After six years, the beloved “Scott Pilgrim ” comic book series finally came to an end this past July. Friday, less than a month after the last volume was released, fans of the saga and moviegoers of all stripes can watch Edgar Wright’s (“Shaun of the Dead,” “Hot Fuzz”) hyper-stylized film version of the story. “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World ” doesn’t adhere strictly to its source material, but the spirit of the books saturates every frame.

A&E sat down with stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead (“Live Free or Die Hard”) and Brandon Routh (“Superman Returns”) to discuss comic culture, fanboys and Edgar Wright’s vision.

Were you fans of the books before you signed on for the movie?

MEW: I hadn’t heard of the comic. I was a huge fan of Edgar, so when my agent told me that I had a meeting with him I was extremely excited. He started talking about this project and he gave me the first three [volumes] — that was all that was out at the time — and I took them home and read them and just instantly fell in love with them. I thought they were so funny and so different from anything I had read before, and the character of Ramona is so cool and interesting and unique. I knew I had to be a part of it.

The “Scott Pilgrim” visuals draw heavily from videogames. Are you big videogame buffs?

MEW: I’ve never really been that into video games, but when I watch the film and when I read the books I get every reference. So, I feel like it’s just part of my childhood and the generation that I’ve grown up in.

BR: I did grow up playing a lot of games, so reading the comics was a lot of fun. And to see how they were implemented in the movie was very cool as well. If you don’t know them you’re not going to miss out on anything; it just adds some nostalgia for the people who do know it.

It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Edgar Wright directing this movie. What was it like working with him?

MEW: One of the great things about working with someone who’s so brilliant is that they know exactly what they want and nobody questions it. It takes a load off to work with somebody when you know you’re in good hands. He doesn’t sleep, you know. He’s tirelessly passionate about what he does, so that kind of made us all step up and put all of our efforts into it.

BR: He took a lot of responsibility on his shoulders and it paid off. But he was the only one who knew what his vision was, so he had to be alert and ready to explain that to everyone. [This movie] is making leaps and advancements in film, in effects, in the way you edit a movie and the use of sound. It will be really interesting to see, ten years from now, how many films have taken something from this movie.

Comic book fanboys are notoriously critical of film adaptations. How has their reaction been?

MEW: So far, it’s been really positive. We screened it at Comic-Con, which is where, you know, the diehard fans all were. You could really feel their love for the film and their excitement about it. I’m sure not everybody’s going to be happy, because you can’t win them all, but I think the spirit of the books is so alive in the film. I think that’s what’s most important. I feel it’s the most faithful, in spirit, of any adaptation I’ve ever seen.

BR: Even though there are bits and pieces that you’re not able to put in a two-hour film, the idea of the books is really in there — the music coming to life, the video game fighting style — and all that really colors the world in a way that comes straight from the books.

“Scott Pilgrim” has been called a defining story of our generation. Do you think that’s the case?

BR: This is a film for several generations, and the first film of its kind for those generations that really speaks to what’s happening for kids growing up now. The hyper-styled stuff that we’re seeing … maybe everybody won’t get, but I think it’s pretty genius and brave for Edgar to do that. He’s certainly taking some risks with this movie and pushing the envelope in many ways.

MEW: I think it strikes a chord for anyone who grew up with video games or who is sort of a part of that text-messaging world right now where everything has to move so fast. This film moves faster than any film I’ve ever seen. I think that’s kind of what people are looking for right now, but at the same time it’s so smart and the characters are so well written, and that’s also something we need. We can’t just focus on the action and the speed and not have an interesting story and some heart and some intelligence.