How & Why Ultron’s Origins & Powers Are Different In ‘The Avengers 2′ 

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How & Why Ultron’s Origins & Powers Are Different In ‘The Avengers 2′

Long before Joss Whedon began work on 

, the writer and director had a pretty clear vision (pun intended) of what story his sequel would tell. In fact, he had ideas for 

Like every comic book aficionado, Whedon – who’s written a variety of books for Marvel in the past – has his own favorite super heroes and villains, and when we visited the set of 

last summer, he told us he knew he wanted to make a movie where Paul Bettany (the voice of J.A.R.V.I.S. 

) played Vision before he even started on 

. Similarly, Whedon also wanted to include the “brother-sister act” of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch early in the process and include all of these new characters alongside the villainous Ultron. All four newcomers however, will appear on screen with slightly different origin stories than their Marvel Comics counterparts.

Here, we’re going to focus on Ultron and explain not only how he’s going to be different in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

he’s different. This is a followup to our previous Ultron introduction explained article.

followup, Joss Whedon explained that the titular villain would have a new origin story in the film. He needed to because in the comics Hank Pym (the first Ant-Man and co-founder of

) created Ultron and moviegoers won’t meet Pym until 

“Nothing can be translated exactly as it was from the comics; particularly Ultron,”

Whedon explained in 2013 when hinting that Ultron’s live-action film introduction would stem instead from what fans have seen in the movies so far.

We theorized the obvious solution that Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) would create Ultron. Like Pym and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Stark is a genius scientist, an inventor specializing in tech, and given how the story of 

played out, with Stark building (and then destroying) a legion of automated Iron Man suits, it’s only logical that after the fall of S.H.I.E.L.D. – the world’s number one line of defense against the other-worldly and extraordinary – in 

, Stark would take it upon himself to continue “privatizing world peace” with an Iron Man-esque police force.

This might have been the plan all along for Marvel and Whedon. This is what Whedon told us June 2014:

“Before I took the first job, I said, ‘well, I don’t know if I’m right for this or if I want it or you want me, but in the second one the villain has to be Ultron, and he has to create the Vision, and then, um, that has to be Paul Bettany.’ [laughs]

I mean, it took me three years before I could tell Paul that I’d had that conversation, but after that, I stopped. I was like, ‘that would be cool if there’s you know, if you have Ultron, and you have Vision and Paul played him. And Scarlet Witch and Pietro, definitely.’ They’re from my era, they’re very different, their powers are different. It’s not all punching, it gives a different palettes, we can do more interesting things, it’s fun; those things were all, yeah, those were absolutes.”

And a few months earlier, in April 2014, Whedon said something similar to

) was the perfect casting choice to help bring Ultron to life on the big screen.

“Before I took the first movie. For me what was interesting is that he is this angry, and I hired the smoothest talker in Hollywood to play him. I did it on purpose. I needed a guy who can give you the Morpheus but then can just LOSE HIS SHIT. Spader’s really good at that and he’s really good at finding the darkness, but also the comedy. The comedy is always a huge thing for me. Tom Hiddleston is hilarious. Hiddleston can turn on a dime, which is my favorite thing. He can be absolutely apocalyptic and then, ‘Um, point of order?’ Ultron has the same thing. He is very different, obviously, in his rhythms and his concepts, but for me it’s a guy who’s that angry and who hates the Avengers that much and is also a robot and is therefore going to have every issue that a robot’s going to have with humanity anyway… there’s a lot to play there. For me, he’s an iconic figure.”

plot synopsis vaguely teased only that “Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program.” For some hopeful Marvel Comics readers, that seemed to lend credence to the possibility that perhaps the MCU’s older Hank Pym (played by Michael Douglas) could still have created an early version of this software in the past that Stark brings back – an interesting way to honor the comics and tie into 

merchandise paints a very different picture with an Ultron profile that reads “first discovered as a simple computer program hidden among the ruins of the Chitauri invasion of New York.”

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They changed changed something from the comics?! They had the balls to not keep it exactly as it was written in the comics?

They’re ruining by childhood and the source material! Let’s boycott this film! Who’s with me?! (Please note sarcasm).

In all seriousness, I’m excited and can’t wait for this.

To be honest a lot of the current MCU is changed from source material but no one complains. Meanwhile you have brainless people whining that we need ” a Batman we all deserve ” whatever that means. I personally don’t care if a film strays from source material cause films need their own space to be creative & different. Sticking to source material can sometimes be a stifle creativity.

