2. Executing Ultron
Choosing Ultron as the villain for Avengers 2 was a wise move. He's one of the most iconic Avenger villains, he's enough of a threat to warrant being a main antagonist for major Hollywood blockbuster, and to be honest he looks cool enough to really get excited about seeing him come to life. But just because the character itself has all of that going for it doesn't mean Ultron will necessarily translate on to film well. Arguably the biggest challenge Joss Whedon is going to face with filming Avengers: Age of Ultron is bringing Ultron to life. Remember what we're talking about here Ultron is a nihilist with a severe Nietsche/Kierkegaardian complex, with a splash of daddy issues. There's complexity to this character, layers that can easily be lost in the fact that he's also a crazy robot death machine. But the motivations at the heart of Ultron are also a hard sell to an audience. A robot that decides to purify the Earth of organic life sounds all well and good, but making that work on screen without sounding too cartoony will be a difficult balance to strike. And then there's the role HYDRA plays in all this how will they be part of Ultron's plan? Will they be a part of it at all? A good antagonist is a cornerstone of any story, and for comic book movies which are inherently defined by a protagonist overcoming the threat of an antagonist the villain is arguably the most important part of the story. If Ultron isn't handled with care and respect, Age of Ultron runs the risk of falling flat. But then again when it comes to respecting these characters, Joss Whedon has a history. And signing James Spader for the role is a step in the right direction I mean, he may not have had any star power since Stargate, but the man's default voice is creepy enough to do the job. But, there is still one pressing issue left with Age of Ultron that if not calculated correctly will leave a lot of people with a very bad taste in their mouth.