We're still months away from the May 4th, 2012 release date of Joss Whedon's much-anticipated Avengers movie, so fans are understandably clutching at any little tidbits that come out. Today IGN has gotten their hands on a pair of new banner posters for the flick, and while they don't offer up any new insights, they do provide nice, clear looks at the starting line-up in various heroic poses. We've split the banners in half to provide a clearer look at everybody, but you can click over to IGN for even bigger versions of the banners.
First up is Thor and Dr. Bruce Banner, a.k.a. the Hulk. It looks like Thor's suit has been subtly modified from the version he wore in his solo movie. The blue on the torso seems to be a bit brighter, and I think the metalwork around the iconic circular plates may have been tweaked as well. Granted, these are promo photos as opposed to screen caps, but I think I preferred the original version a bit more. And, of course, they've got the common courtesy to include Mark Ruffalo on the banner, rather than the Hulk's big, green mug. I like the use of lighting to suggest his alter ego.
What's to say about Tony Stark/Iron Man? He looks every bit as badass as he always does, and it makes me marvel (ahem) yet again at the physical suits they put together for him in these movies. Cap, however, I'm not crazy about. I thought his costume in the Captain America movie was a perfect mixture of paying tribute to the comic origins but grounding it in reality. This just looks more comic book-y, and not in a good way. Thankfully, I think Chris Evans made an amazing Cap, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.
Next up we've got Sam Jackson as Nick Fury, looking like he just stepped out of the pages of The Ultimates, and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye. I like Renner's costume, but he's going to be one of the hardest sells for The Avengers, I think. Oddly enough, audiences will probably have an easier time buying thunder gods and shield-flinging super soldiers than they will the guy with the bow and arrow. A lot of that's going to hang on Renner's performance and the script giving Hawkeye a few unquestionably awesome scenes.
Last but not least, it's Scarlet Johannson as Black Widow and Tom Hiddleston as Loki. Black Widow's costume looks to be more or less unchanged from Iron Man 2, although I think they may have added or brightened up the red hourglass belt buckle. Then again, when you've got Scarlett Johannson in skintight black leather, what's to fix? As for Loki, he didn't get the chance to wear his iconic costume much in Thor, so it's nice to see him sporting the horns. I love the detail work on the armor pieces. Hiddleston was one of the best parts of Thor, so I look forward to him bringing the evil in The Avengers.
