The sequel to 2012’s The Avengers and the eleventh film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Age of Ultron finds our team of heroes battling an artificial intelligence machine that Tony Stark and Bruce Banner unleash to complete Stark’s “Ultron” global defense program. Written and directed by Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Dollhouse), the movie lays down the groundwork for what’s to come next in Captain America: Civil War when the Avengers are at odds with Stark and Banner’s actions. But in order to defeat Ultron (acting veteran James Spader), they’ll have to work together (along with Maria Hill and other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents) to thwart the villain’s plan for human extinction and destruction of the planet.
At the time of its release, Avengers: Age of Ultron was the second most expensive film ever made with an estimated production budget of $365 million. Marvel’s pricey gamble, which received mostly positive reviews from critics, paid off—Ultron banked a total of $1.405 billion worldwide. Along with Ant-Man, Age of Ultron helped close out the MCU’s Phase 2, setting the stage for an even bigger battle for mankind that would eventually become Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
How to Stream ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ – Exclusively on Disney+
Avengers: Age of Ultron is one of the many awesome Marvel movies that will be streaming exclusively on Disney’s new subscription streaming service, Disney+.
You can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Disney+ HERE, which will allow you to stream Age of Ultron and hundreds of other movies and shows on your computer, phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device. If you extend past the free trial, the service costs $6.99/month. You may also opt for this discount bundle of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ for $12.99/month.
- 1. Sign up for Disney+ here
- 2. Go to Disneyplus.com or download the Disney+ app on your device
- 3. Log in using your information
- 4. Search for “Ultron”
- 5. Start streaming
Disney+ also boasts a vast library of Disney-owned movies and series — plus several new original series coming soon. The service includes unlimited downloads so you can watch offline whenever and wherever you want. The list of compatible devices and smart TVs includes iPads, Apple TV, Amazon devices, Amazon Fire TV, Android, Chromecast, Roku, PS4, and Xbox One.
‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’: Overview
Release Date: May 1, 2015
Creators: Directed by Joss Whedon, Produced by Kevin Feige, Based on The Avengers by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Samuel L. Jackson, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, and James Spader
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: When Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, things go horribly wrong and it’s up to Earth’s mightiest heroes to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plan.
How Long Is ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’?
Avengers: Age of Ultron has a runtime of 141 minutes.
‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Plot
When Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) jump-starts a dormant peacekeeping program, things go terribly awry, forcing him, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and the rest of the Avengers to reassemble. As the fate of Earth hangs in the balance, the team is put to the ultimate test as they battle Ultron, a technological terror hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they encounter two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff.
‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Cast
Thanks to its merging of multiple Marvel franchises, Avengers: Age of Ultron has a never-ending all-star cast. Here are some of the main players.
Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man
Stark, aka Iron Man, is a billionaire industrialist, a founding member of the Avengers, and the former CEO of Stark Industries. In Avengers: Age of Ultron Stark, along with Bruce Banner, discovers an artificial intelligence within the scepter’s gem, and secretly decides to use it to complete his “Ultron” global defense program. The actor is also known for films like A Scanner Darkly and Zodiac.
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America
Rogers is a World War II veteran and the world’s very first superhero. He spent many years in the ’40s battling HYDRA long before any of the other Avengers were even born. Evans can also be seen in Snowpiercer and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk
Exposure to high levels of gamma radiation changed the DNA of mild-mannered scientist Bruce Banner. Now, Banner transforms into a huge, green, rage-fueled creature known as the Hulk whenever he’s angered or provoked, which has gotten the rest of the Avengers out of some jams. Ruffalo is a three-time Oscar nominee for his roles in Spotlight, Foxcatcher, and The Kids Are Alright.
Chris Hemsworth as Thor
Thor is the Asgardian God of Thunder—son of Odin and brother to the villainous Loki. Hemsworth was recently seen in Men in Black: International and appears in Jay and Silent Bob Reboot.
Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow
Romanoff is a former KGB operative and dangerous assassin who joined the Avengers after being recruited into S.H.I.E.L.D. by Clint Barton (Hawkeye). Johansson is a three-time Golden Globe nominee and won a BAFTA in 2004 for her performance in Lost in Translation.
Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye
Known for his expertise with a bow and arrow, Barton is a former special agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and one of the founding members of the Avengers. Renner is known for his roles in The Town and The Hurt Locker, both Oscar-nominated performances.
Don Cheadle as James Rhodes/War Machine
Although War Machine was introduced in the first Iron Man movie, Cheadle took over the character in Iron Man 3 (the character was previously played by Terrance Howard). Rhodes is a former officer in the U.S. Air Force and Tony Stark’s close personal friend who operates the War Machine armor. In Age of Ultron, War Machine plays a key role in making sure the people of Sokovia are rescued before Ultron could cause mass extinction.
Plenty of other well-established actors have joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe over the years and appear along with the primary cast in Avengers: Age of Ultron. These include, but are not limited to Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Paul Bettany, Hayley Atwell, Linda Cardellini, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Julie Delpy, and Samuel L. Jackson.
‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Songs and Soundtrack
Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released digitally on April 28, 2015, and physically on May 19 that same year. The score was delivered by Brian Tyler and Danny Elfman, both veterans of the music and film industries. The Avengers: Age of Ultron soundtrack marked the third collaboration with Marvel for Tyler following his work on Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World.
Tyler said the score pays homage to John Williams’ scores for Star Wars, Superman, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. He also discussed how the soundtrack benefitted from having Elfman’s contributions. “The movie is such a large canvas that there were parts that really benefited from his kind of voice. But also, it needed to all fit together and hang together seamlessly, and that was something we worked really hard on doing,” he said.
Additional music utilized in the movie includes Alan Silvestri’s original Avengers theme, and contributions from the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Dickie Jones, Gregory Porter, and the BBC Big Band Orchestra.
‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ at the Box Office
Avengers: Age of Ultron grossed $459 million in the United States and Canada and $946.4 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $1.405 billion, according to Box Office Mojo. It became the fifth-highest-grossing film worldwide and the fourth-highest-grossing 2015 film. At the time of its release, Avengers: Age of Ultron‘s worldwide opening of $392.5 million was the seventh-largest ever.
Deadline calculated the net profit of the film to be $382.32 million, when factoring together “production budgets, P&A, talent participations, and other costs, with box office grosses, and ancillary revenues from VOD to DVD and TV,” placing it fourth on their list of 2015’s “Most Valuable Blockbusters.”
On May 15, 2015, Avengers: Age of Ultron became the 21st film in cinematic history (and the third Marvel Studios film) to cross the $1 billion threshold at the box office.
‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Reviews – What the Critics Said
Reviews for Avengers: Age of Ultron remain mostly positive. The film, having been called “exuberant and eye-popping,” served as a jam-packed, yet mostly satisfying sequel that reunited its stacked cast with a few new additions plus a worthy foe.
“Avengers: Age of Ultron is a sometimes daffy, occasionally baffling, surprisingly touching and even romantic adventure with one kinetic thrill after another. It earns a place of high ranking in the Marvel Universe,” said Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Josh Wilding from ComicBookMovie.com shared similar sentiments. “Avengers: Age of Utron is proof that Marvel can do no wrong, and as they continue to add new players to the table and reshape this world in a way which keeps it feeling exciting and fresh, the future looks brighter than ever for the MCU,” he wrote.
For all of its pros, Ultron took a few hits for being overstuffed, partially due to the fact that Marvel movies always attempt to top the previous films in the MCU. Andre Meadows of the YouTube channel Black Nerd Community said, “There so many plots in this movie and so many scenes that are JUST there to set up future movies…It moves too fast.”
That said, fans of Marvel will love what Age of Ultron brings to the table, according to Lisa Johnson Mandell of At Home in Hollywood. “The film is highly entertaining, and I don’t want to acid rain on anyone’s parade. If you like Marvel’s Avengers, you’ll love Age of Ultron. It’s an extra-large helping of more of the same, with a radioactive cherry on top.”
‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Trailer
In the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer, Ultron tries to tear apart Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and the rest of the world.
‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Trivia: 5 Fast Facts
1. Scarlett Johansson Was Pregnant During Filming of ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’
Since Scarlett Johansson was pregnant during filming, many of her scenes were scheduled early in filming before she began to show. Three stunt doubles were hired for the latter part of filming in order to conceal her pregnancy. This caused a lot of confusion among the other actors since all of the stuntwomen looked very similar to Johansson. Chris Evans stated that it got to the point where he would say hello and start a conversation with one of them only to realize midway that the person he was talking to wasn’t Johansson.
2. James Spader Was Joss Whedon’s Only Choice for Ultron
Whedon said that James Spader was his only choice to play Ultron because of his hypnotic voice. “Spader was my first and only choice. He’s got that hypnotic voice that can be eerily calm and compelling, but he’s also very human and humorous. Ultron is not Hal. Spader can play all of the levels. He’s the guy to break The Avengers into pieces. Muwahaha,” said Whedon.
3. At the Time of Its Release, ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Had the Most Special Effects of Any Marvel Movie
With more than 3,000 visual effect shots, Avengers: Age of Ultron features the most VFX shots topping the previous record-holder Guardians of the Galaxy which has 2,750 VFX shots. Captain America: The Winter Soldier reached 2,500 VFX shots.
4. The ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Trailer Set A YouTube Record
At the time of its release, the Avengers teaser trailer set a record for the most-watched Marvel movie trailer within 24 hours with 34 million views. That total broke the record previously held by Iron Man 3. To date, the trailer has a total of 87,573,954 views and counting.
5. The Movie Was Filmed All Over the World
Whedon wanted a number of different looks, textures, and moods to give the movie a different and fresh aesthetic from its predecessor, so he shot in different locations around the world, including South Africa, England, Bangladesh, Italy, and South Korea.
Comments
How to Stream ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’: Your Ultimate Viewing Guide