I think we all know, at this point, I’m something of comic geek. Thusly, the summer slate of silver-age cinema (why? because alliteration, that’s why!) is high on my list of must-sees this year. If you’ve checked out Trailer #3 for Avengers: Age of Ultron then you may have already spied this little gem from the 1 minute, 39 second mark:
Mmmmm. Whatever is that lady doing to Black Widow?
Well, I have my own theories about this (and some other things I’ve seen in the Age of Ultron promotional media) but it certainly seems like Wanda Maximoff will be spending some time in this movie getting into the heads of our heroes. Now, I’m the kind of person who avoids spoilers like plague (and/or plaque) so I’ve starved myself of any interviews or articles that might explain where this is headed. But, I have my hopes.
Mind control is a long-standing staple of comic mythos. Marvel brought it into their Cinematic Universe in the first Avengers film as well as early in the second season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Further, Joss Whedon (who has directed both Avengers films) and his brother Jed (producer/writer on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) have used mind control numerous ways and times through their various outings over the years. Hell, one of Jed’s shows (Dollhouse) was based on the premise of a pretty women having her mind reprogrammed week after week.
So, what am I saying? I guess I’m saying I hope there’s something in Avengers: Age of Ultron for mind control fetishists to get excited about. Based on what I’m seeing thus far, I’d describe my outlook as cautiously optimistic.