Evolution of Superhero Movies: Avengers & Age of Ultron Comparative Study

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MCU’s Evolution: From Iron Man to Avengers Unite

Since 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has continuously grown with each passing year. On May 4, 2012, The Avengers had its worldwide release as it was the first movie to incorporate all the heroes into one movie. Avengers: Age of Ultron, the eleventh MCU film, was released on May 1, 2016, as it tried to top its predecessor, The Avengers. I believe that Age of Ultron is a completely different movie. First, its subject of focus is structured. Differently, some characters are thrown in some unexpected directions, it brings up new topics, and its box office numbers are where they should be.

Since there are constant superhero films, it’s time for the superhero film to evolve. Avengers: Age of Ultron attempts this with mixed success. By comparing and contrasting The Avengers with the Age of Ultron, we can then see the evolution. First, I decided to look at both of the Avengers storylines. Kevin Feige, the head producer of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, decided to break down the film by phases and patterns. The MCU all started in 2008 with Iron Man, directed by Jon Favreau. This was a significant success, and it was the reason Kevin Feige decided to go full throttle with the MCU. As the years went on, the MCU introduced all types of heroes before uniting them in the first Avengers film.

Avengers Assembled: Balancing Heroes and Humanity

The first Avengers film, written and directed by Joss Whedon, was clearly a risky experiment. Yes, Whedon didn’t have to introduce any of the characters, but he did have to find a way to fit them all together. He had to create a threat big enough to force these vast personalities together while still being on track with the larger MCU plan. The Avengers began with Loki, the god of Mischief, receiving a scepter from an alien being. Loki would then come to Earth, forcing Nick Fury and his S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to bring together the heroes into a team. The team consisted of Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and Nick Fury, as Loki was on the verge of attacking Earth.

The hardest job was to make sure there was a balance between the heroes and Loki, keeping them all busy. I’m not sure how, but Whedon was very successful at that. For example, Captain America had to deal with his new life in the 21st century, Bruce Banner was working on his self-control, Black Widow brought Banner into the fold and took out a rogue Hawkeye, and Thor tried to return his brother. Although a large portion of the movie focuses on Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man. In the end, he was the one who started it all and ended up saving the world. Still, the other heroes still played a huge and significant part in the final battle. Even Hawkeye and Widow, the only powerless members, take down an extensive amount of aliens. The best part of the movie has to go to Hulk smashing Loki like a doll.

The reason why I say Iron Man saved the world is that he was the one who pushed the nuclear warhead through a black hole, risking his life. Despite being a superhero movie, The Avengers focused on the humanity in the heroes. They argue, show weaknesses, and sometimes fail to save each other. Yes, we love the action in the film, but it’s the characters we fall in love with. It’s their flaws mixed with their talents that make them attractive. The Avengers was a very character-driven story, which was something I didn’t expect. Unlike The Avengers, the Age of Ultron did not have the benefit of being the first movie. Being the first movie allows the director to use an idea and take any path desired.

Ultron’s Rise: New Threats and Character Dynamics

So the new factor, which was a big part of its success, wasn’t there to cut some slack off the movie. This means Whedon had to balance this movie with all its new additions. Age of Ultron opened up with the team already in battle, trying to retrieve back Loki’s scepter from Hydra. We see the team take out plenty of enemies, in sync, with ease. We also meet two new characters known as the Maximoff twins. The twins, who were meant to guard the scepter, allow Iron Man to take it, hoping the Avengers would destroy themselves with it. With the scepter in Avengers’ hands, Stark and Banner study it in hopes of creating an artificial peacekeeping intelligence known as Ultron. After several failed attempts, Stark and Banner leave to let J.A.R.V.I.S run tests on his own.

While the Avengers were celebrating a victory, making jokes, and even challenging each other, the Ultron system turned on. Unfortunately, Ultron’s programming believed the Avengers were not in the picture of world peace. Ultron embodying a beat-up robotic body tells the Avengers that they are afraid of change. He believed that they needed to evolve, which, to Ultron, was their extinction. This could have been a nod to the superhero genre as well as humanity. Ultron then releases a small army before building himself a stronger body. While the Avengers get on Stark for putting the world in danger, Ultron finds the Maximoffs twins, persuading them to join him. With new characters, like the twins, there needed to be space to show who these characters were while not taking away too much film time.

As the film was under three hours, it was challenging. Whedon decided to focus on groups of characters throughout the film. Ultron and the Maximoffs, for a time, played the role of antagonists and caused rifts between group members. Stark and Banner created Ultron and later Vision. Captain America/Steve Rogers and former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill become the lawmakers of the team. Hawkeye and his wife provide comfort for the team while trying to balance his home and work life. And Widow and Banner face their inner turmoil and develop somewhat of a romance. Towards the end of the film Vision, the android Stark and Banner are trying to create, joins them and has philosophical debates with Ultron about humanity.

