10 Upcoming Blockbusters That Could Massively Disappoint

2. Avengers: Age Of Ultron (May 1, 2015)

Everybody knew that The Avengers was going to be a monster hit, but the fact that it went on to become the third highest-grossing movie in history still took many by surprise. Such success only creates higher expectations, and Joss Whedon's upcoming sequel has set an incredibly high bar for itself. With Marvel now the biggest and most commercially successful brand in Hollywood, Age of Ultron is definitely going to do huge numbers at the box office but it remains to be seen whether the movie itself can match the high quality of the studio's recent efforts Captain America: The Winter Solider and Guardians of the Galaxy. While The Avengers is inarguably one of the most purely enjoyable and crowd-pleasing blockbusters in recent memory, the movie doesn't hold up all that great on repeat viewings. Whedon's ear for dialogue, characterization and talent with ensemble casts are undeniable, but there is plenty to nitpick about The Avengers. The first act is actually pretty dull and the narrative doesn't really kick into gear until the titular team is assembled, while several plot threads are tied up in an unconvincing manner, with others dropped completely without explanation. That being said, the third act Battle of New York is one of the most spectacular action sequences seen in any blockbuster, full of little character moments amongst the jaw-dropping destruction of the Big Apple. The trick in making a great sequel is not repeating the same formula, but there are still several reasons why Age of Ultron could disappoint. The most obvious one is that following the events of The Winter Soldier, the plot will need to strictly adhere to the continuity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and could suffer from the exposition needed to address HYDRA's infiltration of SHIELD, along with the disappearance of Nick Fury. Then there is the rapidly expanding cast; along with the returning roster of Earth's Mighties Heroes the movie also adds Ultron, Vision, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Baron Von Strucker and even Don Cheadle's James Rhodes. Jeremy Renner was completely lost in the shuffle during the last movie, and by adding that many new characters at least one of them is bound to suffer a similar fate. Given the popularity of the character and the enormous paycheck required to get him to sign a new contract, a lot of screentime will need to be devoted to Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark as it seems he will be responsible for the creation of both Ultron and Vision, while both Renner and Mark Ruffalo have claimed their roles will be expanded in the sequel. Given the amount of characters jostling for position along with the vast amount of plot and backstory required for the new additions, it will require the best writing of Joss Whedon's career to ensure that Avengers: Age of Ultron doesn't get bogged down in narrative contrivances between each massive action scene.