Avengers: Age Of Ultron - 32 Easter Eggs, In-Jokes And References
Everything you need to see in Whedon's breathless blockbuster.
What a ride. Considering the responsibility Joss Whedon had to tie up the Phase 2 and launch into arguably the busiest and most complex phase of the MCU, the fact that he managed even a slight success with Age Of Ultron is no small achievement.
That he made a film as entertaining as his first Avengers movie, with a greater villain, more narrative depth and even more action is downright stunning. Yes, it has its flaws, and it doesn't quite scale the heights of Guardians Of The Galaxy or The Winter Soldier, but it is a breathless, brilliant blockbuster, and a fine full-stop to this chapter of the MCU.
Inevitably, fans will turn their attention to picking back over the film in great detail as soon as they've seen it, remembering comic book references, Easter Eggs and in-jokes to share with fellow fans.
And while Whedon may have claimed that there aren't a ton of Easter Eggs in the film, such is the lore of comic book movies and the relationship with the source that Age Of Ultron is still fairly stacked. And there are some great nods and winks to fans along the way...
32. The Source Comics
Despite the name, there's very little of the original Age of Ultron comic in the film - the name was simply chosen because it sounded cool. It's more based on an amalgamation of comics.
Ultron's origin comes from Avengers volume 1, issues 54-58 and the Twins as terrorists who heel turn to join the Avengers comes from Avengers #16, and the characters are closely based on the Marvel Ultimates iterations. There are also elements of the killer AI Sentient Armor story-line (Iron Man vol.3 #26-30), and Ultron's multiple bodies and upgrading comes straight from Ultron Unlimited.
Additionally, Joss Whedon admitted that both The Godfather Part II and Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back were major inspirations for the film.