MARVEL MADNESS #1: Hemsworth’s Contract, Whedon’s Final Cut, And More!

Welcome to the first edition of Marvel Madness where I give the most recent Marvel news that you may have missed during the week! This edition we have Hemsworth’s contract, Whedon’s Final Cut, and much much more!

Vulture recently got the opportunity to sit down with the movie’s director, Joss Whedon, and it was during this chat that the actor revealed the length of the sequel’s very first cut. Of course, this behemoth needed to be cut down, and ultimately Joss Whedon had a very specific goal for the film’s runtime. He explained,

There’s one or two things that I’m unhappy about not having in there, but they’re small. I said to [Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige] before we started, ‘My secret fantasy that’ll never come true is that the second one is shorter than the first.’ And we’re shorter by a minute.

When asked if he would regret not getting to write an Avengers: Infinity War scene in which the likes of Iron Man and Star-Lord cross paths, Joss Whedon asked,

“Oh, buddy, are you kidding? I’m angry about scenes between people in my movies that I didn’t get to write! No, there’s a huge part of me that would love to do Infinity War. I mean, come on, it would just be so glorious. But that would be four years of my life… after which, I would be 20 years older.”

However, the filmmaker admits that he does not rule out some sort of writing contribution to the Phase 3 event.

“I love this place and these guys, and I can’t imagine not sitting down and talking about the movies with them, but whether or not that’s an official thing, I don’t know.” 

CinemaBlend chat with Kevin Feige about the very same subject during this weekend’s press event, and while he downplayed the runtime mentioned by Whedon by about 45 minutes, he reiterated the Avengers: Age of Ultron director’s sentiment about the longer cuts not being anything that fans actually want to watch. Said Feige,

Most films you can put an assembly together and it can be two hours and 45 minutes to three hours. I think the longest version of this was two hours and 45 minutes, thereabout. The longest version of Ant-Man was three hours, but nobody wants to see those versions of the movie.

The woman seen disrobing in a cave in the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer had fans guessing about her identity. Is it Shuri? Jocasta? Then early reports from journalists who had seen the film said that the character didn’t appear at all in the final cut, confusing matters even more

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige tells Cinema Blend that it was all a dream:

That was just the imagery. That was just interesting imagery as part of a dream sequence… It was part of when Thor was looking around at the oddity and the strangeness happening and it was just an image marketing grabbed.

Feige admits that sometimes the studio likes to mess with its fans, but that it wasn’t the case in this instance.

Sometimes, not in that case. In that case it was just an arresting image which seemed interesting and when marketing presented it to us, we said, ‘Oh yeah, cool! This is great! Amazing, great work.’ And then it started to go out and I thought, ‘People are going to read into all this stuff.’

When Entertainment Tonight spoke James Gunn at Avengers: Age of Ultron red carpet premiere, the filmmaker admitted to feeling pressure about the Guardians 2 soundtrack.

“Originally, people kept asking me ‘Don’t you feel a lot of pressure to do the second movie,’ and I didn’t in general because we had our hands tied behind our back on the first one. But I had to introduce all those characters so it seems like doing the sequel is actually easier in that respect. But I did feel a little pressure with the soundtrack because so many people loved and we went platinum and all that other stuff. But I feel like the soundtrack on the second is better, so I’m excited about it.”

Furthermore, James Gunn says he will soon be going into hibernation to begin the scripting process on Guardians of the Galaxy 2, which starts filming in Atlanta, in February.

“I’m just about to start the screenplay so it’s a heavy time. “I’m going to lock myself away. I’m not going to see anybody. Going to become very very stinky. Going to eat a lot of crap food and not have much of a life for a little while, while I am working on the screenplay. But I am really excited about it and I feel really good about the story. It really is something unique, so I feel good about it.” 

Badass Digest talks Captain Marvel in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Joss Whedon actually shot visual FX plates to have Captain Marvel fly into Avengers HQ at the end of the movie, only to replace her with another character at the last minute.

