Avengers sequel: what we want

Great news for Avengers fans - Joss Whedon is back on board for a sequel, as well as a TV series. The writer-director did sterling work on this year's Marvel superhero extravaganza and giving it to a different director would have been a risky move. Cue big sighs of relief from us - and the cast, we'd imagine: this guy knows how to give each and every one of his stars the space to shine.

But it's not in the bag yet. What does Whedon need to do to make Avengers 2 awesome? Here's what we want.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it (much)
The first movie found a balance between character-based humour and action and Whedon would be wise not to rock that boat. Avengers Assemble spent plenty of time developing the camaraderie between its superhero characters but didn't hold back on jaw-dropping action as the Avengers teamed up against the powerful Loki (Tom Hiddleston).

Iron Man needs to be The Man
Robert Downey Jr's charisma is a key ingredient to this franchise and Tony Stark/Iron Man's casual arrogance is a source of much of the humour, while his heroism feels genuine and heartfelt. This character needs to remain at the centre of the action.

Hawkeye must spread his wings
Jeremy Renner's character Clint evolved into Hawkeye towards the end of Avengers Assemble and we didn't get much of a feel for his personality. Here's hoping Whedon will push him into the spotlight and show us just what Hawkeye is made of, courtesy of the Oscar-nominated Renner.

Brings on the girls
Now we know Avengers isn't short of crazy characters but there's no harm in throwing a few new ones into the mix. How about another feisty female to give Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) a run for her money? We'd like to see a movie version of Marvel's Wasp or even She Hulk, Bruce Banner's cousin.

Thanos should be the bad guy (or one of them)
The post-credits appearance of Thanos in Avengers Assemble hints that the omnipotent villain is likely to pose a dramatic threat to earth in the sequel. This shouldn't interfere too much with the fantastically villainous Loki, though.

Real people should get a look in
Superheroes are fantastic but in order to feel a real sense of threat, we need to be able to put ourselves into the shoes of the on-screen public. That's the normal folk, the types that go running and screaming when Loki arrives on the scene looking sinister. We'd welcome some non-military fleshed-out characters to identify with in this sequel.

There should be division in the ranks
Differences of opinion between the superheroes are always a great source of drama. Iron Man and Captain America already have a tense relationship and if Marvel history is anything to go by, they'll be more at loggerheads in the sequel.

The finale needs to be HUGE
The showdown of Avengers Assemble was pretty spectacular and Whedon needs to rank it up a notch to give fans value for money. We're thinking inventive weaponry, dramatic death-defying leaps, full and cunning use of every superpower available and of course that heart-warming ingredient: co-operation. May the Avengers assemble once again!