Joss Whedon never will be mistaken for J.J. Abrams, the king of the frustrating "Mystery Box." But the director of The Avengers: Age of Ultron has been keeping a few tricks up his sleeve as he prepares to unleash his sequel on the masses in May. Late last year, there was that glorious trailer introducing the next major threat for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes – Ultron (voiced by James Spader). And now we have learned that we are days away from a new, longer trailer that will run during the first annual college football championship. Great placement, Marvel. Win, win.
But what could we possibly see in this new Avengers trailer that we haven’t yet been shown? Plenty, actually. Whedon’s movie promises to be larger in scope than his original The Avengers, mainly because he has an entire Phase Three he needs to help set up. Here, watch this bad boy one more time:
And then scan through the five biggest things we still need to see more of as we prepare for The Avengers: Age of Ultron.
The Vision
There have been hints. Even recently, we ran promo images that showcased the newest member of The Avengers. But we haven’t seen Paul Bettany in action as The Vision, and a new trailer could rectify that. The Vision is an early member of the team (in the comics, he joined in the 1970s), and will be one of the most exciting additions to this revised Avengers line up. Given his relationship with Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), he could be a significant character moving forward. So will we get to see more of him in the next trailer? Or will Whedon really choose to "hide" his creation until May?
Asgard
This section gets a little spoilery, and likely deals with content that will happen in the third act of The Avengers: Age of Ultron. But by the end of Whedon’s sequel, we expect Chris Hemsworth’s God of Thunder to be called back to Asgard, where the onset of Ragnarok will occupy his time. Idris Elba has talked about filming scenes with Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston for The Avengers 2. A quick Asgard shot could tease the scope of Whedon’s sequel, and keep casual fans guessing.
HYDRA, And Baron Wolfgang von Strucker
In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the "Big Bad" was revealed to be HYDRA. We even saw Baron Wolfgang von Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann) in the mid-credits sequence of Joe and Anthony Russo’s movie. HYDRA, we learn, is in possession of Loki’s staff – and the power it wields. The Baron reveals that there are other facilities doing "HYDRA’s good work around the world," and that might be where Captain America was infiltrating in the first Avengers tease. Will we get a better idea of the super group’s evil plans, and the "Age of Miracles?" Let’s hope.
The Avengers Training Academy
This bit of information was revealed in exclusive set footage we ran last year. It showed how the Avengers might be setting up a new system to police the entire planet – perhaps in response to the global threat Ultron proved to be We saw cadets… Avengers in training jogging around a concourse while Thor (Hemsworth) and Cap (Chris Evans) discussed something. Will we get a better picture of the Avengers Training Academy? Could we get to a point where the Avengers need recruits for their army? And will those people be ready to fight when Thanos comes a’callin?
Andy Serkis’ Character… Or, More Of Him
Who is he playing? What role will he have in Age of Ultron, and Marvel’s Phase Three? We are intrigued by the above shot of Andy Serkis because, in a rare instance, the actor isn’t coated in mo-cap dots. He’s playing a real person, and possibly someone who can change the direction of the MCU. The next trailer for Age of Ultron could reveal Serkis’ identity, and maybe shine a light on his impact on the team. Eric has a theory on Serkis’ possible identity in The Avengers 2. Is he right? Does Black Panther have reason to worry?