Here’s Kevin Feige talking about it. There are minor, minor spoilers regarding a character who joins the team at the end of the film (who has already been referred to as an Avenger by all the marketing). He starts off by scolding me for writing about early drafts of the script.

There were drafts that maybe people somehow got their hands on and read early on that included some characters – maybe others, but certainly one, which is why it’s dangerous to read scripts early on, and talk about them early on…
[Captain Marvel] was in a draft. But to me, it would have done that character a disservice, to meet her fully formed, in a costume and part of the Avengers already when 99% of the audience would go, ‘Who is that?’ It’s just not the way we’ve done it before.
Thanos is the good ‘Who’s that,’ because he’s clearly a bad guy, for comic fans he represents a specific storyline, you can get the buzz started from fans to non-fans with that cameo – as opposed to a title character, who deserves their own story. Even Black Widow you don’t meet in the last two seconds of Iron Man 2 wearing her costume – you evolve that going forward.
The way we reveal Scarlet Witch [in costume] at the end of the movie? Those were Captain Marvel plate shots. Joss said, ‘We’ll cast her later!’ And I said, ‘Yeah Joss, we’ll cast her later.’ [Whispers to an invisible associate who isn’t Joss] ‘We’re not putting her in there!’
Finally Joss was like ‘Let’s use those plates to let Scarlet Witch fly into frame, give her a big entrance?’ And that makes sense – she’s come to their side, and she deserves the cool intro, which will feed into another movie we start shooting in a few weeks.

That last bit sounds like confirmation of Scarlet Witch in Captain America: Civil War, by the way.

Collider recently sat down with Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans at the Avengers: Age of Ultron junket, and he asked the actors how many movies they have left on their contracts. Hemsworth’s answer brought up a curious piece of info:

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The Aussie actor seemingly seem’s to confirm that he will indeed appear in both  Avengers: Infinity War movies, contrary to rumors that had him solely in Part II. Of course, Marvel’s plans could always change in the future but right now it looks like Hemsworth will also be in Infinity War: Part I, as said by himself in the interview above. It also looks like Chris Evans may have upped his contract as well.

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Age of Ultron.

During her red carpet interview tonight at the Avengers: Age of Ultron premiere, actress Julie Delpy revealed — unintentionally, apparently — the nature of her character in the film.

Delpy was a last-minute addition to the (known) cast list, and speculation has swirled around who she might play. The Before Midnight actress hadn’t made a public appearance in support of Age of Ultron before now, and when she did, she apparently immediately spilled the beans…

…and then did so again, in communicating to the hosts at the red carpet that she’d done so.

Delpy will apparently play one of the trainers from the Black Widow project, who made Natasha Romanova into the character that she was when we met her in Iron Man 2.

Despite the fact that he starts out on Iron Man’s side in the Civil War comic book, Peter Parker later defects and joins Captain America. It’s not clear whether that is going to happen in Captain America: Civil War next year or just how large of a role he’ll even have, but Chris Evans talks with IGN in the video below about how he would feel about taking the young Spider-Man under his wing as Steve Rogers. Chris Hemsworth meanwhile reveals that Thor would probably choose to side with Captain America because of how things are left between the God of Thunder and Tony Stark in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

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Iron Man and Captain America will be forming a united front in their battle against Ultron when Avengers: Age of Ultron opens in May. As Marvel fans know, they will be faced with significant differences in the upcoming Captain America: Civil War, however.

IGN had the opportunity to speak with Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) and Chris Evans (Captain America), as well as President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige during the press rounds for Avengers 2!

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And that will wrap things up for the first edition of Marvel Madness, thank you if stick to the end of this. This I am hoping will become a weekly thing for the benefit of not just myself(cuts down on the work) but also you, the reader!

To Peace!

The AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Cast Share Some Insight About The Film!

