The Avengers DVD Details Emerge

Thanks to information leaked to blu-ray.com by someone in possession of Disney's official promotional materials, The Avengers--which today became the highest-grossing film in the history of Walt Disney Studios--will be released in September in several different DVD and Blu-Ray editions, including a ten-disc set that will collect all of the Marvel movies to date. That set will include The Incredible Hulk but exclude The Hulk. The Avengers itself will have just a commentary track (by Whedon) and a featurette on assembling the team on the DVD, while the Blu-Ray will include far more in the way of features. According to the poster who provided the information, the rundown is as follows:

4-Disc BD Combo Pack, 2-Disc BD Combo Pack and 2-Disc DVD Combo Pack 1. AUDIO COMMENTARY BY DIRECTOR JOSS WHEDON 2. MARVEL ONE-SHOT: ITEM 47 3. SECOND SCREEN 4. GAG REEL 4. DELETED SCENES - Alternate Opening - Maria Hill Interrogation - Extended Scene - Loki & Barton Strategize - Steve Rogers - Man Out of Time - Nick Fury & World Security Council - Extended Viaduct Fight - Raw Footage - Fury & Hill Discuss the World Security Council - Extended Scene - Banner and Security Guard - Alternate Ending - Maria Hill Interrogation 5. FEATURETTES - A Visual Journey - Assembling the Ultimate Team 6. SOUNDGARDEN MUSIC VIDEO - "Live to Rise" DVD 1. AUDIO COMMENTARY BY DIRECTOR JOSS WHEDON 2. FEATURETTES - Assembling the Ultimate Team

With both an alternate opening and ending featuring a "Maria Hill interrogation," it looks as though Cobie Smulders was originally intended to have a somewhat larger role in the film, with her position as Fury's right-hand woman being used as a framing device for the film. Who she could be debriefing at the end

of the film is unclear (although the best candidate is probably Hawkeye, given the threat he exposed in S.H.I.E.L.D. security), although one would assume that the most obvious interview for her to start the film on is probably with Captain America. Given that Cap is featured in a few of the extended or deleted scenes mentioned, we'll see whether some of what was left on the cutting room floor might match Whedon's early assertion that Steve Rogers was the "main character" of The Avengers, an impression that didn't come through in the final film. Another notable extra is the short film. While it's unclear at this point what Item 47 might be, the first few Marvel short films centered around Coulson, so it's a safe bet that it will have something to do with him and might even help give fans a sense of the character's final fate should he not return for the sequel.