‘The Avengers’ To Shoot In New Mexico

Marvel Studios has added New Mexico to the list of locations that Joss Whedon will shoot his most ambitious film to date, “The Avengers.” It has been previously reported that the majority of the film would shoot in Los Angeles or New York. Now we have confirmation that it will take place at Albuquerque Studios with additional scenes in New York, Michigan and a few undisclosed locations. “The Avengers” will begin shooting between April and September of 2011.

Gov. Bill Richardson announced today that the Joss Whedon-directed movie, which already has begun pre-production, will create hundreds of local jobs. Here’s what he had to say in an official press release:

In addition to being our biggest production to date, ‘The Avengers’ will be the most technologically advanced and will provide cutting-edge training opportunities for our crew. I’m announcing this as a Christmas present of sorts to the people of New Mexico. This is a perfect example of the incredible job creation, economic impact and global visibility this industry has brought our state over the past eight years, and of the need to keep it moving forward.

The Albuquerque Studios has been used for other movie and television productions such as “Let Me In,” “Breaking Bad” and “In Plain Sight.”

“The Avengers,” which stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle and Clark Gregg, opens on May 4, 2012.