Only a couple of weeks remain until the world gets to see Marvel’s magnum opus, the Joss Whedon-directed Avengers: Age Of Ultron! A few lucky members of the press were able to catch a press screening, which was met with mostly positive reviews, save for a few constructive criticisms, and they’ve been sitting down with the stars of Marvel’s biggest film ever. Check out a lengthy interview, conducted by Fox 5 DC, below as the Avengers dish on Marvel’s biggest secrets and more!

Catch Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) from the beginning
Catch Chris Evans (Captain America) & Chris Hemsworth (Thor) at 2:34
Catch James Spader (Ultron) & Paul Bettany (Vision) at 6:43
Catch Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) & Mark Ruffalo (Hulk) at 9:41
Catch Joss Whedon (Director) at 13:14
Catch Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch) & Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Quicksilver) at 17:13
Catch Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) & Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill) at 20:58

During a conference at the film’s press day, co-stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Paul Bettany and James Spader were joined by director Joss Whedon and Marvel’s Kevin Feige to talk about the biggest challenges of putting this film together, where the characters are now, bringing The Vision and Ultron to life, adding new characters, the fatherly side to Tony Stark, motion capture, how the Phase 2 movies influenced each other, and why they wanted to hold back on Thanos. Be aware that there are some spoilers.

Question: Cobie, Maria Hill is one of the threads that ties everything together, in the MCU films and TV series. Where do we find her now?

COBIE SMULDERS: Maria is now under the employment of Tony Stark. She’s now working with him to privatize security. It’s very fun being a thread that ties the TV show and the movies together. She’s got a bigger job now. She’s working with Tony and she doesn’t have S.H.I.E.L.D. at her disposal anymore. It’s a much more difficult job.

Paul, what’s it like to be more than just a voice now?

PAUL BETTANY: Well, the main difference is that I have to show up. The great thing is being able to work with all of these incredibly creative and talented people. However, I also now have to show up at junkets.

Joss, can you talk about bringing The Vision and Ultron to life, and how they embody each side of Tony Stark’s nature?

JOSS WHEDON: They do embody a little bit of [Tony Stark], but they’re also their own people. I do see them as two sides of the same coin. There’s a certain accord between the two of them. There’s something beautiful about the fact that they see the same thing and react to it different, emotionally.

Joss, what were the biggest challenges that you faced, putting together the story, and then shooting the film?

WHEDON: There are 47 of these people. I really didn’t think that through very much, at all. It’s just making sure that everybody has got their moment and has their own throughline, and that it’s connected to the movie. I have all these people. I love all these people. They’re extraordinary. But it’s making sure that they’re all within the same narrative structure, and that they’re in the same movie, and that it’s all connected to the main theme. At some point in the editing process, I could not have told you who they were, who I was, or what I was making, I got so lost in it. But, I think it all came together. It’s just about making these people look good, which takes a long time.

Kevin, you started on this grand plan almost a decade ago. What’s it like for you to see it all brought to fruition, and to see the world connect to it in such a powerful way?

KEVIN FEIGE: Well, it’s been great. It started with the notion of making these movies ourselves and becoming Marvel Studios. And then, it continued with Robert [Downey] on Iron Man I, with the notion of having Sam Jackson come in at the end and say, “You’re a part of a bigger universe, you just don’t know it yet,” thinking that most people wouldn’t know what that meant. But occasionally, someone would go, “What did that mean?,” and I’d go, “It means that maybe we’ll introduce all of the different characters and put them together.” But the minute that happened, the world got it, much more quickly than I had anticipated, and it was awesome. It’s daunting now. The expectations didn’t exist before. And now, there are crushingly overwhelming expectations, particularly with this movie, but it’s incredible. This is the greatest ensemble ever assembled in cinematic history.

Joss, how did you approach creating a sequel to one of the greatest, largest, most successful movies of all time?

WHEDON: With the smallest thing that I could think of. The thing that drew me back to the movie was, what little moments are there to see with these characters that I haven’t gotten to do yet? What conversations have they not had? What haven’t I shown? It’s never the big picture stuff. It’s never, “Oh, we can have all these robots,” although that’s cool, too. It’s always just, where did they live? How can I get inside their hearts? What’s funny about them? There are those moments that I write reams and reams of paper on, just thinking about the tiniest part. That’s the heart of the thing.

