James Spader cast as Ultron in THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

James Spader cast as Ultron in THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

Not content to sit back and let DC get all of the spotlight with the casting of Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne / Batman, Marvel has now announced that James Spader (STARGATE, LINCOLN) has been cast as the titular villain, Ultron, in the 2015 sequel to the highest grossing superhero film of all time.  Joss Whedon is returning to the director’s chair for the sequel which he is also writing.

Ultron

James Spader

In the comics, Ultron is a creation of Hank Pym / Ant-Man, but for the villain’s introduction into the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), Whedon is changing up the origin of the world-dominating robot.  Many are speculating that Ultron will be an accidental creation of Tony Stark’s with possibly Paul Bettany’s Jarvis becoming the nasty villain.  An interesting theory.  Jarvis is already different than he is in the comics (he’s a real-life butler much like Batman’s Alfred), but the change has made sense for the films.  This may be just a logical transition.

Keep in mind, this is only a theory and by no means being reported as factual (Jarvis becoming Ultron, that is) and with James Spader being cast as Ultron (this is factual), it might serve to disprove this theory, but in my opinion, the theory still holds strong.  The transition from helpful A.I. Jarvis to the villainous A.I. Ultron could see the modulated voice change from Paul Bettany to James Spader.

Here is the official release from Marvel:

 

James Spader will face off against Earth’s Mightiest Heroes as the  villain in Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the sequel to 2012’s  record-breaking “Marvel’s The Avengers.” The Emmy Award-winning actor will play  Ultron in the Avengers’ much anticipated return to the big screen from  writer/director Joss Whedon. The film comes to theaters on May 1,  2015. 

Spader earned three Emmy Awards for his role as Alan Shore on  “Boston Legal” and “The Practice,” and will return to television this fall in  NBC’s highly anticipated series “The Blacklist.” Most recently Spader was seen  in the critically-acclaimed film “Lincoln” directed by Steven Spielberg and has  previously worked with a long list of accomplished film directors including  David Cronenberg, Curtis Hansen, Sidney Lumet, Mike Nichols, Tim Robbins, Robert  Rodriguez, Steven Soderbergh, and Oliver Stone.  David Mamet also directed  Spader in the Broadway play Race.

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” will bring the Marvel Universe’s biggest  heroes together again to face one of their biggest villains, with “Marvel’s The  Avengers” director Joss Whedon returning to write and direct the sequel.  “Marvel’s The Avengers” was released in 2012 and went on to earn $1.5 billion  worldwide, making it the third-largest grossing movie of all time.

Spader is represented by ICM Partners and his lawyer Melanie Cook  at Ziffren Brittenham.

 

What are your thoughts on this casting?  What is your thoughts on the theory of Jarvis to Ultron?  Be sure to let us know in the comments below.

 

THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON is set to hit theaters on May 1, 2015.

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About the Author

Jim is an avid movie enthusiast, representing the general movie going audience, looking at movies for their entertainment value as opposed to their critical weight. He enjoys the escapism that movies provide. He is a fan of all genre's of movies, but gravitates toward comic-based movies, summer "popcorn" flicks and over-the-top comedies as his preference.