14 DAY TRIAL // Comic book fans must be ecstatic right now: though it’s just started shooting and is still a year to go until release, “The Avengers” is coming along just nicely. In fact, it’s better than that – as the recently released licensing image will prove.
At the 2011 Licensing International Expo, Marvel displayed a painted licensing image of the heroes from the Marvel universe that will be appearing in “The Avengers,” thus offering fans a first look at their beloved superheroes.
While it’s not a poster, as Entertainment Weekly also notes, the image is valuable in many ways: first of all, being meant as a guide for licensees for their products, it’s an indication of how the superheroes will look.
Secondly, it confirms to fans that, regardless of the innovations brought to the separate characters throughout the years, “The Avengers” will mark a return to comic book roots.
The image shows Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), charging on some unseen target.
Their costumes are clearly visible, which has already offered fans ample room to dissect them – and note with satisfaction that Captain America’s is more in tune to what he wore in the original comics than to what he’ll wear in this summer’s “Captain America: The First Avenger.”
“In sharp contrast to the gritty, pouch-heavy aviator outfit Cap is modeling in next month’s Captain America: The First Avenger, the image shows Cap modeling a considerably brighter stars-and-stripes outfit,” EW notes.
“Actually, the more you look at the image, the more it seems like Cap might have his iconic, fashionably controversial ear-wings. Most people had always anticipated that Cap’s outfit would be modernized for Avengers; this could be a good indication that Avengers will be going for a brighter, even retro-geeky look, First Class-style,” adds the publication.
At first sight, no obvious modifications have been made to the costumes of the other superheroes. Even so, this licensing image may actually be the first look fans get at Ruffalo as Hulk.
“Could this be our first peek at the Ruffalo-Hulk?” EW asks. “Recall that Mark Ruffalo – taking over from Edward Norton and Erica Bana – will actually be playing the Hulk via performance capture. And there is something Ruffalovian to this Hulk’s shaggy hair,” the e-zine adds.
Until more details on “The Avengers” come out, fans may want to keep an eye out for “Captain America,” which hits US theaters next month.