Avengers: Age Of Ultron - 11 Ways It Was Almost Completely Different
Abomination sized things that almost changed the MCU even more.
It's only been a couple of days since Avengers: Age Of Ultron legitimately released into cinemas around the world, but the sequel has already generated a huge amount of box office money and is well on course to break the billion dollar barrier that its predecessor managed.
Whether it's worth that sort of return depends on how you feel about the film, really: some have waxed lyrical about it being a great example of blockbuster film-making and spectacle, while others have been less than enthused, citing source mangling as a major concern. Neither extreme is entirely right (it's an easy four star film experience, but it's flawed), but as more films like Fast & Furious 7 pull in ludicrously high returns, it definitely deserves to compete as one of the highest box office draws of the year.
And while Ultron hasn't even announced himself properly to American audiences, it's interesting to look back as a privileged European cinema fan at how different the film could have been before most of its primary audience have even seen it. Because it seems that Joss Whedon had some plans for the sequel that could have changed the shape of the film - and indeed of the MCU - entirely.
11. Thanos Was Almost The Villain
Initially Joss Whedon wanted Thanos to be the villain for his Avengers sequel, which might explain why the alien super-villain was teased at the end of the predecessor, a full 6 years before he'll actually get top billing in Infinity War.
That plan changed when Whedon had the revelation that Ultron was the perfect villain for the Avengers:
"He's got a bee in his bonnet, he's always trying to destroy the Avengers! He's not a happy guy, which means he's an interesting guy. He's got pain."
Would It Have Worked?
Well, it will eventually, but the slow-play of setting up Thanos and giving the Infinity Stones stories more time to weave through the rest of the MCU makes a lot of sense.
Clearly Ultron is a more fractured villain and reflects the PTSD state of most of the Avengers and SHIELD after the events of The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It fits that the villain would reflect that, rather than just being a supreme threat when the Avengers themselves weren't capable of dealing with that.