Avengers: Age of Ultron is a 2015 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to 2012's The Avengers and the eleventh installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was written and directed by Joss Whedon and features an ensemble cast that includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, Idris Elba, Linda Cardellini, Stellan Skarsgård, James Spader, and Samuel L. Jackson. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, the Avengers must work together to defeat Ultron, a mechanical artificial intelligence bent on human extinction.
The sequel was announced in May 2012, after the successful release of The Avengers. Whedon, the director of the first film, was brought back on board in August and a release date was set. By April 2013, Whedon had completed a draft of the script, and casting began in June with the re-signing of Downey. Second unit filming began in February 2014 in South Africa with principal photography taking place between March and August 2014. The film was primarily shot at Shepperton Studios in Surrey, England, with additional footage filmed in Italy, South Korea, Bangladesh, New York, and various locations around England.
Avengers: Age of Ultron premiered in Los Angeles on April 13, 2015, and was released on May 1, 2015 in North America, in 3D and IMAX 3D. Upon its release, the film received positive reviews and has grossed over $1.3 billion worldwide, making it the third-highest-grossing film of 2015 and the sixth-highest-grossing film of all time. Two sequels, Avengers: Infinity War – Part 1 and Avengers: Infinity War – Part 2, are scheduled to be released on May 4, 2018, and May 3, 2019, respectively.
Cast
- Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man
- Chris Hemsworth as Thor
- Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner / Hulk
- Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America
- Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow
- Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye
- Don Cheadle as James "Rhodey" Rhodes / War Machine
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Pietro Maximoff / Quicksilver
- Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch
- Paul Bettany as J.A.R.V.I.S. and Vision
- Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill
- Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Falcon
- Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter
- Idris Elba as Heimdall
- Linda Cardellini as Laura Barton: Hawkeye's wife
- Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig: An astrophysicist and a friend of Thor.
- James Spader as Ultron
- Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury