Before writer/director Joss Whedon tried his hand at penning a Marvel Studios screenplay, he was a seasoned veteran at writing Marvel comic books. Whedon has written both "X-men" and "Spider-Man" stories for Marvel, as well as numerous comics for other publishers. While he certainly relied on his vast comic book knowledge to pen "The Avengers" script, he also sought out the help of his talented cast, making the end product very much a ...
more Before writer/director Joss Whedon tried his hand at penning a Marvel Studios screenplay, he was a seasoned veteran at writing Marvel comic books. Whedon has written both "X-men" and "Spider-Man" stories for Marvel, as well as numerous comics for other publishers. While he certainly relied on his vast comic book knowledge to pen "The Avengers" script, he also sought out the help of his talented cast, making the end product very much a collaborative effort. Robert Downey Jr., who plays Iron Man, describes the process: "When we were in the first of several iterations of the storyline, I said to Joss and Kevin, 'We really need Pepper to be involved in some way.' I felt like it's been awhile since we have seen Tony and Pepper and they have grown to be pretty close, and it just makes sense that she would have some kind of influence over his decision to join ‘The Avengers' team." And wouldn't you know it: Pepper Potts, played by Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow, made the final cut.
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