We all know the old saying – it’s very lonely at the top.
Think about it: most fictional superheros in the known unvierse probably can’t spare the time to cultivate what we would consider to be normal social lives.
Except for his superpowers, Peter Parker had a hard time with everything else in life, and it can be difficult to relate to the rest of the world if you’re Batman, a billionaire running around in your underwear beating the sh*t out of criminals.
And take Superman, an alien from another planet trying hard to be the all American boy. Of course, you also have to consider the loneliness of the Hulk, who is forced to move from town to town, hoping that nobody finds out who he really is when he gets pissed off.
At least with The Avengers (which hits theaters on May 4), well, they’ve all got each other – although you know there’s going to be plenty of conflicts there too.
Hollywood veteran Joss Whedon, the man who gave us Buffy the Vampire Slayer, wrote and directed The Avengers. As he explained to Entertainment Weekly, The Avengers “is very much about people who are alone – because I’m writing it. [Captain America] is kind of the ultimate loner in that way.”
In The Avengers, the story is told through Captain America’s perspective, because as Whedon says, “He’s the guy who just woke up and saw this weird-ass world,” referring back to the Captain America movie where he’s frozen. He’s then thawed out by S.H.I.E.L.D., and he’s surrounded by The Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, and Nick Fury, which is obviously quite an awakening.
Along with The Avengers, Whedon’s Cabin in the Woods has been picked to premiere at the South By Southwest (SXSW) film festival on opening night, March 9. The latter title has been held up for two years, and we’ll certainly find out soon enough if it’s worth the wait.
Note: For more on social issues (read dating problems) plaguing superheroes, be sure to check out Larry Niven’s “Man of Steel, Woman of Kleenex.” The rather humorous essay details the theoretical problems Superman faces while dating “a human woman designated LL for convenience.”