Agreed. sometimes you have to change things in order to ‘get things moving’. Having Ultron made by Tony Stark or Bruce Banner (or them together) would be awesome. I always wondered why they did the whole “Pym created Ultron!” thing. It would make more sense that Tony made Ultron as an extension or expansion of Jarvis and he ‘went rogue’.

To anyone upset about the change, you have no one to blame but Edgar Wright.

You mean noone but Marvel right? Because its them who wanted a different type of the movie that Edgar didn’t want to direct.

Not really. Marvel hired Edgar wright before they had a cinematic universe, but now that they have one, ant man needed to be rewritten to where it would fit into that universe. But wright is used to working independently.

I’m sad that Whedon had to change the origin because of Edgar wright, I can’t help but wonder what if marvel had changed the director back before Scott pilgrim, we would gave had ant man in. The first avengers film I’m sure

I only get upset about changes when they are unnecessary. When it is a failed attempt at being edgy. or “grounded”(looking at you DC/WB).

But Hank Pym not being involved is CLEARLY a change of necessity. It’s not even a change that the director wanted to have. He was forced too by circumstance. If people still can’t accept that, i don’t know what to tell them

“I only get upset about changes when they are unnecessary. When it is a failed attempt at being edgy.”

Like having Captain America murder SHIELD agents by throwing them out of a Hellicarrier? That was certainly unnecessary.

Ummm…Those werent SHIELD agents they were HYDRA agents.

Exactly and at the time, they WERE trying to kill him so ‘putting them down softly’ was not really an option.

Why can Screenrant write mother****** on their articles but we get the word censored in our comments?

Screen rant was quoting someone.. Why do you need to say mother****** in your comment? Are you seriously unable to articulate what you’re saying without cussing?

If you’re asking why our family-friendly comments section doesn’t allow profanity, I’m gonna assume you’re joking

Speaking of, why do you guys curse unnecessarily on the podcast? I’m looking at you, Kofi Outlaw…

On page 2 of this article, the Joss Whedon quote includes “but the mother***** tested gamma radiation on himself”. At least you could have censored that word.

This is the main movie that I’m excited to see this year.I’m not really familiar with Ultron or his origins from the comics,but I know that in the movie Stark creates him by accident[if not I stand corrected].I agree with the great casting job of James Spader,I love his voice as Ultron it sounds amazing,really hyped up to watch this movie.I’m getting my advance ticket the first week of April,in addition I’m still going to see it two more times after the initial visit.MARVEL RULES.

I’ll have to find a use for that word at work tomorrow…

You know what I don’t get? The sheer number of vocal people who keep jumping to the conclusion that the statement about Ultron’s origins lying in the aftermath of the Chitauri invasion automatically means alien programming. Now, I’m not saying it’s out of the question, but I do have to chime in on the fact that the statement is rather ambiguous and non-specific.

Being found after the invasion can mean any number of things, which includes the possibility of the program being of Human origin and simply having been rediscovered after the invasion. It could be that, or something else entirely. We won’t know until the film hits, and, although they’ve stated Hank Pym isn’t involved, I wouldn’t put it past them of this being a ploy to give a surprise foreshadowing for Ant-Man later in the year.

just cause they (Marvel) say something doesn’t always mean it’s true or should be assumed that any guesses are the only options

ie. if people were told Jarvis would be assisting Tony in Iron Man 1 – I seriously doubt anyone would ever have guessed it would end up being an AI

I agree I think the alien tech was already in iron man 3 at the end, the ability to have drones all linked together under on control, Ultron won’t be alive that’s to alien tech, but he will have an army thanks to it… In my opinion

I’m still hoping he is made from the human torch

I could see that Phineous Horton [from the World Expo in Captain America the First Avenger] might have had a hidden lab in NY that was uncovered in the rubble of the Chitauri invasion.

“I agree I think the alien tech was already in iron man 3 at the end”

There was no alien tech in IM3. That was Jarvis controlling all the Armors, he was working on them being remotely controlled throughout the film.

“Nothing can be translated exactly as it was from the comics; particularly Ultron,”

Somethings yeah, but an origin is not that hard. They are just capitalizing on Iron Mans popularity. Since Antman was not introduced in Avengers he’s unknown. They could tie everything in the future and say that Hank Pym regains his memories and figures out he created Ultron (like in the comics). I dont have any issues with his retelling as long as it’s not something major like Captain America is Starlords dad or race swap for the hell of it.