Elizabeth and Aaron, the chemistry between the twins is so important, for the emotional impact. Was the fact that you’d worked together before an advantage, or was that an additional challenge?

ELIZABETH OLSEN: I think it’s only a benefit. Aaron and I didn’t really work together that much on Godzilla. It’s intimidating joining this group, so I got to do it with Aaron.

AARON TAYLOR-JOHNSON: It was comforting, stepping on set with such a big ensemble, to know that I had someone to feel comfortable with.

Robert, we see a fatherly side of Tony Stark this time. Did you have that in mind, when you were doing this?

ROBERT DOWNEY JR: I must be mellowing with age, but I want to say this very clearly: The next time I’m not asked the first question, I’ll fucking walk out! I read Joss’ script and I said, “I think this is great.” Kevin said, “You never say that. You can’t mean that.” I said, “Yeah, I think it’s great. Let’s go shoot it.” I really thought it was a Swiss watch to begin with, and Joss really created some great new situations for Tony to be in. So, rather than digging my heels and trying to rewrite every scene, to make them even better, I just showed up, and it turned out great.

James, what was it like to do the motion capture for Ultron, and how did you bring life to this villain?

JAMES SPADER: I really didn’t have any idea what was happening. It all happened very quickly. It really was just trying to hold on and stay on the train that was moving very, very quickly. But I will say that I arrived in London and, within the first half-hour, I put on a suit and they put on all this gear, and I went through a range of motion. And then, within 15 minutes, I was watching me walk around a big room, moving and doing this and that and everything else, and watching Ultron, or at least a formative stage of Ultron, on a monitor right in front of me. It started right there. The next day, I was on the set, shooting a scene with Scarlett [Johansson]. Really, that pace was what it was, through the entire project. Luckily, I had had some conversations with Joss, and one fantastic meal with a whole bunch of wine, to figure out who this guy was. That really was it. It was just trying to hold on.

Chris and James, who was your favorite superhero, growing up?

CHRIS HEMSWORTH: Superman was probably the only film like that, that I had seen, back when I was growing up. It’s the one that sticks out for me. Iron Man hadn’t been created yet, or Captain America, or Hulk, or Black Widow, or Vision.

CHRIS EVANS: So, had Captain America been created, it would have clearly been him.

HEMSWORTH: That and Captain Australia. They were neck-and-neck, for a lot of years.

SPADER: Growing up, I didn’t have any comic books, at all. But my friend had a trunk full of them, so comic books were like candy for me. I would go over to his house for a sleep-over, and I would just be devouring everything I could get my hands on. I knew the sleep-over was going to be over, and I was going to go back to my house and it was going to be Kipling.

Jeremy, we didn’t get to see much of Hawkeye in the first Avengers film, but there’s a much greater emphasis on him, this time. What was your reaction to finding out what he’d be doing, in Avengers 2?

JEREMY RENNER: I speak in this movie, which is awesome. I got to dive into some really killer aspects of him. When I sat down with Joss and Kevin, back in the day, about why I liked and wanted to play Hawkeye, it was because I could never do what these [other] gentlemen do. I don’t have that creative of a mind. I understood Hawkeye, in the sense that he’s a human with a higher skill set, so I could tap into that. I feel like I got to explore a little bit more of that, and even outside of the skill set. I thought that was a really, really endearing and thoughtful secret that he had. I’m excited to see where that goes.

Joss and Kevin, how much did this movie affect the other Phase 2 movies?

FEIGE: A lot of those were already in the works. Iron Man 3, Cap 2 and Thor 2 were already in the works, just as The Avengers was coming out. I would say that it was more about how those movies were impact by the first Avengers film. But I will say that I remember, as we were putting the other Phase 2 movies together, Joss very much liked the idea, and we honed in on it for him, that Hulk and Hawkeye would be two characters that hadn’t gotten much exposure in between the two movies. He had plans for those two characters, in this one.

