Ranking Every MCU Phase 2 Movie From Worst To Best
4. Avengers: Age Of Ultron
Unfortunately for Joss Whedon, when you've written and directed the highest-grossing comic book movie of all time that doubles as one of the most enjoyable summer blockbusters in recent years, expectations are going to be almost impossibly high for the follow-up. Even though it runs at 141 minutes, it seems like a lot of Age Of Ultron was left on the cutting-room floor, with the result being an action-packed if overstuffed sequel.
As well as the returning Avengers, the movie also introduces several new characters and some recurring MCU staples, resulting in a number of underdeveloped plot points. Thor basically gets nothing to do except kick some ass and experience some tonally-jarring visions of the future, Quicksilver gets less than a dozen lines and then becomes one of the few MCU characters to actually die and stay dead, while both the romance between Black Widow and Hulk along with Hawkeye's secret family feel forced and unnecessary.
Despite these shortcomings, Whedon once again fills the script with one-liners and witty dialogue, while the action sequences deliver in spades; from the thrilling opening assault in Sokovia to the epic (yet airborne once again) climactic battle via the city-leveling smackdown between Hulk and Iron Man, Age Oof Ultron is pure popcorn entertainment, yet still doesn't really bring anything new to the table bar a rejigged roster of Avengers.