The Avengers: Age Of Ultron trailer hit last night, and everyone is still talking about just how good it was. With promises of an epic scope, as well as a premise that looks like it mixes The Empire Strikes Back with Frankenstein, it's hard not to keep thinking about just what's at stake in the first look to next year's most anticipated blockbuster. James Spader's portrayal of Ultron is, in no small part, responsible for the infatuation. With a cool, steely demeanor -- and tons of hatred for humanity to spare -- we're just starting to get a look at how much of a fanatic Ultron really is.
If Total Film's interview with Spader himself is any indication, we're going to see a lot more craziness from Ultron as the gap between now and release day closes. Perhaps the best indicator of just how dangerously unhinged Ultron really is comes from the following quote explaining the differences between James Spader's character of Red Reddington on The Blacklist and Ultron.
"Ultron takes abrupt turns in scenes. Red isn't pyschopathic but Ultron is. Yes, he is psychopathic. He's really batshit crazy!"
Oh if only that was a video, as it must have been a hysterical joy to hear Spader use a word like, "batshit." But batshit is definitely what Ultron is, especially when being considered next to Red. Red is a smart ass who can be lethal when he has to be, whereas Ultron is locked into his "can't stop, won't stop" mindset of conquering humanity and granting the world a truly lasting peace. Though don't expect him to start out that way, as even James Spader admits that Ultron's going to have to do some learning before he goes full tilt.
"In many ways he's a child, [Ultron], because he's a brand new being who's just come to be. And yet, through artificial intelligence, he has an incredible capacity for knowledge. So he's a very powerful, smart child."
Ultron as a villain is something that the Marvel Cinematic Universe could seriously use at a time like this. With their villains being soundly criticized for their methodology, their motivation, and sometimes even their portrayal; it's nice to see that Marvel has something in store that looks like it addresses each one of those criticisms.
In fact, The Avengers: Age Of Ultron looks like it's going to usher in an era of darker, more sinister/threatening Marvel films... at least for the time being. With Civil War looming in the horizon, there's going to have to be some massive fallout from whatever happens in The Avengers: Age Of Ultron before the world starts to turn on the heroes that once stood for everything we longed to be. What better way to welcome this age of dramatic upset than to introduce James Spader onto the playing field, and to let him truly go batshit.
The Avengers: Age Of Ultron opens in theaters on May 1, 2015.
