Paul Bettany is Vision in 'The Avengers: Age of Ultron'

With the explosive conclusion to Iron Man 3 and the lack of information about any sequels, it was beginning to look as if we'd heard the last of Paul Bettany as Tony Stark's helpful A.I., JARVIS. Some rumors, including a good deal of speculation around our own office water cooler, have had JARVIS somehow playing a role in the creation of Ultron in The Avengers sequel, and now it looks like the two characters will be indeed be linked.

A report by by Baz Bamigboye over at the Daily Mail noted that Bettany was seen at Marvel's London studios trying on costumes that resembled Vision, but Variety has gone ahead and confirmed him for The Avengers: Age of Ultron. Vision was originally a weapon created by the evil android Ultron (James Spader), but eventually becomes a hero and one of the core members of the team. He even begins a romantic relationship with the Scarlet Witch, to be played by Elizabeth Olsen.

So this would seem to lend credence to the idea of Ultron being a Stark creation, since he was created by Hank Pym in the comics and he won't be introduced until Edgar Wright's Ant-Man some weeks later.

Not only does Bettany get an expanded role that isn't just a digitized voice, but it's likely he'll be a crucial part of The Avengers franchise for a long time. The Avengers: Age of Ultron opens May 1st 2015.

Read More

'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' will Tie Into 'The Avengers 2' and 'Agents of SHIELD'

Here's something that will come as a surprise to absolutely no one, but Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier will somehow tie into The Avengers: Age of Ultron.  Disney CEO Bob Iger told investors the film will “set critical events in motion” that will lead directly into The Avengers sequel, although he neglected to reveal any details. In other words, expect cameos and a bridging post-credits sequence or something along those lines.

He also revealed that some aspects of the Captain America storyline will be reflected in Agents of SHIELD. The show has consistently portrayed SHIELD as manipulative, highly secretive, and potentially dangerous, and the Captain America trailers seem to be suggesting much the same thing. So it's likely this is what Iger is referring to.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier opens April 4th. [TheWrap]

Read More

Thomas Kretschmann is Baron Von Strucker in 'The Avengers: Age of Ultron'

You can't throw a rock without some new Marvel casting it seems. We've seen three new additions to Edgar Wright's Ant-Man, plus a major Doctor Strange rumor come and go, and now one of the villains in The Avengers: Age of Ultron has been cast.

A few weeks ago we learned that super-powered Nazi Baron Wolfgang von Strucker would be an early enemy for the Avengers to face, and now we know it'll be Thomas Krestschmann in the role, signed for multiple films. Kretschmann currently plays Van Helsing on NBC's Dracula series. He's also got some comic book movie pedigree having appeared in Blade II. Here is how Strucker's role in the film was previously described....

"In "Age Of Ultron," Baron Von Strucker is the initial threat, the guy they're fighting at the start of the film. He does not have a major ongoing role in the film, but he is responsible for bringing Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch into contact with the Avengers in the first place, since they start the film working either with or or the Baron. If you look at this like a James Bond movie, Von Strucker's the bad guy they'll take care of in the pre-credits sequence before they move into the main story. Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch have a complicated journey in this film, and the question of whether they're good or bad is one of the big things driving the movie overall."

The Avengers: Age of Ultron opens May 1st 2015. [THR]

Read More

Samuel L. Jackson Confirms Elizabeth Olsen for 'The Avengers: Age of Ultron'

Marvel's The Avengers: Age of Ultron is still a long ways off, but we've seen them start the process of filling out the new additions to the cast. Ever since Joss Whedon began talking up the presence of Avengers siblings Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, we've seen a few names attached to the roles. Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been chatty enough that we can reasonably expect him to play Quicksilver, while Saoirse Ronan was briefly set for Scarlet Witch. When she dropped out it was Elizabeth Olsen who emerged as the frontrunner, and while nothing has been confirmed by Marvel, Samuel L. Jackson has taken upon himself to do it.

While talking to The Wall Street Journal about Agents of SHIELD and other Marvel projects, Jackson revealed that Olsen is on board, although he doesn't seem to know what she's doing....

“I don’t think we begin shooting before March of next year. I know we’re shooting in London, that James Spader is Ultron and going to be the bad guy, and that we added Ms. [Elizabeth] Olsen [who will play the Scarlet Witch], but I don’t know what she’s doing, if she’s on the inside or the outside. I haven’t seen a script.”

His lack of knowledge on her role is a bit of a concern, but this is as solid a confirmation as we're likely going to get for some time. Olsen is going to be pretty hard to miss over the next few weeks, appearing alongside Daniel Radcliffe in Kill Your Darlings, then starring in Spike Lee's Oldboy remake. She'll then join Taylor-Johnson for Godzilla, meaning they should have a pretty decent chemistry by the time The Avengers: Age of Ultron begins filming.

Read More

Iron Man to Ultron: Watch the Comic-Con Teaser for 'The Avengers: Age of Ultron'

So this past summer I was fortunate enough to attend San Diego Comic-Con, and while there were multiple highlights that turned this fanboy's brain into instant grits, the biggest of all was the Marvel panel. What began in sterling fashion with Tom Hiddleston appearing as Loki and totally owning the crowd was then capped off by the emergence of Joss Whedon, who delivered the knock-out punch when he revealed the teaser for The Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Now that video has finally, officially been released for all to see. While it doesn't reveal any footage for obvious reasons, it does hint at the continued fracturing of The Avengers. By the end of it you'll no longer wonder why so many are speculating that Tony Stark will have something to do with the creation of the evil android, Ultron.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron opens on May 1st 2015.


The Avengers : Age of Ultron - SDCC 13 Teaser Trailer [VO-HD] by Eklecty-City.fr

Read More

Edgar Wright's 'Ant-Man' Moved to July 2015; Katee Sackhoff Reveals Talks with Marvel

Edgar Wright's Ant-Man is the official kick-off to Marvel's Phase Three, but it's been in development longer than any of their other films. First announced way back in 2006 before there ever was an Iron Man, there were some who saw it as an enticing pipe dream up until Marvel/Disney finally dated it for November 6th 2015. But now Marvel has decided you shouldn't have to wait even that long, as they've bumped Ant-Man up more than three months to July 31st.

So what's the reason for the move? Deadline has no answers, and it's a decision that is odd for a couple of reasons. First of all, this moves it extremely close to the May release of The Avengers: Age of Ultron, meaning there won't be much elbow between the films. It's even more curious considering the amount of blockbusters already lined up for that summer, with Star Wars 7, Man of Steel 2, Jurassic Park 4, the Terminator reboot, and Pirates of the Caribbean 5 all vying for attention. Half of these are Disney films, as well, so the decision to pack so many so close together doesn't seem like the soundest business strategy.

With this move we can probably expect production to begin sooner than expected, and for some hard casting news to start showing up.  Ant-Man fans have been begging for Nathan Fillion to get a shot at playing founding Avenger Henry "Hank" Pym, but there's nothing to suggest he's even on their radar.

One person we know to be in Marvel's crosshairs is Katee Sackhoff, who just recently joined with
Guardians of the Galaxy stars Vin Diesel and Dave Bautista for Riddick.  While on the (dreadful) Schmoes Know podcast (seriously, it pains me even to link to them), Sackhoff revealed that she's been talking to Marvel, and that "there's been some stuff going on" and "a lot of checking of availability for the first quarter of next year." That's around the same time 'Age of Ultron' is due to start production, and one has to think maybe she's in contention to play Carol "Ms. Marvel" Danvers. She has the look for it, and Joss Whedon has basically told us a female Avenger would be joining the team, and we've already heard names like Emily Blunt and Ruth Wilson rumored for it. Any of those three would be perfect for it, but Sackhoff comes with the ready-made look and battle-hardened demeanor the role would demand.

