Avengers 4 is currently in post-production, and reshoots are booked over the next few months - but that's no reason for concern. Although reshoots often become a subject of controversy online, they're actually a normal part of filming for a blockbuster movie.
Principal photography for the as-yet-untitled Avengers 4 wrapped up in January, well over a year before its scheduled release. Marvel celebrated in style, and the Russo brothers took to social media to share a stunning wrap cake that featured Thanos the Mad Titan. They then shifted focus for a few months, working on last edits and marketing for Avengers: Infinity War. With that film out of the way, though, Marvel's attention has returned to Avengers 4.
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The reshoots are expected to begin imminently, so this is a good opportunity to take a look at just what to expect over the coming months. Here's our guide to just what's going on in the post-production of the next Avengers movie.
- This Page: When Are Reshoots Happening, and How Extensive Are They?
- Page 2: Which Actors Are Returning For Avengers 4 Reshoots?
Where Avengers 4 is in Post-Production
Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4 shot back-to-back, and that's given Marvel Studios a massive advantage when it comes to the sequel. They have almost a year in which to perfect the film, whether in the editing bay, through reshoots, or VFX and scoring. As Kevin Feige observed, "It’s fun to get a jump, it’s good having already shot the majority of the movie." But notice the careful wording he used; even at this stage, he was well aware that there'd be a fair amount of additional photography, referring to the Russos as having shot "the majority" of the sequel.
The Russos worked on their cut until late June/early July, and then took to the editing room for the normal editing process. "We’ve worked on the edit all summer," Anthony Russo recently confirmed, "and we’re excited to finally get these missing pieces in the film and then we expect to be in post through the fall and winter." There have been reports that additional photography will take place in both New York and Atlanta, but it's possible we won't get quite so many set photos during post-production, since it's common for studios to use green-screen to simulate location shots during reshoots.
Reshoots Are Happening This Fall, But Aren't Massive
According to the Russos, additional photography will take place over fall and winter. That's quite a long time for reshoots, but it doesn't necessarily mean there are dramatic changes to the film. You have to remember that Avengers 4 involves a staggering number of A-list actors, and scheduling them all will have been something of an administrative nightmare. Avengers: Infinity War used a stand-in for Benedict Cumberbatch during early filming, for example, with the actor then reshooting scenes where his body double's face was visible; there could well have been similar complications for Avengers 4. Whether that is the case or not, getting all the schedules to align for the reshoots will have been a difficult task as well, likely prolonging the time taken for additional photography.
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Speaking to Birth.Movies.Death in July, Kevin Feige suggested that the extra time available for Avengers 4 may well lead to the film changing shape a little.
"We try – what’s the analogy, that a goldfish will grow to the size of the bowl? Ant-Man and the Wasp had very little post and yet we made a lot of strides in post, and we did a lot of very good maneuvering on it with the limited time we had. Avengers 4 has much more time; Ragnarok had much more time and we did a lot. You always fill the time you have. Either you have a lot of time and it really motivates you to think things through, or you have no time, and it really motivates you to think things through!"
Given that production has already begun on Spider-Man: Far From Home, which begins "minutes after" Avengers 4, it's unlikely any of the changes will be too major. At the same time, though, it's possible the delayed production of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will lead to some sort of rewrite, albeit a minor one. "That may make a difference in what they do with our characters in Avengers 4," Dave Bautista recently noted. "To be honest with you, right now I really don't know." It's important to remember that there was a strong culture of secrecy around the production of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4, so it's quite possible Bautista wouldn't even know if Marvel did pivot in light of the difficulties they're facing with Guardians Vol. 3.
First reports are that the reshoots include scenes set in Wakanda, possibly even featuring Chadwick Boseman's Black Panther. That would make sense; even Marvel failed to recognize just how big a blockbuster hit Black Panther would be, with principal photography on both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4 completed before Black Panther's release. The studio is expected to pivot to put Black Panther at the heart of the future MCU, and this may have caused rewrites to Avengers 4.
Page 2: Which Actors Are Returning For Avengers 4 Reshoots?
Actors Confirmed for the Reshoots
It looks as though the actors were originally told additional photography would be conducted during fall and winter this year, with concrete dates only recently assigned. So far, precious few actors have been confirmed as part of the reshoot process, but we should expect this list to grow exponentially over the next few weeks. The current confirmations are:
- Chris Evans: Back in March, Chris Evans revealed that the Avengers 4 reshoots would mark the end of his time as Captain America. Although he's since made statements that are a little more ambiguous about whether or not he could be tempted to return, the point remains; he expected to be part of the reshoots.
- Robert Downey Jr.: There's an important clue in Robert Downey Jr.'s schedule - he's not due to begin work on Sherlock Holmes 3 until after the Avengers 4 reshoots.
- Jeremy Renner: Hawkeye may have been absent from Avengers: Infinity War, but the sequel is expected to feature a significant role for the Avengers' archer. Jeremy Renner took to Instagram to confirm that he'd be suiting up soon for additional photography.
- The Guardians of the Galaxy Cast: While doing the rounds promoting Avengers: Infinity War, Zoe Saldana was asked about how emotional it was saying goodbye to everyone when filming ended. She explained that she was fine with it, because she knew the Guardians crew "have to all come back, at some point this fall, and finish up... the fourth installment of Avengers." That comment raised a few eyebrows, given her character Gamora was killed off in Avengers: Infinity War. Dave Bautista recently confirmed that he'll be part of the reshoots too, although he suggested he'd only be on set for a couple of days.
Avengers 4 was "Reshooting" During Principal Photography
Surprisingly, though, it's entirely possible Marvel began their "reshoots" a long time ago - during principal photography. Speaking as part of a panel at ACE Comic Con in Seattle, Elizabeth Olsen revealed that the Russo brothers tend to "edit as we go." As she explained, "If they know that we have to reshoot something, that was like two weeks ago. They are so on top of it. We were doing reshoots and shooting at the same time. We'd have these like splinter sets that they would build instead of building the whole location." This was true for Avengers: Infinity War, with part of the Edinburgh battle reshot in Atlanta; it's highly probable the Russos followed a similar pattern with Avengers 4.
Such an approach makes perfect sense, given the sheer number of schedules involved in the production of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers 4. It would be easier to reshoot a scene when an actor was already in Atlanta than to reschedule for fall.
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We'll keep you updated on those Avenger 4 reshoots as they get underway, hopefully revealing just a little bit more about the movie through set photos and behind-the-scenes peeks.
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