By Tidal Wave, Whedon simply means a personalityLESS villain, existing only for super amounts of explosions. Tidal Waves are not self aware. Tidal Waves have no emotions. They just destroy because that is what the weather, plot, requires them to do. No flaws, quarks, and dreams like an individual being.

btw if Ultron was as strong as his comic counterpart then everyone except Thor and Hulk would stand a chance. By Hulk, I mean Bruce would never revert back to the little guy because in order to remain standing he must always be Hulk. Comic Ultron is OP uber… he is smarter than Hank Reed Tony Bruce Doom combined and can take down armies of Earth’s best superheros. Legit Ultron once killed all the X Men in Earth-42221 and all the Avengers in Earth-16422. Captain America’s heart was blasted out by a simple Ultron sential, which isn’t even the real deal. Even classic Earth 616 bitched smack an out all Thor like a play toy, while Wonder Man nearly died from blows that felt like they came from mijhonir.

Still live action Ultron will give the Avengers trouble. This AI is no joke. A real deal. Something that would take great effort to defeat.

Hopefully he will tear the avengers to bits, having an OP Ultron is ok, as long as scarlet witch is also her OP version, I just also hope Ultron escapes into space for later

@xbimpyx I think want he meant by tidal wave was fairly obvious. Also obvious was his explanation as to why Uktron is powered down for the movie. What is not obvious is why you felt the need to explain the obvious.

Guardians was great but it focused too much on making people laugh from beginning to end.

Phase 2 has only impressed me with TWS and Guardians…like seriously wowed me.

TWS and Guardians were ok but I woudn’t want to see them twice. I’m just tired of marvel having weak villains.

If TWS would have had the Red Skull or Baron Zemo in it it might have been a classic. Guardians was trying to hard to be funny and the ending was weak. But they were better than those other phase 2 movies.

For Mike’s sake man, it’s freaking Ultron v the Avengers!

LOL Whedon is having a lot of fun and that’s a cool job indeed. Wish Marvel the best of luck with all their future movies because I enjoy my time around the atmosphere of the movies and comics. Can’t wait to see this movie.

I just took a dump in my pants after reading this article. I had no idea… no idea that Joss planned and thought at this level of detail. I’m 100% in awe. This article really highlights why Joss is the perfect director for the Avengers – which has many character dynamics to juggle. I know Joss is tired and may want to take a break from the Avengers story line, but I hope he doesn’t do it, because he’s so well suited for the franchise.

As far as the debate to canon or not to canon? There’s really no right answer to it. There exist limits to what can happen in movies, so all audiences expect some level of change. In general, I prefer that movies make an effort to remain faithful to the comics. Joss, who seems to know the source material so incredibly well, seem to be doing it. For example, he had purpose left open the idea that Hank Pym could’ve created the prototype software before Tony Stark revived the idea.

My top 2 movies movies to see this year, is “Age of Ultron” and “Star Wars”. Everything I’ve seen so far from both have me super excited. May the force be with Disney in 2015…

He is amazing at television, I hope Disney fund his next project, be it a marvel show or a new sci fi / fantasy (or I guess other bleh). Let him go back to telle for a bit.

I hate the fact that there is no Ant-Man or Wasp at all. Not even a hint of connection. I know the Ant-Man movie was planned before the release of Avengers so they can incorporate him later but with Edgar Wright quitting, it went on a different direction. He and the Wasp were no longer founding members and who knows if they even appear in later Avengers. Instead they were superceded by Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. They at least should mention that Hank Pym created the A.I. technology (using an alien source found by SHIELD) but, now working with the government, need Tony Stark’s computer and robotic tech to use with Pym’s A.I. tech in order to complete the project that is called Ultron, a dormant peace keeping program that was jumpstarted after learning of Stark’s Iron Legion tech. With this storyline, Hank Pym would at least have some involvement with the Avengers and the creation of Ultron even though he will not appear (yet) as the Ant-Man but as the old Hank Pym played by Michael Douglas. I hear Bruce Banner will also be a co-creator. Tony Stark wanted to put his personality in the A.I. and Banner (although he’s not a computer genius but a nuclear physicist) will help him reprogram the A.I. to achieve this.

