Joss Whedon may never return to the MCU, but his first homage to Hayao Miyazaki in Avengers will be remembered forever

Joss Whedon is considered a rather controversial figure in Hollywood. After numerous allegations of verbal abuse against his colleagues, the director was estranged from the industry and has lived in exile ever since. However, in his heyday, he took on some very successful projects, including his time with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He directed the first two avenger He is credited with giving them cult status, even though fans understand that he allegedly did terrible things.

Unfortunately, while there have been many questionable things in his past, his talent cannot be denied. While it is known that he was influenced by superhero comics very early in his career, many may not know that anime was a medium that had the biggest influence on him.

Avengers: Age of Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli is one of the most respected and popular production companies of all time. The company is best known under the leadership of Hayao Miyazaki. Their unique animation style allows their films to perfectly capture the beauty of everyday life while telling some of the most beautiful stories about human relationships.

Considering how widespread their films have become, it is not surprising that their works have had a significant influence and impact on pop culture. One of the people who has been impressed by the beauty of Miyazaki’s works is Joss Whedon. So much so that he made a reference to Ghibli’s very first film, Castle in the skyin his 2015 film with the MCU, Avengers: Age of Ultron.

When audiences were first introduced to the villain Ultron, there was a small nod to the 1986 film. In one shot, the arm of a Laputa robot can be seen. The nod was to the cult film, as Whedon has always been heavily inspired by the studio and Miyazaki.

Joss Whedon even mentioned Studio Ghibli as the creator

While many would think that the robot arm is the only reference to Studio Ghibli in Avengers: Age of UltronJoss Whedon added something to show how enthusiastic he was in supporting Hayao Miyazaki. The robot is mentioned in the credits so that the cameo cannot be confused with something else.

The robot Laputa appears courtesy of Studio Ghibli.

Fans thanked Ghibli for allowing them to add the arm and saw two very different worlds merging in the film. According to Anime News Network, Whedon has always been a huge fan of the studio and was keen to make a reference to it in his second Marvel film. Luckily for him, John Lasseter, the creative director at Disney, was very close to Miyazaki.

Whedon is a big fan of Studio Ghibli and the films of The film is based on the work of the Japanese filmmaker.

He used this connection to his advantage, accepting the studio’s permission to insert the reference into the film and giving them credit for it at the end. Although Whedon has become quite a controversial figure in the years since, many fans would be very grateful for the reference he made.

Castle in the sky And Avengers: Age of Ultron are available to stream on Netflix or Disney+.