In news that makes perfect sense when you think about it, Marvel has announced that James Spader has been cast as the maniacal sentient robot Ultron in Avengers: Age of Ultron. This comes as a different sort of role for the actor, who generally plays maniacal human beings. Marvel did not reveal whether or not Spader would be performing motion-capture, as Mark Ruffalo does to play The Hulk or Vin Diesel will do for Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy, or just providing his voice to the character. Regardless, it’s sure to be unnerving. Slap a cardboard box robot costume on Spader and it would probably still be an effective villain.
Spader seems well-suited for the role, which writer-director Joss Whedon modified just a bit (as our own Scott Beggs recently wrote about). Think of Ultron as artificial intelligence with a God complex. He’s a robot with feelings. Horrible, horrible feelings. But he’s also no longer magical:
“He’s always trying to destroy the Avengers, goddamn it, he’s got a bee in his bonnet, Whedon said. “He’s not a happy guy, which means he’s an interesting guy. He’s got pain. And the way that manifests is not going to be standard robot stuff. So we’ll take away some of those powers because at some point everybody becomes magic, and I already have someone [a new character, Scarlet Witch] who’s a witch. As a character I love him because he’s so pissed off.”
Of course, people will love to see Spader and Robert Downey Jr. together again on screen, if you’re someone who happens to enjoy the films of the 1980’s and beautiful feathered hair (I am). Just be grateful that both men have made far better sartorial and career choices since then, if their participation in this franchise is any massive indication.
Avengers: Age of Ultron is in theaters May 1, 2015. [via EW]
Related Topics: Joss Whedon
