The Avengers doesn’t arrive in theaters until May 4, but writer-director Joss Whedon already knows what he wants from the sequel. More specifically, he knows what he doesn’t want. “By being the next thing that should happen to these characters and not just a rehash of what seemed to work the first time,” Whedon told SFX, courtesy of Digital Spy, “[it will work] by having a theme that is completely fresh and organic to itself.”
The filmmaker also seeks to delve deeper into the Marvel superheroes' psychological profile. “I want to know what makes them tick, what makes them flawed, what makes them fight -- and ultimately, what makes them awesome. I go to these movies for those moments when the heroes define themselves,” he said. “Either through action or deliciously overwritten speeches.”
Whedon seeks to achieve that through a plot method used effectively in The Godfather II. “By having flashbacks to young Michael Andolini escaping Sicily to come to New York, where he will be called Corleone,” he added. “Sequels are always better when that happens.”