alexch's almanac

Whedon’s first edit of the movie clocked in at three hours. That’s not unusual; first drafts are always long. What’s unusual is what Whedon decided to cut. “I care about these people, about the fact that they’re isolated,” he says. “But I’m also telling Marvel’s story. Much Ado allowed me to realize that taking away some of the Joss is going to make this a better Avengers movie.”

The darker aspects of the dysfunctional team dynamic: out. A quiet scene with Captain America trying to absorb the craziness of modern-day New York: out. And so on. (The rapid-fire dialog and quips are still there, and an ingenue still does some day-saving.) “You don’t have to say what you’re trying to say. You can just do it, and then people will feel it,” Whedon says. “The more I hone this and just focus on the Avengers as they relate to one another, the better it works. That’s painful, but it’s a reality.”