The concept of death is not often associated with super heroes. After all, these are enhanced and, in some instances, god like characters. How can they die? But without any real threat or danger, the stakes suddenly become boringly low. That's why Marvel fans have been nervously awaiting the first real dark turn of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Could it happen in "Avengers: Age of Ultron?"
Writer and director Joss Whedon has kicked the idea around before, so it isn't impossible that moviegoers may be bidding adieu to one of their favorite good guys this year.
"I'm always joking about that," Whedon said when asked by Entertainment Weekly if he's going to kill off a character. "Um...maybe?...But I'd have to have a really good reason, a really great sequence for [Marvel executives] to go, 'We'll cut off a potential franchise, that's fine!' They know as any good studio does, that without some stakes, some real danger, how involved can we get? We don't just rule it out across the board, but neither is the mission statement 'Who can we kill?' We try to build the story organically and go, 'How hard can we make it on these people?' You go to the movies to see people you love suffer-that's why you go to the movies."
Whedon noted the studio's wariness when it came to killing characters and ending possible franchises. That's a big no-no in the money making business. But what about the key characters who don't have their own franchises? For example, Hawkeye and Black Widow.
"Lately it's been repeatedly mentioned by Whedon and Marvel Studios President of Production Kevin Feige (the man behind the curtains of the entire franchise) that Clint Barton aka Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) would get plenty of screen time in the sequel after practically being written out of The Avengers by becoming a brainless minion of Loki," Rob Keyes of ScreenRant.com wrote. "With the actor's schedule, Hollywood demand and minimal potential for spinoff, the ace archer is at the top of our list for potential to-be-KIA heroes."
Tony Stark, Steve Rogers and Thor all have very big movies scheduled for the post-Ultron world. That leaves Hawkeye, Black Widow and The Hulk as possible candidates to push daisies. Something tells me it won't be The Hulk, if it is anyone at all. One, he's nearly invincible and two, he'll likely be needed for the eventual battle against Thanos.
"Which leaves us with Black Widow as the most likely to die in Avengers 2," Christopher Kennedy of MoviePilot.com wrote. "For one thing, unlike Hawkeye, she has appeared in numerous films and has been well developed as a fan favorite character. To kill Black Widow would achieve the shock that the studio might be trying to achieve. Now some might argue that she is save because she is the only female character and they need her to keep some diversity on the Avengers team, considering the Justice League is bringing Wonder Woman. However, this brings me to my next point, and that is that Black Widow is no longer the sole lead female superhero in the MCU."
Kennedy goes on to point out that Agent Carter and Jessica Jones will both be prominent female figures in the Marvel-verse. Their rise will lessen the need for Black Widow to stick around in Kennedy's opinion.
Again, this all just speculation and conjecture. No one knows if Marvel is ready to kill off one of its main characters. But in a universe that features Norse gods and magic powers, it is certainly within the realm of possibility.