“will see Ultron head to Wakanda to acquire this allow to form Ultron Prime.” Sorry folks, but what does “to acquire this allow to form” mean? I think it might be a typo or mis-copy.

“Ahoy yourself, Awful!” (Were we talking about Popeye or something? Sounds kinda sea-faring! Hee-hee!).

The alien connection immediately makes me think of Brainiac. I know that DC and Marvel ape off of each other’s characters all of the time, but this is a little bit different… changing an origin story and making it more similar to one of their rival’s most powerful characters. Darkseid/ Thanos and other connections were established for year’s in the comics. This was not.

(I don’t really have a dog in the DC/Marvel argument. Not an exclusive fanboy to either one.)

OK, why Whedon did what he did and changed up the Ultron origins…I get that. I am still in the preference corner that it was Hank Pym that created Ultron, but I see where it was necessary to Whedon considering where the marvel film universe is now and is going. I will not hold it against him. I am very excited for this film in whatever incarnation, and definitely will be adding it to my home movie collection when available on DVD. I still want to see Hank Pym as Giant-Man/Goliath, preferably in the Avengers team, with janet Van Dyne as Wasp by his side. I do not think there are any fans of the Avenmgers who would not welcome seeing this. This is essential to me and many other fans I am sure, and i hope more than anything that Marvel will consider making this happen. How, if Hank is kind of “in the past”? Well, as I suggested before here on SR, Kang (who many others would like to see oput in an appearance) time-travels, and i could picture him snatching hank and jan from the “past” and depositing them in the “present’ (or “future”), as in the current age of the Avengers. Now we have the trama and pathos of hank and jan trying to acclimate to a new era they must live in, much as Steve Rogers had to assimulate into society and a whole new world (to him). With the Cap doing it angle, we do have precedence for this. I really think fans would get behind this idea as a way to meld the comic world with the film world and make it a smooth transition, and I hope Marvel will get behind this as well.

There are a couple other characters I would not mind seeing in conjunction with The Avengers’ world: Kang, as I mentioned, and maybe Diablo, Whirlwind (picture him and Quicksilver duking it out at super-speed ala Flash/Professor Zoom-style!), Dragon Man, and although he is technically a Frightful Four leader and therefore might be connected to the fantastic Four franchise, how about The Wizard? he was always a cool evil villain in the early comics in the 60s. I also might not mind seeing Monica Rambeau as Captain Marvel. While the “equality and diversity” train is not a ride I really relish taking, I would say you would get both in this character (and alright, I admit it, she could look like a babe, depending on which actress they got!). Lots of marvel characters out there to explore, but to reiterate, Goliath and Wasp do deserve their turn in the spotlight, even though their background has been changed. AFTER ALL, HANK WAS A BRILLIANT SCIENTIST, BRAVE AND DEDICATED FOUNDING MEMBER OF tHE aVENGERS, AND wASP ALSO HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED ON AND OFF WITH THE TEAM FOR AS LONG AS i CAN REMEMBER, ALONG WITH dR. pYM! (Oops, hit the Cap Lock button, sorry, too lazy at this late hour to go back and fix it. You can tough it out…!). In the meantime, this next few years are going to be great, loaded with super flicks from many different studios. I think my movie home library is going to expand ALOT!

If you pressed Caps button than why some letters are small? Maybe you were holding left Shift?)

And fixing it is very simple. Did you ever heard of LibreOffice, for example? Right mouse click on the text -> Change Case -> Sentence case.

Now that you know, there won’t be a Caps problem next time you post ^_^

Lets get the facts straight, having Tony Stark create Ultron does not make more sense than having Pym do it, Joss Whedon has been forced to do it because Ant Man was not included in the Avengers Assemble. The origin stories of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are different because Fox owns the rights to the term mutant, it has nothing to do with creative preferences.

As for making Ultron as powerful as he is in the comics, why not, afterall the Avengers have a Norse God, the strongest hero there is and a super soldier on their side not to mention Tony Starks technology, its just limitations of movie making and what the movie companys think an audience of non comic book fans will swallow.

It does not detract from the fact that the Ultron film sounds fantastic.

I wasn’t sure what was up with that remark to. Hell, they have a guy who gets stronger the angrier he gets doubling size, power, speed, healing etc. I never saw Ultron as overly powerful even in his Adamantium form.