WHEDON: The only thing I can think of was pulling Thanos out of Guardians of the Galaxy.

FEIGE: That’s true. There was going to be more Thanos.

Scarlett, Black Widow has had quite an evolution and she plays such a significant role, in this film. Where do you see her going from here?

SCARLETT JOHANSSON: In the beginning of Avengers 2, there is some sense, finally, of everything being normal, in a way. It’s a well-oiled machine, where they’re tag-teaming each other. The introductions are over and we’re at work. We’re digging our heels in. And at the end of Avengers 2, I think Widow has let her guard down and was hopeful for something. She had this moment of false hope, where she felt like she’d put in the work and there should be some kind of personal pay-off, and she was ready to accept it. And she realizes that her calling is a greater one, which is not necessarily something that she’s thrilled about. That’s what is most heroic about her. She’s accepting the call of duty, even at her own personal loss. I think it’s an interesting place to leave her. There are different directions to go. Is she going to be able to withstand this huge weight that’s bearing down on her, or is she going to crack under it and crumble, not being able to take this huge personal hit? But, I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Scarlett, how was the physical preparation, this time? Were you already proficient in motorcycle riding?

JOHANSSON: I don’t think you’re allowed to ride a motorcycle when you’re so pregnant, but I did. I did all of the motorcycle riding. I embarrassingly rode some sort of mechanical bull type of motorcycle, which goes nowhere and doesn’t look cool, at all. But, I had some very professional and amazing motor-cross morphing done that makes Black Widow look like a total bad-ass. And I will say that I’m very fortunate that there’s a team around me that is super supportive in helping all of Widow’s fight moves and bad-ass motorcycle riding happen. I could not do it without that. Starting a move and finishing a move, and having all of that work be seamless, takes a lot of choreography and team spirit. Every film is exciting because I get new tools and fun new stuff to do, and luckily Joss writes me some bad-ass moves that make me look like that. It’s awesome. I just said epic, awesome and bad-ass, all in one sentence.

Mark, we see so much of Dr. Banner in The Hulk, and yet you make them feel like such distinct characters. How do you approach that?

MARK RUFFALO: I was helped out by the fact that I’m green and huge. That helped me with the distinction between the two characters.

Joss, why is the armor designed to contain The Hulk called Veronica?

WHEDON: I just decided to call it Veronica because he used to be in love with a woman named Betty, and Veronica is the opposite of that.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron will be in theaters May 1, 2015; Ant-Man on July 17, 2015; Captain America: Civil War – May 6, 2016; Doctor Strange – November 4, 2016; Guardians of the Galaxy 2 – May 5, 2017; Spider-Man reboot – July 28, 2017; Thor: Ragnarok – November 3, 2017; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 – May 4, 2018; Black Panther – July 6, 2018; Captain Marvel – November 2, 2018; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 – May 3, 2019; Inhumans – July 12, 2019.

Source:  Collider

Avengers Assemble For New AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Photos

In case you weren’t already convinced or need to get your fix, Marvel has released four new Avengers: Age of Ultron images. They aren’t too spoilery but it’s better than getting nothing from the folks at Marvel!

Check out the new Avengers: Age of Ultron images below. The films opens in 3D on May 1st, and stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Elizabeth Olsen, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Chris Hemsworth.

Marvel Studios presents Avengers: Age of Ultron, the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to the Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure. Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision. Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” published in 1963. Get set for an action-packed thrill ride when The Avengers return in Avengers: Age of Ultron May 1, 2015.

New AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Covers Give Another Look At The Vision

Entertainment Weekly have revealed a bunch of their covers for May which are in the theme of Avengers: Age of Ultron. One cover gives another look at Paul Bettany’s The Vision! Check them above and below along with some facts and insights in the upcoming Marvel movie.

Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury is struggling to hold together the superhero team he assembled as they face Ultron (James Spader) and a set of troubled twins: Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch and Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Quicksilver. These new characters are the products of Baron Wolfgang von Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann), a new villain from HYDRA, which infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. long ago and raided its most powerful technologies.

