As a gamer who has spent countless hours in the post-apocalyptic world of “The Last of Us”, it is always fascinating to see the talented Ashley Johnson grace the screen, even if only briefly. The missed opportunity of her character’s interaction with Captain America in “The Avengers” left me feeling like a survivor scavenging for supplies – a little disappointed, but ever hopeful that there might be more to come.
In their united effort, The Avengers encountered a significant challenge: ensuring each hero received adequate screen time. Regrettably, Ashley Johnson’s character, portrayed as a waitress, didn’t get as much attention as she deserved. Known for her role as Ellie in the “Last of Us” game (later playing Ellie’s mother on HBO), her brief appearance towards the end of the Marvel film during the Battle of New York felt abrupt and unexpected, particularly since it was so fleeting that it barely registered with Chris Evans’ Captain America. Interestingly, there were plans for a longer, more heartwarming scene between the two characters, as well as a more impactful Stan Lee cameo, which ultimately didn’t make it into the final cut of the movie.
At the start of the movie, before the team is formed, Captain Rogers goes to New York for a quiet stroll and draws the surroundings. There, he encounters a waitress. She thinks he’s there to visit Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr., reprising his role as Doctor Doom in this film), as he keeps going in and out of Avengers Tower. In reality, he’s just seeking solitude. The waitress engages him in friendly conversation, which Captain Rogers doesn’t quite catch on to, until the legendary Stan Lee suggests asking for her phone number and hinting at a potential romance. However, this interaction didn’t make it into the final cut, and even the filmmaker himself was against keeping it in the end.
Joss Whedon regretted slicing Steve’s story out of The Avengers
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline, Joss Whedon’s tenure as director for the Avengers was crucial and needed to be perfect, yet he expressed remorse over the scenes that had to be removed to make the final product suitable for screen. Specifically referring to Ashley Johnson’s heartwarming scenes with Captain America, Whedon told Vulture, “I really disliked cutting the Captain America moments with the waitress.” Prior to this, Whedon had worked with Johnson on various projects such as his adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” but this wasn’t the first time she found herself edited out of one of his productions.
He mentioned that he managed to contact Ashley Johnson and inform her that all her belongings were still in the play ‘Much Ado About Nothing,’ since she had been omitted from both ‘Dollhouse’ and ‘The Avengers.’ As a result, her character was also left out of ‘The Avengers.’ Later on, Whedon explained that eliminating Johnson’s character had an impact on Captain America’s storyline, making it less complex as it focused more on the struggle of a man out of time trying to remain present. He further noted that those specific parts seemed particularly significant or personal to him.
Fortunately, an additional five movies served to further develop Steve’s character before returning him to his original time. Regrettably, while he encountered a dancer from the past, another awaited him in the future, armed with a Wi-Fi passcode.
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2024-08-31 19:00