Joss Whedon has given an extensive interview with IGN about the creative process that has gone into the newest most prominent characters in The Avengers Age of Ultron.
Apparently, Whedon knew very early on that he wanted to have Ultron and Vision in an Avengers movie and he clearly he pictured Paul Bettany as Vision 3 years before he could ever talk to Paul about it (cheek bones). He’s also excited to bring Pietro, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver into the mix. Their powers don’t revolve so closely around punching and throwing their weight around, mixes up the palate, in Whedon’s words.
IGN asked specifically about Ultron’s character and James Spader’s performance.
“Well, Ultron feels a certain distance from humanity, and the day Spader got here we put on the mocap pajamas, a giant thing with red dots on it for his eye line, and, you know, giant pack, and a helmet with two cameras in his face with lights to record his performance. He then did a scene with Scarlett [Johansson]. But she did not look him in the eye because she was looking up in his eye line, nor could he see her because he had two lights shining in his face, and he had his glasses on. Therefore, he [Spader] has a certain distance from humanity, too. And god bless him, he was wonderful. And very game. And has been the whole time. He’s very interested in the mechanics of the mechanics. And finding the humanity. He and I share a genuine love of this version of Ultron, and he has an innate eccentricity in his delivery that is everything that I had hoped Ultron would be.”
Whedon also goes into plenty of details about new directions/revelations that already established Avengers will be taking in the sequels, the general theme of being strong but damaged by power and how Whedon doesn’t feel much pressure from SONY or from Marvel’s creative director to change what he’s doing himself. Such as Quicksilver already being done once in Days of Future Past.
It’s quite an extensive interview that you can check out in its entirety here! Marvel’s Avengers Age of Ultron is surely going to knock our socks off in theaters May 2015.
