Why Ultron Will Be The Most Interesting Marvel Villain Since Loki

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Both individually and as a unit, the members of The Avengers have faced down many terrifying threats thrown at them – but this summer will see them square off against an enemy unlike any they’ve ever come across. The Age of Ultron is almost here – and if Chris Evans can be believed, then the robotic menace will be one of the most fascinating villains we’ve seen so far in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Along with a small group of other journalists, I took a trip to the set of The Avengers: Age of Ultron last summer, and while interviewing the Captain America star – dressed in his full, new costume – he explained exactly why Ultron, played by James Spader, will be a captivating force to be reckoned with when he makes his way to the big screen this summer. Evans was asked what we can expect to see from the latest supervillain to pose as a threat to The Avengers, and the actor explained that it’s all about the characters deep and intriguing philosophy, and how he views the world. Said Evans,

There’s an ideology behind Ultron that makes him more unique than just a bad guy. He doesn’t wanna just kill the Avengers. He doesn’t wanna just destroy the world. He has these monologues and these beautiful speeches that kind of embody certain mentality about what’s wrong with humanity. It represents something deeper than just, ‘I'm evil and I don’t like the good guys.’

It’s been discussed widely amongst fans that Marvel Studios has demonstrated a bit of a villain problem, struggling to create antagonists as dynamic and interesting as the protagonists, but Chris Evans was quick to draw a connection between Ultron and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki - who has been unquestionably the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most interesting bad guy to this point. Evans says that Ultron possesses some very similar qualities to the God of Mischief, adding,

Look at what Hiddleston did with Loki. He made a real character. He made a real conflict. Loki could have a movie that has nothing to do with superheroes. It would just be like a really interesting character study, like this guy needs a therapist. But it’s deep, and that’s what makes you give a shit. I think that’s what we’re gonna have with Ultron.

The idea of a philosophizing, intellectually interesting, dangerous Ultron is certainly something that comic book fans expect to get from the Joss Whedon-directed Avengers 2, and it sounds like the character from the page is getting a very direct translation on to the big screen (with some adjustments, of course). In Marvel comics, the robotic menace believes that the only way to cure the world of its issues is through the destruction of humanity, and there is a lot of profound and interesting material to be explored. Based on Chris Evans’ enthusiasm, it sounds like that’s exactly what the new movie will deliver.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron will be blasting its way into theaters on May 1st, but until then, stay tuned for more of our coverage from the set!

Eric Eisenberg
Eric Eisenberg
Assistant Managing Editor

Eric Eisenberg is the Assistant Managing Editor at CinemaBlend. After graduating Boston University and earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism, he took a part-time job as a staff writer for CinemaBlend, and after six months was offered the opportunity to move to Los Angeles and take on a newly created West Coast Editor position. Over a decade later, he's continuing to advance his interests and expertise. In addition to conducting filmmaker interviews and contributing to the news and feature content of the site, Eric also oversees the Movie Reviews section, writes the the weekend box office report (published Sundays), and is the site's resident Stephen King expert. He has two King-related columns.