Between this and Vin Diesel's recent comments about a major shake-up in 2016, it's clear that Marvel isn't easing up on the throttle heading into their third phase.

Read More

James Spader is Ultron in 'The Avengers: Age of Ultron'

Marvel and Joss Whedon have been making bold choices in casting their superhero films since the beginning, and it's continued as they ready for The Avengers sequel. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen seem all but set to play the mutant siblings Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, and now the titular villain of The Avengers: Age of Ultron has been found.

Emmy winner James Spader has been cast as Ultron, the evil sentient android and longtime Avengers foe. Having spent the majority of the last few years playing offbeat characters on the small screen in Boston Legal, The Practice, and The Office, Spader makes for an unconventional but welcome choice. He was great in a small but flashy role in Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, and will probably bring some of that same eccentricity to Ultron, who simmers with a hatred for humanity.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron opens on May 1st 2015.

Read More

Elizabeth Olsen In Final Talks for Scarlet Witch Role in 'The Avengers: Age of Ultron'

Turns out today is the day where all Marvel rumors are getting the thumbs up. Not long after we learned that Bradley Cooper is in talks to voice Rocket Raccoon in Guardians of the Galaxy, THR is now reporting that Elizabeth Olsen is in final talks to play Scarlet Witch in The Avengers: Age of Ultron.

The story comes a couple of days after word surfaced that Saoirse Ronan had passed on the role, with Marvel moving on to Olsen as their next choice. And now it sounds as if Olsen may be reuniting with her Godzilla co-star, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who is close to inking a deal to play Scarlet Witch's brother, Quicksilver.

Scarlet Witch is one of the Marvel universe's most powerful characters, a mutant gifted with chaos magic and ability to cast "hex" spells that affect probability. Her powers range from being able to cause minor accidents to, when at full strength, even wiping out an entire race as she did to fellow mutants at one point in the comics. She and Quicksilver are also the children of Magneto, but Joss Whedon won't be able to mention that due to a deal struck with 20th Century Fox.

Expect other major casting news to arrive before The Avengers: Age of Ultron begins next March.

Read More

Joss Whedon Talks Ultron in 'The Avengers' Sequel

Joss Whedon hit us with a little misdirection when it comes to the big baddie for Phase Two of Marvel's cinematic universe. The conclusion of The Avengers led us to believe it would be the mad Titan Thanos who would be making our heroes' lives miserable, but the Comic-Con reveal that it would actually be Ultron took everyone by surprise. Ultron is arguably the Avengers' most consistent and dangerous threat, with a hatred for them that runs deep, and those seem to be the reasons why Whedon fell in love with the invincible android.

While talking to EW, Whedon talked a little bit about The Avengers: Age of Ultron, and what differences we can expect from the comic book version of Ultron...

Whedon: “I knew right away what I wanted to do with him. He’s always trying to destroy the Avengers, goddamn it, he’s got a bee in his bonnet. He’s not a happy guy, which means he’s an interesting guy. He’s got pain. And the way that manifests is not going to be standard robot stuff. So we’ll take away some of those powers because at some point everybody becomes magic, and I already have someone who’s a witch.”

The "witch" he's referring to is the Scarlet Witch, Wanda Maximoff, a mutant sorceress gifted with chaos magic that allows her to basically do anything she wants. Because of a deal struck with 20th Century Fox, Whedon can use her even though she's also part of the X-men universe, but her mutant heritage can't be referenced at all. Elizabeth Olsen is said to be the frontrunner for the role right now, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson as her brother, Quicksilver.

As for Ultron, in the comics he was invented by Hank Pym, the Avenger known as Ant-Man and Giant Man. Pym implanted him with his own brain patterns, and when Ultron gains sentience he develops an irrational hatred towards his "father" and everything he loves. Built out of adamantium, he's virtually indestructible and has a number of powers ranging from super strength, speed, mind control, and more. He's a definite bad ass, and I can't wait to see what Whedon does with him.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron arrives on May 1st 2015.

