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Set Your Conspiracy Generators to Eleven: Pivotal Scene in The Avengers Edited for DVD

by Susana Polo | 12:29 pm, September 17th, 2012


That’s right: it’s that pivotal scene from The Avengers, you know, the one that everybody is half-expecting them to retcon or in some way show to be, well, not the entire story? Agent Phil Coulson’s death scene.

Now, I’m going to level with you. It’s very likely these edits were made with an eye towards the censorship of violence for a non-American market, not because of an attempt to make Coulson look less injured in order to make his continued existence look more likely when it is eventually revealed. And I’m fully aware that creating greater awareness of the edit will only serve to fuel the conspiracy theories about Coulson’s resurrection, but you know what? I don’t care.

Because this sort of conspiracy theory, born out of love for a character, is what fandom is all about. Rock on, Coulson believers.

But I should probably talk about the actual edits, right? Well, today Marvel Avengers Assemble was released on DVD in the UK. Not ringing a bell? That’s the name The Avengers goes by on the other side of the pond. And, according to Bleeding Cool, there’s one significant difference to Coulson’s death scene. Which is to say, Loki skips the followthrough.

Here’s what the theatrical version (the American DVD version) looks like:

And here’s the one in the UK DVDs:

Look, good followthrough is important in the execution of anything, whether it’s a foul shot, a round house kick, or meddlesome human cattle. You can’t just stop once you’ve pierced the heart. The real reason for this edit remains to be seen, since the DVD’s maturity rating is the same as the theatrical release of the film. And that’s reason enough (or rather, not enough) to fuel plenty of idle speculation.

(via Bleeding Cool.)

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=710321154 Fraser McFarlane

    I know you’ll think this is being overly picky but “today Marvel Avengers Assemble was released on DVD in the UK. Not ringing a bell? That’s the name The Avengers goes by in England.”

    It’s also the name it goes by in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Because those countries also make up the UK. Like I say, you might think it’s nit-picking but since I moved to the USA from Scotland, it’s surprising how many intelligent people I find who think England=UK. You may not but it’s little things like the above that needle us Scots, Welsh and N. Irish.

    Okay, I’m done. Carry on.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=718104135 Mark Wintle

    Here in the UK a DVD rating is not the same as theatrical rating. To get the same rating on DVD can involve editing, it is very rare though and I’m guessing this scene stepped over the line that in the cinema BBFC have set slightly further away for theatrical viewers. But it would be nice for Marvel to clarify why the edit occured.

  • Mr The Batman

    First things first, the UK isn’t just England, it’s also Scotland and Ireland.

    OK, on to the meat. I’m surprised by the edit, both by the removal of Loki’s blade but that they kept in the shot. Why not edit it out completely and just have the audio layered in the following, possibly reaction, shot?

  • http://twitter.com/sagcat sagcat

    Ireland is most definitely NOT part of the UK. The British-controlled Northern part of the Island, known as “Northern Ireland” is part of the UK. Most of Ireland is free and without a monarch.

  • Anonymous

    No matter how many times I try, I always forget and mess this up at least once in any post concerning the UK, even if I’ve already fixed the mistake a few times in that post. My Irish cousins would be very disappointed.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Tony-French/100000044652799 Tony French

    Truth… Tiocfaidh Ar La

  • Anonymous

    I sympathize with the Coulsoninians but it seemed pretty clear that the damage to him was life ending. With that said, this is a comic movie. I am sure, if really necessary, they could logic him to life another way. Changing the story always leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

  • Anonymous

    This wonderful diagram might help ;) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:British_Isles_Euler_diagram_15.svg

    Incidentally, this is why is has the longer title in the UK!
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Avengers_(TV_series)

  • Anonymous

    I think the real question to ask is, “What did the scene look like in the theaters in the UK?” If the same shot was missing, there’s your explanation. If it’s changed…well, then we can start hoping against hope again.
    And to suggest there will be a resurrection implies that he died in the first place. I’m of the mind that Fury lied through his snake-hating teeth when he talked about Coulson’s sacrifice.
    I mean really…carrying the cards around in his pocket, without so much as a case? Come on.
    That, or I go back to my original theory, that he’s been an LMD since Iron Man.

  • Anonymous

    THERE’S Scotland,
    THERE’S Ireland,
    There’s the BLOODY SEA!
    They’re DIFFERENT!!!

  • Anonymous

    Feh. We know Fury lied about the cards…they were in Coulson’s locker. So we know he lied to the Avengers. So, is it impossible he lies about Coulson’s death? I say yes! If there is not body, there is no murder!

  • http://twitter.com/Loerwyn Kathryn

    The edited version isn’t the one that was certified by the BBFC, and I believe Disney/Marvel are being investigated by the BBFC over this as it’s a potentially illegal move.

    Or so I’ve heard, anyway.

  • Anonymous

    The scene wasn’t edited in theatres here in the UK, so it’s a definite DVD-only thing.

  • http://twitter.com/TwitchWasHere Lonestarr

    #CoulsonLives :P

  • http://twitter.com/Tonks07 Mandy

    “the damage to him was life ending.” Not if he was a Life Model Decoy!! Tony mentions them before Coulson breaks in to Stark Tower and so I’ve throw my hope onto the Coulson was a LMD in that scene with Loki theory.

  • http://twitter.com/spankminister spankminister

    Good point, I’ve always been asking why Coulson never got a memorial in the Batcave, no one seems to be able to answer that one!

  • Anonymous

    He and Stephanie Brown are crying in a corner together.

  • Mr The Batman

    Well shucks, thanks for the dislike, also it was a mistake on my part for not putting Northern Ireland. You see I’m only human and perhaps at the time (for some reason) I forgot to put NORTHERN in front of Ireland.

    So, thanks for being a dick about it…you helped TONS.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Dessa-Brewington/721495970 Dessa Brewington

    Isn’t there a name too for the group that includes all the former colonies, like Australia, etc?

  • http://www.facebook.com/samwiseliest Sam Cleary

    Way to take us back a couple hundred years! Yes Ireland isn’t part of the UK but statements like that should be buried with the bloodshed.

  • http://www.facebook.com/samwiseliest Sam Cleary

    Please let it mean Coulson lives! Please let it be that it wasn’t him!

  • http://www.facebook.com/samwiseliest Sam Cleary

    Your Irish cousins aren’t from the UK!

  • http://www.facebook.com/Tamara.Morriss Tamara Legen-Dairy Morriss

    The Commonwealth

  • http://www.facebook.com/kmyesq Kurt Young

    Three words about a character in sci fi not survived a pierced heart – Jean Luc Picard. If the good captain can be saved, albeit because he’s in the 23rd Century “and so near a Starfleet Medical Facility”, you’re telling me that Coulson couldn’t live through this mere flesh wound. Please, this is sci fi. Or you can just have him be reincarnated as Special Agent Casper (the West Wing geeks will get it).

  • Anonymous

    Alternately, he’ll sit around mysteriously in a bar, and Assemble the Avengers to ask them “where are we going?”

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