Strucker has been using Loki’s scepter for human experimentation, which bestowed the siblings with powers of magic (Scarlet Witch) and speed (Quicksilver). But the bad baron piques the interest of Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark for other reasons. “Von Strucker was working on a lot of stuff, including robotics,” says Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. “Tony realizes, ‘[Those robotics] might be able to help me get over the hump of some of the AI stuff I’ve been working on.’ ”

Stark’s invention, Ultron, is born from the marriage of both men’s technologies. Alas, adolescence is a bitch, and Ultron goes rogue, shreds Stark’s other artificial-intelligence program, J.A.R.V.I.S., and gives rise to his own awesome creation: the synthezoid known as the Vision (played by Paul Bettany, who previously voiced J.A.R.V.I.S.).

Meanwhile, there’s some serious interpersonal drama brewing between the superheroes themselves. For starters, that romance hinted at in the trailer between Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff and Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk alter ego, Bruce Banner, is real. Though this isn’t completely new territory for Marvel movies—see: Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, Thor and Jane Foster, Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter—this is the first time any of the actual Avengers have been tempted to fish off the company pier. In EW’s story, writer-director Joss Whedon explains why he decided to play matchmaker for the Big Green Guy and the Black Widow.

We also talk with Spader about the birth of Ultron—this version anyway—and how the star of The Blacklist got recruited to Marvel Studios’ gallery of rogues. “I am aware that you get one entrance into this world,” he says. “If I’m going to do it, I want it to be something that’s really fun and great.”

Marvel Studios presents Avengers: Age of Ultron, the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to the Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure. Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision. Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” published in 1963. Get set for an action-packed thrill ride when The Avengers return in Avengers: Age of Ultron May 1, 2015.

Source: EW

New AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Descriptions For ‘Ulysses Klaue,’ ‘Baron Strucker’ And More

Film Police Reviews has just provided some details regarding a few of the supporting characters, including Andy Serkis’ Black Panther villain Ulysses Klaue (not Klaw), Thomas Kretschmann’s HYDRA operative Baron von Strucker, and Claudia Kim’s mysterious Dr. Helen Cho. There are also some intriguing characters descriptions for the Maximoff Twins as well as the mighty Thor, whose bio seemingly teases what’s to come in Thor: Ragnarok and the Avengers: Infinity War movies. Read on below with caution!

Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.). Brash but brilliant billionaire Tony Stark returns, still struggling with the emotional fallout from the Battle of New York that took place in The Avengers. Tony is now bankrolling his Super Hero dream-team in an ongoing effort to protect the world from the evil forces that he knows are out there. Stark carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, which leads him to team up with Bruce Banner to create Ultron as the ultimate peacekeeping program.

Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans) has fully embraced the mantle of team leader, but with the unraveling of S.H.I.E.L.D. in Captain America: The Winter Soldier he continues to reconcile with what he has lost in a world he does not totally recognize. Outmatched and on the run, he must find a way to rally The Avengers and find a way to defeat the terrifying Ultron.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth). The Asgardian God of Thunder returns as Earth’s sworn protector. More brash and powerful than ever, Thor serves as the moral compass for the team and continues his personal quest to find the identity of his brother’s secret ally while also warning his teammates of threats that are bigger than any of them can imagine.

Bruce Banner/The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) is back and ready to be unleashed as The Avengers’ not-so-secret weapon. He has embraced the Hulk and is now an important part of the team, although surprising protocols have been put in place to make sure Hulk doesn’t ever get out of hand in a conflict. Banner worked alongside Tony Stark to develop the Ultron program as a peacekeeping initiative.

Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) returns to the fray as the deadly and beautiful super-spy turned hero. Her intelligence, resources and lethal fighting ability far outweigh her lack of “super” powers. With the threat of Ultron looming, Natasha will need to confront the demons of her shadowy past and draw strength from her teammates to defeat him.

Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner). A skilled and accurate archer, Hawkeye is one of the team’s most lethal operatives. After having his mind controlled by Loki in The Avengers, Hawkeye returns to the team in fully functional mode, complete with more advanced weaponry.

Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) has the power of super-speed. He is fiercely protective of his twin sister Wanda and will do anything to defend his war-torn home of Sokovia. Along with his sister, he volunteered for a secret program and gained his speed through Baron Strucker’s experimentation with an unusual power source.

Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) is the beautiful and mysterious twin sister of Pietro. Possessing the powers of mental manipulation and telekinesis, Wanda as Scarlet Witch is able to attack her enemies from the inside out. Along with her brother, she is the product of Baron Strucker’s experiment.

Ultron (James Spader) is a technological super villain the likes of which have never been seen. Unhinged and terrifying, Ultron is born out of a corrupted pilot program that Tony Stark and Bruce Banner created to help usher in peace on Earth. When their programming went haywire, Ultron came to life with the goal to save the planet by eliminating the biggest threat to it—humanity. He will stop at nothing to see this goal realized and promises to kill The Avengers for daring to try to stop him.

Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the man that first brought The Avengers together, is now disavowed and living in hiding after the events of “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” Nevertheless, Fury continues to be an important mentor and leader for our team of heroes.

The Vision (Paul Bettany) is a powerful and mysterious android that is raw, dangerous and uncontrollable.

Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) is a black-market arms dealer, smuggler and gangster operating out of South Africa. He is a former acquaintance of Tony Stark’s from his weapons-dealing days and a powerful new player in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Baron Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann) is a brilliant HYDRA scientist who worked under the cover of S.H.I.E.L.D. for far too long. Human experimentation, advanced robotics and artificial intelligence are just a few of the things Strucker is working on when Wanda and Pietro Maximoff volunteer for his program.

Dr. Helen Cho (Claudia Kim) is a world-renowned geneticist and an ally of The Avengers. From her offices in Seoul, South Korea, to sharing workspace with Bruce Banner in his lab at Avengers Tower, Dr. Cho’s research and technology help keep The Avengers in the fight.

Marvel Studios presents Avengers: Age of Ultron, the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to the Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure. Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision. Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” published in 1963. Get set for an action-packed thrill ride when The Avengers return in Avengers: Age of Ultron May 1, 2015.

Source: Film Police Reviews

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Cast Re-Assemble In New Featurette

Marvel has released a new video featuring the cast of Avengers: Age of Ultron as they discuss returning alongside director, Joss Whedon, for the sequel. The video also offers some brief snippets of new footage along with a look at what goes on behind the scenes.

Marvel Studios presents Avengers: Age of Ultron, the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to the Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure. Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision. Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” published in 1963. Get set for an action-packed thrill ride when The Avengers return in Avengers: Age of Ultron May 1, 2015.

New AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Trailer; Awesomeness Included

Marvel has released the new trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron, and it’s packed full of amazing new footage, including a shot of the team in action which needs to be seen to be believed. We also see Captain America vs. Ultron, Hulk vs. Hulkuster, The Avengers vs. an army of Ultrons, and…The Vision!

Marvel Studios presents Avengers: Age of Ultron, the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to the Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure. Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision. Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” published in 1963. Get set for an action-packed thrill ride when The Avengers return in Avengers: Age of Ultron May 1, 2015.

Chris Hemsworth Talks AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

Last June, when Avengers: Age of Ultron was filming outside London, Collider got to visit the set with a few other reporters. While most of what they saw and learned is still under embargo, Marvel/Disney has started letting Collider and more post some of their on-set interviews.

Here are some of the things discussed in their interview:

Can you talk a little about your reaction when you first got the script?