“Banner has elements of that guy – we don’t really think of him as being as irresponsible as Tony Stark, but the motherf****r tested gamma radiation on himself.” Ahahahahaha Whedon

Way to describe my alter ego, but I give credit to Banner to give birth to my raging bile duct.

if they power down Ultron, they might power down Thanos

Ultron and Thanos are totally different threats. Thanos will probally be wielding the Infinity Gauntlet and his pride and arrogance will always be his downfall. Thanos is like Hitler with a massive death wish, Ultron is like a freaking F5 tornado.

Ultron IS a freaking wave of destruction, if you don’t power him down it will be a true age of Ultron. He is a force of technical nature. Unrelenting, Unstopable. He is destruction incarnate. He has most incomen with Annihilus. Destroy, destroy, destroy. Thanos has agenda’s Ultron has only one…destroy!

In the comics Ultron has already won in the far, far future. He has exterminated humanity and all that is not machine. Thanos can be “reasoned” with, Ultron has no reason in the sense of compassion or guilt, things like that, Thanos does. (Not much but it does)

So true, can’t wait for Ultron vs zombies later this year

Without silver surfer they will have to power down the villains, he is like marvels superman, look at any poll the power 3 at marvel are Silver Surfer, Thor and Hulk. Until Marvel get the fantastic four rights back don’t expect Thanos to be as OP as in the comics… Sadly

Adam Warlock did a lot of the heavy lifting against Thanos after he obtained the infinity gauntlet and by the looks of things (A few easter eggs hiding in Thor TDW and GotG) he should be front and center in the cinematic universe for that conflict. Here’s to hoping, anyways, otherwise Thanos will finally get to truly impress Death.

He did his bit, but silver surfers #34 – #60 covered a lot of that crossover event.

Regardless of what is being said in interviews; I still think that Ultron’s origin plays out something like this:

Pym and Howard Stark experiment with AI tech in the 60′s or 70′s, intending to create said “Peacekeeping Program”, possibly related to Cold War Nuclear weapon control (like the War Games movie). They call their AI project Ultron. Pym and Howard Stark are not completely successful in making the AI “self aware”, and J.A.R.V.I.S. ends up being based on the Ultron AI work. The previous films do not indicate that Tony invented J.A.R.V.I.S.. Tony probably inherited J.A.R.V.I.S. from his father, Howard.

Flash forward to today: Tony is looking for a way out of the Iron Man suit, so he and Banner revisit the AI work done by Howard Stark and Pym. Tony and Banner ultimately end up combining the Ultron AI with Chitauri tech that was found after the invasion, which gives the Ultron AI the “self awareness” component it was lacking, then all hell breaks loose.

Furthermore: Ultron will give the J.A.R.V.I.S. AI the gift of “Self Awareness” from his own programming which results in the creation of Vision. I’m am interested to see though who creates Vision’s body in the film, whether it be Ultron, Tony Stark/Bruce Banner, or Vision himself.

It was said that Tony builds Ultron from something like old or forgotten tech.

Prediksun… Black Panther WILL be a Cameo in the Movie.

First picture, where is he? Wakanda? Looks like Latveria from Ultimate Alliance 2

Next Gen Ultimate Alliance, heck yes! I heard the new Lego game is going to basically be an Avengers game, still not the same but something fun.

Optimus MegaULtron Prime – ABAYngers + Bayformers crossover – coming soon! NOOOOOOOOO

It’s just logical that you have to adapt, but Marvel is still killing it!

Love what there doing. The difference is between them and DC is that Marvel seems to know how to have fun and make dam good straight-up movies.

For everyone complaining about Hank Pym not making the marvel movies. Do u have a clue how bad his ant-man was that he got changed to Giant Man, then Yellow Jacket in just 10 years, but the worst part was when he became the woman/spouse beater of his wife the wasp !!! in the 80′s. So even when domestic violence wasn’t an arrestable type crime much back then, he became a pariah. Yeah he came back in different forms & with other groups of hero’s . But just the name alone PYM; just don’t scream out Iconic Superhero. So be glad he got a role in Cap/W.S. movie & on Furies board of shadow big shots.How many times can they remake a hero that just isn’t as good when we were under 10 yrs old.Honey u shrank your dricks. I can’t find where u left it. That’s what we will end up hearing about him that might rise an eye brow.Otherwise he will never b interesting. Go back to writing strangers in jail.