Character Evolution: Transformation of Iron Man and Others

Thor was the only character really on his own, and for some audience members, this felt odd. Whereas the first film saved the majority of its action sequences for the middle and end, Age of Ultron is, in many ways, one long action sequence. In Age of Ultron, reflection time is minimal, and when it occurs, it happens in groups of two instead of character by character. Although, this left room for the characters to showcase their best in battle and have their action segments for the most part. In the movie, it took Iron Man, Thor, and Vision to take out Ultron. Age of Ultron is a far more team-oriented film than the first one. It is balanced between teams and not between single characters. Some argue this was a bad idea, as it seemed to shortchange their favorite characters, although some preferred longer spaces between action sequences.

All in all, though, the film had to find a new way to tell its story and pull a new focus. The reason why we are so interested in these movies is that we feel connected to the characters. This is because of the tremendous amount of character development. Character development is arguably the most critical part of creating a cinematic universe. In superhero films, there is this stigma that the characters never change. This can be true, but it certainly doesn’t apply to all of them. For example, for heroes to survive for such a long time, they need to evolve. They need to be thrown through the wringer to learn, grow and become more. Both Avengers films have an immense amount of character development but not for all of the characters.

The characters that have changed the most from film to film are Iron Man, Black Widow, and Thor. Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man, is the one hero all audiences know. He had three solo films and is the center star of the MCU. Stark, a self-centered genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist, isn’t much of a team player, especially since he is the leader. He’s been so caught up with his own life that he can’t imagine a threat other than aliens. In the first Avengers film, Stark doesn’t have any trust or respect for his teammates. He tells Cap, “We are not soldiers.” His whole perspective changed when he discovered his careless actions caused the death of his friend, Agent Coulson. He decides to join the team and puts his trust in them with not only his life but the lives of civilians.

Character Journeys: Stark’s Evolution and Widow’s Complex Development

He believed in them so much that he was willing to sacrifice himself. After the events of the first film, Tony suffers from post-traumatic stress. In Age of Ultron, Tony’s fear controls him, as can be seen throughout all his choices. While under the spell of Wanda, one of the twins, he becomes paranoid that he’s not doing enough. He fears he will lose not only his friends but also Earth. This leads to the creation of Ultron. It appears that Stark hasn’t changed that much till you get to the end of the film when he’s working hand-in-hand with the team. He tells Cap and the rest of the team that they’re gonna stop Ultron together. Even when it came to the end of the fight, he stopped Ultron with Thor and the Vision.

Currently, his trust in his team is stronger than ever, and that’s something we all can enjoy. Black Widow, also known as Natasha Romanoff, is a small yet important character in the MCU. Her first appearance was in Iron Man 2, where she seemed to be an emotionless spy. She was basically a pawn in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s game until The Avengers. In The Avengers, we learned a lot more personal information about her. She told Loki about some of her history with the Russian government and the remorse she felt for the lives she took. She brings up that she’d like to wipe out the red in her ledger. We also get more insight into her friendship with Hawkeye, whom she was trying to get back from Loki’s mind control. Not only that, we see her frightened by the Hulk, where we see her personality for the first time.

She turned out to be quite an interesting character in the MCU. Although, in Age of Ultron, Widow’s characterization and development had a solid amount of negative criticism. In this film, unexpectedly, she develops romantic feelings toward Banner. Although her romance takes up a majority of her screen time, towards the end, she has some good moments. Once Wanda went into her mind, we saw how Romanoff was turned into a weapon by the Black Widow program. The program made her a killer leading to the red in her ledger. The program also forced her to be sterilized, a regret she speaks about with Banner. At the end of the movie, she and Banner have a chance to run away, but instead, she puts the team first. Even if she doesn’t feel like an Avenger, she wants to die as one. Moments like these make a character feel like a member of the team. In The Avengers, Thor’s role was pretty small. He was there to stop Loki and return him home. Other than that, he didn’t have anything else for use.

Thor’s Evolution: From Distant God to Key Player

He didn’t create any relationships with the rest of the team, which isn’t that bad. Although, at the same time, he is a god who doesn’t have much interest in them. His best scenes were with Loki, as they showed his compassion. Yet again, his personality was not much on display either. Fast forwarding to Age of Ultron, Thor seemed far more competent and entertaining. At the end of the day, Thor is a simple guy. He likes to drink, go into battle, and party. Whedon understood this and brought this to the movie. Midway through the film, Thor ends up leaving, planting seeds for the future movies in the MCU. The thing is, this gave Thor an actual task and made him a more significant character. At the same time, it separates him from the other members.

In Age of Ultron, Thor did build somewhat of a relationship with Vision, who models himself after Thor. One thing to add, Thor always has a significant part in battles, as his powers are extremely powerful. When it comes to the villains of both films, they have the hardest roles to fill. Not only do they have to be interesting and complex characters, but they have to be the ultimate threat. They have to be a threat so serious about uniting all the heroes together. Loki from The Avengers had it a little easier as he was priorly introduced in Thor’s movie. Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston, is both heartbreaking and menacing. Loki’s actions are based on his hatred towards his family and hatred of himself. He repeatedly lets Thor know he is not his brother and wasn’t, to begin with. Yet, you can still see his reach for Thor’s affection in the moments when Thor asks him to return home.