CHRIS HEMSWORTH: It was awesome.  I mean, coming off of Thor 2 and Avengers, you know, I couldn’t wait to read this.  I just loved how it upped it in a way that wasn’t just bigger and flashier.  I mean, everything had been amplified, but in an intelligent way.  All the stories are relevant to what’s going on in the world, as far as the exponential growth of technology and artificial intelligence and the questions of good versus bad and the AI world. They’re obviously heavily influenced by that tone and that debate. He’s managed to bring all of the Avengers back in and give them a relevant reason to be there and justified sort of conflict.  I mean, it’s a tricky balance.  I’m glad I’m not the one writing the thing and having to pull that off.

The last Thor was very fish out of water a little bit. How acclimated is Thor, I mean does he go to the movies with his girlfriend?

HEMSWORTH: Yeah, I mean you know, I walked on set and we had a scene that was sort of the Avengers, it’s a party scene and I was in a nice coat and jeans and the guys just kept joking about when did Thor go shopping?  Did he buy this online or did Jane do it, or did he actually go shopping?  You don’t see him go shopping but the question’s raised, because he’s not dressed in his Asgardian attire.  Yeah, I think he’s more human in the film, definitely.

We see that you’re in your classic armor, so does Thor get a costume change in this one?

HEMSWORTH: It’s been tweaked.  It’s been more comfortable.  Each time you get a little more comfortable, a little more movement in it.  I don’t think there’s any huge changes to it.  I loved where it was in the second one.  I think we sort of landed on something because it was a bit more kind of streamlined and functional.  It’s pretty similar.

Each time we see Thor his power and abilities keep getting amped up. Are we going to see that in a new display or more powerful or more a more trained version of Thor?

HEMSWORTH: Yeah, I mean in this instance you see it’s hand-to-hand combat because if someone of his equal strength or moreso than him, so he can afford to do that.  Whereas with the people who were far less capable than him and not as strong, I said, “You know, let’s make sure he’s picking up cars and throwing them and ripping things in half and spending a bit more time up in the air and using the elements as opposed to being stuck kind of in a hand-to-hand sort of fist fight with the bad guys.”  So yeah, I think it keeps getting kind of amped up and then the stunts become more elaborate.  Yeah, we see him fly a bit more.

Be sure to click here to read up on more of what Chris Hemsworth said while Collider was interviewing him.

Source: Collider

New THOR, BLACK WIDOW, And NICK FURY Character Posters For AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

Marvel has revealed Age of Ultron character posters for former S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury, as well as Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow plus Chris Hemswoth’s Thor!

Marvel Studios presents Avengers: Age of Ultron, the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to the Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure. Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision. Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” published in 1963. Get set for an action-packed thrill ride when The Avengers return in Avengers: Age of Ultron May 1, 2015.

New AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Poster Plus Returning Characters Confirmed

Marvel have released the first proper live-action poster for Avengers: Age of Ultron. Now you maybe saying big deal it’s only a poster, now here is where your are quite wrong as this posters confirms some rumours and some other thing, like I don’t know maybe confirming some familiar faces to be in it.

HERE IS THE EVIDENCE:

*

Mackie, who plays the Falcon, has been rumored to appear at the end of the film as part of a new team of Avengers led by Captain America, leading into Captain America: Civil War. It seems unlike Marvel to spoil that big reveal so early, so it’s possible that this means the Falcon will appear during the main story of the film, if only briefly. He and Captain America were going to try to find Bucky Barnes at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, so, if nothing else, perhaps Falcon will give Cap and update on that front while Captain America is busy keeping the world safe in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s absence.

Atwell was previously confirmed as reprising her role as Agent Peggy Carter for a flashback scene in Ant-Man, but her addition to Avengers: Age of Ultron was previously unknown. Whether she will appear in a flashback scene, or if this confirms certain fan theories about time travel in Avengers: Age of Ultron, remains to be seen.

Idris Elba had previously let slip that he would be playing Heimdall in Avengers: Age of Ultron, much to director Joss Whedon’s chagrin, but what role the sentry of the Bifrost will play in the film is still unknown.

Avengers: Age of Ultron opens April 23 to May 1**

Source: @Marvel

*No further photoshop required
**Depending on your region release dates may not be in this range of dates!