Avengers: Age of Ultron Stars Announced

Marvel Studios confirm two more returning members of the World's Greatest Heroes and the man who'll stand against them...
Marvel Studios have today announced the names of three further cast members in their upcoming superhero film sequel Avengers: Age of Ultron. This second ensemble piece promises to be one of the biggest entries in the already-impressive ranks of 2015, matching up against Superman Vs. Batman, Bond 24, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2 and Star Wars Episode VII in perhaps the hottest competition in the history of cinema.

First and foremost on the announcement roster is that James Spader (Frasier, Stargate, The Office USA) will take on the role of Ultron in the much-anticipated follow up. The movie's titular antagonist is an esteemed member of the leagues of villains in the Marvel comic-book universe- originally created by Hank Pym (Ant-Man), this deadly robotic menace went rogue and eventually became the most powerful and destructive creature on the planet Earth. Writer and director Joss Whedon has confirmed that the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Ultron will not be the work of Pym, although that doesn't rule out a cameo for Ant-Man's alter-ego ahead of his own heroic début in Edgar Wright's Ant-Man later in 2015.

As if that news weren't enough in itself, the studio has also provided confirmation (via IGN) of two returning cast members reprising their roles from the 2012 best-selling film Avengers Assemble. Both Chris Evans and Chris Hemsworth will be back for further adventures as Captain America and Thor respectively in this second instalment. Evans was taken as a given for proceedings, with his original Marvel Studios contract allocating him six appearances and only three of those having been completed so far. It is rumoured that the ex-Human Torch did renegotiate this contract in recent months and that Hemsworth only wants the contract on his own financial terms, yet with Robert Downey Jr confirmed for both this film and Marvel's The Avengers 3, a compromise for those two motion pictures seems inevitable.

Avengers: Age of Ultron assembles in cinemas worldwide on May 1st, 2015.