Fan-boys and girls all rejoiced last Saturday night, as this year's Comic-Con in San Diego brough us the title of the latest Marvel film; Avengers: Age of Ultron. Towards the end of the famous Hall H panel that Marvel Studios' occupies during each Comic-Con, director Joss Whedon made a surprise appearance to announce the sequel's title. While there had been rumors that Marvel would make a surprise announcement of some sort in relation to Avengers 2 or another unannounced future film, the duration of the panel was spent focusing Marvel's current line up of films which include Thor: Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Guardians of the Galaxy. But of course, Marvel managed to come through once again with a pretty major announcement that finally confirms the film's villain; Ultron.
For those who aren't familiar with Ultron, he's a six foot sentient robot with an adamantium exterior shell (The same material Wolverine's claws are made of). He has a mind of his own, practically indestructible, and yes, he has indeed killed members of The Avengers in various comics and films. His soul purpose is to exterminate humanity and build anew in his vision. He is extremely difficult to penetrate and can rebuild himself in a matter of minutes. Ultron is not one of those villains that goes away with the swipe of their finger. Interestingly Joss Whedon chose to have Ultron and his origin explained in the film but has confirmed that it's original creator Hank Pym (aka Ant-Man) will not be making an appearance. While Edgar Wright's Ant-Man is confirmed to include Pym and will be released just six months after Age of Ultron hit theaters, Whedon has also made comments that his origin of the character will differentiate from that shown in the comics.
“A lot of people—because we called it Age of Ultron and there was a book, Age of Ultron just recently—assumed that was the storyline we are doing, which is not the case. We’re doing our own version of the origin story of Ultron. The other thing is, in the origin story, there was Hank Pym. So a lot of people assumed that he was going to be in the mix, but he’s not. Because we’re basically taking the things from the comics for the movies that we need and can use. A lot of stuff has to fall by the wayside. Ultron was their chief villain. He’s been the Avengers villain for so long. I was amazed anybody was surprised that it was going to be him in the movie. We are crafting our own version of it where his origin comes more directly from the Avengers we already know about."
Interestingly enough fans were expecting the tyrant Thanos to make his appearance in the sequel due to his inclusion in the first film's after credits scene, but it would seem Marvel's saving the Mad Titan for an appearance further down the line in Avengers 3 (And a possible small role in Guardians of the Galaxy). While Ultron may not be as a big a threat as Thanos, he's still quite the challenge for the team, especially in comparison to their last foe; Loki. The other interesting additions to the film would have to be that of twin mutant siblings Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, and it'll be interesting to see how their addition to the film will contributes to the team's battle against Ultron.
Another aspect of Age of Ultron that fans may be wondering about is the contributions of Iron Patriot and Falcon, and whether or not they will help in the fight against Ultron. While War Machine's absence in the first Avengers film was later explained in Iron Man 3, it'll be interesting to see whether he'll at least make a quick appearance this time around. With Joss Whedon already introducing two new characters and the rest of the first film's cast all returning for hopefully larger roles (In particular Jeremy Renner's Hawkeye) the addition of both Iron Man and Captain America's sidekicks doesn't seem very likely this time around. While both Don Cheadle and Anthony Mackie have expressed interest in joining the line up for the sequel, there has yet to be any announcements from Whedon or either actor. I guess we'll have to see by the time Comic-Con 2014 rolls around.
In some smaller news regarding The Avengers: Age of Ultron Joss Whedon has taken note that Scarlet Witch will not be wearing her traditional costume in the film but rather an altered concept of it. One statement made was involving her head piece which will apparently not be a traditional crown like piece from the comics but more of a headband. No information has been released on whether Quicksilver will be wearing his traditional costume or not.
So there you have it. The Avengers 2 has finally received a name and a new threat; Ultron. What are your thoughts comments and ideas on the upcoming Marvel Film? Comment Below.
