1 of 9 | Actors Samuel L. Jackson and Tom Hiddleston, director Joss Whedon, and actor Chris Evans (L-R), winners of Movie of the Year award for "Marvel's The Avengers,", appear backstage in the press room during the MTV Movie Awards. UPI/Jim Ruymen |
License Photo
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- Hot off a summer of winning audiences, critics and the box office with hit movies Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: Winter Soldier, Disney has released new details about the upcoming sequel to Marvel's flagship franchise, {i:Avengers: Age of Ultron.
}
Prior to the specific information provided Tuesday, the most details fans had about the Avengers sequel came from descriptions and leaked video of a sneak peak screened at the 2014 San Diego Comic Con. The clip showed the team jokingly struggling to pick up Thor's hammer before quick cuts of action sequences and the first appearance of James Spader as the film's villain, Ultron.
"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," Disney describes.
"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."
Although credited only as Pietro Maximoff, the Joss Whedon-directed film will feature Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Quicksilver, son of X-Men villain Magneto. Evan Peters played the speedy hero in 2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past and there is no indication he won't return for 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse. Despite being published by Marvel, the movie rights to the X-Men franchise are still owned by 20th Century Fox.
The characters Quicksilver and his sister Scarlett which, who each play pivotal roles in both X-Men and the Avengers, are somewhat of a legal anomaly in Hollywood. Despite being published by Marvel, the movie rights to the X-Men franchise are still owned by 20th Century Fox. Both are allowed to be portrayed by Fox and Disney in their respective franchises, but neither is canonically tied to the other.
Additionally, Disney cannot use the "m" word to describe the Maximoff's race, as only Fox can refer to the children of Magneto as "mutants." It remains unclear if Quicksilver and Scarlett Witch's superhero identites will be used in addition to their "real" names in the Avengers sequel.
Avengers: Age of Ultron opens May 1, 2015.
