twists (such as turning fan-favorite characters into dust) create “pop culture talking points for an audience,” he added, “but they’re also just good narrative.”
They also discussed how politics creep into their films:
In a fantasy context, audiences are “one step removed” from the anxious times unfolding in the U.S. and other parts of the world in the era of President Donald Trump. That makes it “easier for the audience to process these things.” Because of the Marvel movies’ global reach, showing things like Captain America questioning institutions of government and the choices they make is “cathartic” for audiences in “places that don’t have the freedom that we do,” Russo said.
Some people question government in private Reddit threads, others do it in movies that gross over $2 billion dollars. Same difference, really.
(Via Deadline)