Now, as Marvel Studios is about to release three superhero films a year and Warner Bros. is going balls to the wall with its DC slate, the whole whether or not a team-up likeThe Avengerscan work in a movie is moot. But one person who was skeptical about it before the entertainment boom wasJustin Theroux.
The actor and writer who worked on the screenplay forIron Man 2spoke with Italian media outletBad Tasteabout his brief stint in the MCU. He said, as translated byComicBook.com:
I remember at that time talking aboutThe Avengerswith [Marvel Studios president]Kevin [Feige]. I remember that I told him, “I do not know if this is going to work, having Iron Man and all these characters together.” But then he ended up doing something really special.
First teased in a post-credits scene forIron Man,Marvel’s The Avengerswent on to become the fifth highest grossing movie of all time at the box office, and helped kickstart a revolution of cinematic universes based around comic book properties. However, one stain on the franchise isIron Man 2, which was plagued by reports of behind-the-scenes drama, particularly betweenTerrence WinterandRobert Downey Jr.Speaking to any potential conflicts and the film’s reception, Theroux said:
You know, as happens very often, it is not easy to live up to expectations. And after the first ‘Iron Man,’ those for the sequel were extremely high. [You] go to see [the film] with a wealth of expectations…and the film had a release date even before we started working on it so we had to work fast. And I will not complain about anything or anyone, mind you…It was a team effort and I really love people like [Iron Man 2director]Jon Favreauand Robert Downey Jr. We tried to please the fans and to give shape to something spectacular…But sometimes things end up not going in the right direction, although there are parts of the movie that I’m really proud [of].
Theroux has since left this Marvel world behind. The actor stars in HBO’s hit seriesThe Leftoversand will star in the film adaptation ofPaula Hawkins’The Girl on the Train.