Loki may be soft at times, but he still brought down an attack by an alien army on Earth. Because of his actions, Agent Coulson was killed, and Hulk went crazy, some of the team’s biggest hurdles. When the trailer for Age of Ultron was released, Ultron made his first impressions while doing his rendition of the Pinocchio classic, “No Strings.” Ultron was voiced by James Spader, utilizing his voice of wonder. Ultron’s character philosophizes about humanity and his very existence. Whedon made Ultron charismatic and, at the same time, vicious on a dime. His hatred for Stark and his pity for humanity can be detected in every move he makes. His physical body, an imposing sleek metallic giant, would send anyone running for the hills. Although, Ultron doesn’t have a big impression on the Avengers. Yes, he cut off a piece of the city and forced Wanda to make the Avengers have a mental breakdown, but he isn’t complete without his weapon, Vision.

Themes of Depth and Transformation in Avengers Films

The Vision was stolen by the Avengers, and they turned out to be a hero. Still, Ultron was a remarkable character. One thing I’ve realized is that MCU films aren’t known for their depth. They are, a majority of the time, feel-good movies. Many critics have stated that comic book movies need to have more depth. Although, Avengers films are not entirely without depth. The first film added ideas of what makes a hero or soldier. Age of Ultron has a theme of becoming and or making a monster. I believe these themes are well explored through the characters and their development. I credit The Avengers for being able to put all the characters together. A man is running out of time, a rich genius, a rage monster, a god, a spy, and an archer. The team is, as Banner says, “a time bomb.” If you haven’t realized, none of them planned on being a superhero other than Stark. Their lives were forced upon them.

Throughout their experiences, the team comes to realize they aren’t the perfect soldier but still are heroes. A message we learn is that anyone could be a hero. In Age of Ultron, they introduce a villain created by the heroes. Ultron was created to protect the world so that the Avengers wouldn’t have to. Stark played with an alien source he had no idea how to control. He now created something that could possibly end the world. As Ultron tells the twins, “Everyone creates the thing they dread.” For example, aliens created the Avengers, and Avengers created villains. Throughout the movie, they make jokes about Ultron being Starks son when he somewhat is. Even Wanda states that they both are cocky and stubborn when it comes to their goals. Both Tony and Ultron want to “help” the world, but they don’t realize they are just destroying it.

For the other Avengers, Romanoff, and Banner feel like they were turned into monsters. Sadly for the twins, they were turned into “monsters” by circumstance. It doesn’t matter if it was an accident like Hulk or experimentation like the twins and Romanoff; it’s your choice if you want to be a monster or not. If you did something wrong accidentally or purposefully, you have some part of it, not just the “monster” in you. One scene that stood out was when Wanda was overwhelmed during the battle. She thought everything was her fault and had a mental breakdown. Then Hawkeye went on to tell her, “You step out that door, you are an Avenger,” and that it’s not her fault. Looking back, when Marvel released The Avengers film, it grossed $623.4 million in North America by itself.

Reflections on Evolution, Box Office, and Creativity in Avengers Films

Overseas, it was even more successful, where it made almost $900 million. In 2012, It was the highest-grossing film as it was also named the third biggest gross in all of film history. The Avengers were able to stay at the top until Fast and Furious Seven came out. For Age of Ultron, Its gross in the first week was $191.3 million worldwide. This means that it did not surpass the first Avengers film opening week, which was a surprise to many people. Some say it’s because it was on the same day as the boxing championship between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. The fight itself earned over $250 million that weekend. This still isn’t an excuse, but it’s just some factors that could have affected the sales. Age of Ultron is the eleventh out of a series of films. That means there’s been a lot of evolution since 2012. The number of actors involved has gotten significantly larger. The threats and enemies have gotten stronger.

And in total, the fan base increased and led to superhero films becoming mainstream. Since superhero films come out more often, does that mean non-comic book fans accept the movie? It doesn’t seem to be so due to the mixed reviews. Overall, I still believe superhero films can survive, constantly evolve, and add characters like in the Age of Ultron. Yes, there might not be a film that can match up to the success of The Avengers, but they can still aim to do big things.

Bringing it all together, the major differences between The Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron are in how it focuses on groups of two, themes, the adapting characterizations, and its box office numbers. After a movie like The Avengers, it will be hard to match it. The thing is, some people don’t want the MCU to take characters on a different path or minimize their screen time. In addition, finding an interesting new enemy could be hard. In conclusion, creating a product that pleases everyone is impossible, but it’s important to know that creators are willing to take risks. That’s why I give props to Age of Ultron, as it was brave enough to do so.

References:

Feige, K. (Producer). (2008). Iron Man.
Whedon, J. (Director & Writer). (2012). The Avengers.
Whedon, J. (Director & Writer). (2015). Avengers: Age of Ultron.

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