15 Behind-The-Scenes Facts In Age Of Ultron That Can Amaze You

The Avengers outperformed all predictions, helping to create the Marvel Cinematic Universe's most successful film series in history. It wasn't long before the studio began work on a sequel, and fans worldwide were treated to Avengers: Age of Ultron just a few years after the original film's release. Fans have analyzed Age of Ultron as every other MCU offering, but there's always something new to discover about Earth's Mightiest Heroes and some of the incredible fight sequences they've participated in.
This is especially true when considering some of the events behind the scenes. Age of Ultron had a lot going on that wasn't disclosed until much later, and you'll want to go back and rewatch it once you figure out what those things were. This list brings together some of the most intriguing behind-the-scenes details from the Age of Ultron that will make you want to rewatch the film! Take a peek below, and don't forget to upvote your favorites before returning to the sofa to spend some time with Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

1. Andy Serkis Did Much More Than Only Play Ulysses Klaue In The Film.

Source: Marvel Studio

Most of his labor occurred behind the scenes (or in front of them, although you'd never know). He helped other performers learn how to move appropriately while wearing motion capture suits and heavy equipment.
The Hulk and Ultron, played by Mark Ruffalo and James Spader, were among them. He invented new techniques, which were employed for the first time in the film, with his motion capture production firm, The Imaginarium, to help bring the computer characters to life in a plausible way.

2. Stan A.K.A 'The Man,' In 'Age of Ultron,' Lee's Favorite Cameo Appears.

Source: Marvel Studio

"The Man" Stan Even before Marvel Comics was officially Marvel Comics; Lee was one of the early creators at the House of Ideas. He mostly worked as a writer and editor, but he also collaborated on creating several of Marvel Comics' Silver Age characters, including some shown in the film.
He's also been making guest appearances for decades, long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe was even a thing.
His debut appearance was in The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, a made-for-TV film released in 1989. He must have got the acting bug since he appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows, most of which did not need him to speak. That changed with the MCU, and of all the appearances he made in the series, he preferred the one in Age of Ultron.
He plays a WWII soldier who boasts of being able to drink Thor under the table in the film. He can't, and when he's escorted out of the party, he mumbles, "Excelsior!" Lee's favorite word.

3. The Hulkbuster Armor Was Meticulously Designed.

Source: Marvel Studio

Tony Stark's Hulkbuster suit had its big-screen premiere in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and the concept took a long time to perfect. The power necessary to make the armor operate is one of the most significant distinctions between it and Tony's outfit below. If you look closely, you can see an Arc Reactor on the chest, one on each knee, and four on the rear of the Hulkbuster armor.
To make the suit operate, Tony must put on his Iron Man armor with its Arc Reactor and match its power to that of a case with seven of its own, which means the massive armored suit requires eight times the power of a conventional set of armor. Additional Arc Reactors, for a total of 11, are said to be concealed within the suit.

4. James Spader Was Joss Whedon's Only Choice For Ultron.

Source: Marvel Studio

Looking back, it's difficult to envision anyone other than James Spader playing Ultron. The persona was carried by his voice, which curiously humanized the robot. Of course, the fantastic actor delivered not only Ultron's voice but also the mo-cap work that brought him to life.
Spader has a "hypnotic voice that can be eerily serene and fascinating while yet being incredibly human and hilarious," according to Joss Whedon, who described his actor's vocal abilities. Whedon never considered a different actor for the part.

5. Scarlett Johansson Enlisted The Help Of Three Stunt Doubles To Conceal Her Pregnancy.

Source: Marvel Studio

Scarlett Johansson was pregnant during the production of Avengers: Age of Ultron; thus, the crew worked hard to keep the pregnancy hidden. Surprisingly, no sequences had to be cut, thanks in part to the efforts of three stuntwomen who worked on the film. After all, whereas pregnancy may be readily disguised as a comedy, this was an action film.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Joss Whedon described the situation: "She's not going to carry groceries for the duration of the film. We didn't make any cuts to the sequences. 'We'll make it work,' we say."

6. Because Of A Fan, Andy Serkis Was Cast As Klaue.

Source: Marvel Studio

Andy Serkis was cast in that role, and as Whedon says in the DVD commentary, he obtained the part thanks to a fan:
"When we thought of it, Jeremy [Latcham] went through and looked at images of Klaue online. Some fans had put out Andy Serkis as Klaue, and we were already working with Andy. He and his Imaginarium guided Mark [Ruffalo] and James [Spader] in their movement.

7. Ultron's Eyes Were Difficult To Focus On.

Source: Marvel Studio

James Spader used a mo-cap costume to play Ultron in Avengers: Age of Ultron, which managed to capture the nuances of his character and play them out through remarkable VFX work. Spader's 5-foot-10-inch height was a challenge, but a technique was devised to make him appear taller so that the other performers could look him in the eyes.
Spader was given an antenna constructed of solid wire with three red lights attached to the top because Ultron is over 8 feet tall.
Any actor talking to Ultron might glance at the red balls instead of Spader since the contraption spanned the length of his back and extended 3 feet over his head. This caused specific issues, such as Elizabeth Olsen's inability to focus on the red balls owing to Spader's dramatic performance.

