If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.
Vision actor Paul Bettany says the Russo bros told him to improvise his Avengers: Infinity War death scene on the spot
Paul Bettany says Avengers: Infinity War directors Joe and Anthony Russo had him wing it when it came time to film his death scene, and he wasn't sure he nailed it
Popverse's top stories
- Jean Grey actress Famke Janssen says Marvel Studios “made a mistake” by not including her in Avengers: Doomsday
- Two Gambits. One new Gambit comic series. Just in time for his MCU return in Avengers: Doomsday movie
- George Lucas is still making money from Star Wars 14 years after selling Lucasfilm - as Disney's landlord
Improvisation is a part of movie magic and it can lead to some of the most powerful moments in film. But what happens when an actor is asked to improvise an important, crucial scene with very little guidance on a blockbuster film like Avengers: Infinity War? According to actor Paul Bettany, you buckle up and do your best.
If the idea of improvising a key moment in a huge movie seems like a lot of pressure, Bettany and co-star Elizabeth Olsen were forged from coal into diamond when Infinity War directors Anthony and Joe Russo asked them to just wing it when it came time to film Vision's brutally tragic death scene.
"That's totally real," Bettany confirmed on the Happy Sad Confused when asked about the improvisation. "I can't remember what was on the page now from what we made up, but [...] the Russos were like 'So, um, I don't know, just improvise this bit' And I went, 'Wait, what?" And we were both really terrified. I went, 'Improvise being a robot having a stone removed from my head?' 'Just say some stuff.' All right. I think there were lines there, I'm sure there were lines there, but definitely I think there was one line. But I don't think all that 'We're out of time,' and all of that stuff was on the page."
When it was all said and done, Bettany revealed that he felt "relief, really," especially after seeing the completed scene with editing, VFX, and sound, which he says cut through the feelings of awkwardness that comes from having to pretend to be a dying android.
"I think both [Olsen] and I finished it, you know, you have to imagine it without the effects, and without the score. And she's doing her witchy stuff, and I'm there sort of beatifically dying, and there's just silence," Bettany explained. "And then we finished, and she looked at me and I looked at her and I was like, 'I don't know.' I remember Joss Whedon, I was on my knees firing a blast from my forehead or something in [Avengers: Age of Ultron] and he was like 'How do you feel? You good?' And I went 'How does it feel? Does it look cool? I'm pretending to fire a laser beam out of my forehead. I have no idea how it feels. I feel a bit silly.' But then, you know, you put the laser beam on there and it looks pretty cool."
Bettany resumes his role as the android Avengers in VisionQuest, which continues the ongoing saga of Vision and Wanda Maximoff. It's still unknown how or if Olsen could return as Wanda following her apparent death in 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but anything is possible. Especially with the right visual effects.
Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out Popverse's guides to:
Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news
Find out how we conduct our review by reading our review policy
Let Popverse be your tour guide through the wilderness of pop culture
Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing.
Comments
Want to join the discussion? Please activate your account first.
Visit Reedpop ID if you need to resend the confirmation email.