Read More

Elizabeth Olsen Sought for Scarlet Witch Role in 'Avengers: Age of Ultron'

With two guys playing Quicksilver in two different Marvel movies, Aaron Taylor-Johnson seeming to have the role in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Evan Peters in Bryan Singer's X-men: Days of Future Past, lost in the shuffle a little bit has been the role of Scarlet Witch. Joss Whedon has said that she and Quicksilver will be important to his film, and befitting such a role he was high on landing Saoirse Ronan to play her. But now it appears she has decided to pass, and Whedon is looking at another actress who may be an even better fit.

Our friend Brendon Connelly at Bleeding Cool says that Elizabeth Olsen is now the top choice for the role of Wanda "Scarlet Witch" Maximoff, a mutant with the gift of chaos magic. Her mutant heritage, which includes her father Magneto, can't be mentioned in the film so Whedon will have to come up with a different explanation for her powers, which make her one of the strongest and unpredictable characters in the Marvel universe. Olsen got her career off to a impressive start in indie thriller Martha Marcy May Marlene and has since dabbled in both blockbusters and art house productions. She'll be seen next in the Beat Generation film Kill Your Darlings, followed by Spike Lee's Oldboy and then Godzilla. She's a terrific talent, and while she may not be the most obvious choice to play Scarlet Witch, there's little doubt she can pull it off.

Filming on The Avengers: Age of Ultron should begin early next year for release on May 1st 2015.

Read More

Agent Coulson Won't Be Appearing in 'The Avengers: Age of Ultron'

It was a big deal when the beloved Agent Coulson took a Loki spear to the chest and died in The Avengers. His death rallied the team, but at the same time devastated fans who loved Clark Gregg's portrayal. Fortunately, he's alive and well in ABC's Agents of SHIELD TV series, but does that mean we'll be seeing him on the big screen again? Possibly in The Avengers: Age of Ultron?

While talking to the AP, Joss Whedon revealed that Coulson isn't part of the story for his sequel to The Avengers, and he has some pretty good reasons why....

Whedon: "Right now it's not something I'm pursuing because I have so much going on in 'Avengers 2.' Finding out that Coulson is alive would be an entire B story. And I already have too much movie. That's better than the other thing."

He didn't completely write off the idea of Coulson appearing in a future movie, but it sounds as if he wants to make sure there isn't too much character crossover...

Whedon:  "But we also have the movies and we have TV and we need to make sure there's some crossover, but not so much that people go, 'Well, I don't need to see that movie. I saw it on TV.' If we do that (Marvel Studios President) Kevin Feige is going to come after me with a pitchfork."

Marvel's Agents of SHIELD premieres on Tuesday September 24th at 8pm. 

Read More

Vin Diesel Teases "Love Story" For His Marvel Role; Is He Really Thanos?

As expected, Vin Diesel couldn't totally get through his Riddick panel at Comic-Con without being asked about his meeting with Marvel. Diesel, who seems to really be into stringing his fans along, said that we'd hear an announcement at the end of the month, and sure enough he wasn't mentioned at all during the Marvel panel. After teasing us with the possibility of his being Ant-Man and the android Vision, Diesel provided another hint to EW....

Diesel:  "I could tell you that Marvel was excited about bringing a different kind of relationship or love story, I guess kind of inspired from the Dom-Letty relationship (from Fast & The Furious), into the Marvel universe."

This one is almost too obvious to be taken seriously. Diesel seems to be suggesting that he'll be taking on the role of Thanos, and the love story would be his infatuation with the female embodiment of Death. Thanos' primary mission has been to commit murder on such a scale that it impresses Death enough that she'll take him as her lover.  It's not the first time Diesel has been mentioned for the role, but now that we know he'll be in Guardians of the Galaxy and not in The Avengers: Age of Ultron, it holds a bit more weight.

Then again, would Diesel really drop such an obvious clue when the answer is only a few days away?