8. Joss Whedon Wasn't a Big Fan Of The Filmmaking Process

Source: Marvel Studio

Joss Whedon's work on The Avengers was much praised. Thus, it seemed a foregone conclusion that he'd return to helm the sequel.
Although Whedon despised working on the picture, he took the call, describing it as "the toughest job I've ever done." The film was a huge hit, grossing over $1.4 billion at the international box office on a $250 million budget. Despite this, Whedon considers the film a failure.
"When I watch it, I see "flaw, flaw, flaw, compromise, laziness, mistake." The reason I set out to make another film is that I wanted to make a better one, and I wanted to up my game as a shooter and work harder on every aspect of it and sort of giving myself up to it in a way that’s hard for me because I have a family. I started as a writer in low-budget TV, and there was always this element of, "This is good enough." And with this movie, I never wanted to say, "This is good enough."

9. Legal Considerations

Source: Marvel Studio

Wanda and Pietro Maximoff are two of the most intriguing characters introduced in Age of Ultron. They were known as Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver in the books, although they were never named that in the film.
Wanda has only been referred to as the Scarlet Witch in WandaVision, and there's a good reason why it took the MCU so long to figure out who she was. It all started with 20th Century Fox's purchase of the X-Men film rights in 1994.

10. Many Of Joss Whedon's Decisions Were Influenced By Westerners.

Source: Marvel Studio

Like many other directors, Joss Whedon draws inspiration from the films he enjoys. It's hardly a coincidence if you watch Age of Ultron and detect certain connections or similarities to some of the finest Westerns ever made on film. Whedon strongly depended on the genre to construct the picture, as he explained in the DVD commentary:
[One] shot, some of you may know from The Searchers. I realized that I needed that moment for Cap. It’s central to his whole theme about being unable to be home and live everyday life. I mentioned it to [producer] Jeremey Latcham, who was like, "Don’t say it!" But, as long as I don’t say anything on the DVD commentary, I should be fine, and no one will know I’m a thief.

11. While Using Her Powers, Elizabeth Olsen Couldn't Stop Herself From Making Noises.

Source: Marvel Studio

Wanda Maximoff, Elizabeth Olsen's character, has the extraordinary ability to control both minds and matter, and she first appeared in the MCU in Avengers: Age of Ultron. She does, however, have trouble with employing her talents, which has occasionally hampered her performance.
In an interview with BBC Radio 1, Olsen said that she produces sounds when casting her abilities with her hands. She had to remind herself not to make any lip gestures while doing this since it would ruin the scene. "It was something I was quite self-conscious about," she admitted.

12. Captain Marvel Was Supposed To Appear At The End Of The film.

Source: Marvel Studio

After Age of Ultron, a sequence featuring all of the new Avengers members appears, suggesting who will be joining the team in the future. War Machine, Wanda Maximoff, Falcon, and Vision were among the guests. To be fair, that's a formidable lineup, but it's missing one Avenger, and if Joss Whedon had his way, Captain Marvel would have joined the ranks of Earth's Mightiest Heroes alongside the other newly-admitted members.
Whedon even had time to film some visual effects plates to build up the action, which was included in the screenplay. It was eventually discarded, and Wanda now stands in the spot where Carol Danvers would have been introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The studio declined to include her because it was felt that she would need to be introduced in greater depth than simply tossing her in after the film would have sufficed, which makes sense given that the typical audience at the time probably didn't know anything about Captain Marvel.

13. In 'Age of Ultron,' There's a Touch of 'Buffy.'

Source: Marvel Studio

There's more going on in the film than simply Marvel, but you'd only notice if you were a die-hard admirer of another Joss Whedon creation: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Whedon is well-known for his work on the series, and he couldn't resist throwing in an Easter Egg referencing his prior work, as many directors do.
Thor is sent to a distorted version of Asgard when he has his vision in the pool, where dark imagery includes The Wolf, The Ram, and the Hart, which is a tribute to Buffy.

14. Wanda Maximoff Wasn't Joss Whedon's First Choice For Elizabeth Olsen.

Source: Marvel Studio

If there's one thing that most fans can agree on, it's that Elizabeth Olsen was an excellent choice for Wanda Maximoff. Her debut appearance in character was in Age of Ultron, and she's since reinforced her spot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with WandaVision and Doctor Strange: The Multiverse of Madness.
As it turns out, Olsen wasn't Joss Whedon's initial pick for the part, and he had another actress in mind: Saoirse Ronan.

15. 'The Modern Prometheus' Is 'Age of Ultron'

Source: Marvel Studio

None of the inspirations for the production of Age of Ultron are more evident than Mary Shelley's most renowned novel, Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus. All you have to do is watch the movie to see it, but who the enemy is (hint: it's not Ultron) isn't immediately apparent to all spectators. The ultimate villain of the narrative, just as in the book, isn't the monster; it's the guy who created it in the first place.