Read More

Joss Whedon Talks 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' and Why Hank Pym Isn't In It

There was really only one Internet-crushing reveal during the Marvel Studios panel at Comic-Con, but what it was has had journos buzzing for the last two days. Joss Whedon announcing The Avengers: Age of Ultron is the title of his upcoming Marvel sequel set off a whirlwind of possibilities, but mostly it let us in on who the primary villain for the film would be. The Age of Ultron storyline in the comics is about as recent as they come, only concluding less than two months ago, and while nobody expects Whedon's story to resemble that time-traveling plotline, it sounds as if major elements of Ultron's origin are going to be changed.


Ultron is an evil, sentient android who is basically unstoppable because he evolves after every battle. He was created by Hank Pym, the Avenger known as Ant-Man (or Giant-Man or Yellowjacket), who has his own film coming from director Edgar Wright. Ultron was also responsible for the creation of Vision, the android Avenger who is rumored to be on the team in the sequel, possibly played by Vin Diesel. But the Ant-Man film doesn't open until months after 'Ultron', and Whedon insists Pym isn't really needed for this particular story. He tells i09...

Whedon: “We don't have to have him. It works very simply -- this is Marvel cinema, not Marvel comics. One thing [Marvel Studios president] Kevin Feige has a genius for is knowing what to hold onto and what to let go of. You can invoke the feeling you had and play with the characters you love and remain true to the needs of the film.”

He would clarify it further while talking to HeyUGuys, saying outright that Pym won't be in the film at all...

Whedon: "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.”


The biggest change coming from the Ultron news was that it changed our view of Thanos, who has been assumed to be the main villain. But now the always chatty Feige has confirmed he'll be shifted over to Guardians of the Galaxy, which consists of characters who all have a personal score to settle with him. We also won't be seeing Ultron anywhere until The Avengers: Age of Ultron. But will there be clues popping up in the other films? That much we still don't know.

Read More

New Logos for 'Avengers: Age of Ultron', 'Captain America 2', and 'Guardians of the Galaxy'

Along with the new concept art poster for Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel has issued updated logos for it, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and the newly-announced Avengers: Age of Ultron. Did Marvel win the "panel wars" today? Since they went last, chances are attendees will have the footage of Rocket Raccoon bouncing around in their minds all night, but honestly between them, Warner Bros., and 20th Century Fox it may have been a stalemate.

Read More

Joss Whedon Reveals 'The Avengers: Age of Ultron'; 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Cast Confirmed

The Marvel panel has just wrapped at Comic-Con, and Marvel dropped a ton of news, but not what everybody was expecting. Introducing the Guardians of the Galaxy cast, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that Djimon Hounsou is playing Korath the Pursuer, a cybernetic member of the alien Kree empire and typically an ally of Ronan the Accuser, who will be played by Lee Pace. Hounsou leaked that Korath will be an ally of Thanos in the film, but who knows if that's going to hold up. Also confirmed was Karen Gillan as Nebula, a space pirate and potentially Thanos' granddaughter. Benicio Del Toro will also play the Elder of the Universe known as The Collector, the first to recognize the threat of Thanos.

The big news came right at the end, as Joss Whedon hit the stage floor right at the end of the show, and teased a promo video. The footage featured a metal object being pounded from all sides, with prophetic words in the background about the team's demise. But then the object revolves, and it's revealed to be the face of Ultron, the android enemy of the Avengers, created by Hank "Ant-Man" Pym. The title of the film was then revealed to be The Avengers: Age of Ultron, arriving in the summer of 2015.

So the big news to take from this is that it will be Ultron in The Avengers sequel, and not Thanos. It looks like Thanos will be appearing in Guardians of the Galaxy, which makes sense considering every character has close ties to him. Age of Ultron is also a fairly recent Marvel comics crossover storyline, only completing about a month ago. It had Wolverine going back in time to kill Hank Pym before he could create Ultron, because in the present the android has wiped out nearly all of the superheroes. It's a storyline that closely resembles Xmen: Days of Future Past, ironically.

Read More