Spare a thought for director Joss Whedon: it must be a challenge juggling a cast as dazzling as the Avengers.

Any one of the stars of his new movie Avengers: Age of Ultron has the pulling power to front their own movie. Indeed, most of them do so within the so-called Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It kicked off with 2008’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jnr and proceeded through two Captain America movies, two Thors, a further two Iron Mans, The Incredible Hulk and 2012’s Avengers Assemble, which brought the mega cast together on screen for the first time.

The list of names in this week’s release includes Downey Jnr, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Samuel L Jackson, Elizabeth Olsen, Jeremy Renner, Aaron Taylor Johnson and Paul Bettany.

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Chris Hemsworth at Thor, Robert Downey Jnr as Tony Stark/Iron Man and Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America.

Clearly there are going to be constraints when it comes to sharing screen time and developing each character within their already set-up worlds.

At a press conference in London today, Whedon shrugged off any difficulties.

He said: “It is easier and harder. There are restrictions but a lot of the questions have already been answered. You know going in what you have got to work with so it is a bit of a comfort actually.”

Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye) said: “I think it is a huge, huge testament to Joss to be able to write a movie to put all of these characters, who are all extremely interesting and flawed and fantastic [into one film].

“It’s like a chess board and you need all of these pieces for any of it to make sense. I’m very appreciative that we’re able to dive a little bit deeper into the characters a bit more.”

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Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye.

Filmed largely at Shepperton Studios in Surrey - with scenes very recognisably shot at the Rivoli Ballroom in Brockley, Dover Castle in Kent and Surrey’s Bourne Wood – Age of Ultron takes the already excellent Avengers Assemble and turns it up another notch.

The superhero team face possible world destruction from an artificial intelligence – Ultron (James Spader) – that was created by Downey Jnr’s Tony Stark/Iron Man and intended as a tool for world peace.


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Whedon said he had no hesitation in bringing in the robot foe for this movie.

He said: “I said we should put Ultron in the second movie before I decided to make the first movie.

“He is big, he’s powerful, he’s angry, he’s metal, he’s strong enough to take these guys on and he’s been angry for so long that I think he may be a little unhinged."

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Joss Whedon instructs Jeremy Renner how to fire his bow.

As well as a top baddie, Whedon’s script also found room to develop his characters.

In Age of Ultron, we learn more about Renner’s Hawkeye while Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner/Hulk takes a central role and gets close to Johansson’s Black Widow.

For the cast, that was one of the key elements of the film.

Chris Evans (Captain America) said: “It was nice seeing the intimate moments between Scarlett and Ruffalo and this challenged relationship among a team of superheroes, where you don’t get to see romance – especially within the group.”

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Newbies: Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Quicksilver) and Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch)

Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Quicksilver), who confessed his inspiration growing up was New Cross actor Gary Oldman, said: “It was great to dive into Mark Ruffalo’s character and I think in the Hulk you see such a sensibility in that beast and it was quite an emotional journey.”

Ruffalo and Whedon even teased the potential of more Hulk on our screens, though stopped short of actually announcing a stand alone movie.

“Do you want to tell them?” Ruffalo teased, looking at Whedon.

“No, you go,” Whedon said.

“I can’t,” he replied, archly. “It’s too amazing.”

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Mark Ruffalo is Bruce Banner/The Hulk

While the Hulk has a future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, for now Joss Whedon is leaving future movies to other writers and directors.

He said: “I don’t think I’ll ever get that far away from it because I love it so much.
“After my long rest, I plan a longer rest and possibly an eternal rest.

“I have no immediate plans, which is the best thing I’ve ever said.”

Despite his plans to vacate the director’s chair, Whedon believes Marvel’s long-term plan (11 more movies planned) is sustainable.

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Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow

He said: “The thing I love about Marvel Comics is the thing I love about what (producer) Kevin Feige is doing with Marvel Universe, is that he approaches every movie as a completely new idea, as a movie of some particular genre that happens to have superheroes in it.

“He’s not interested in creating a formula.

“He’s interested in creating a universe, so as long as he can stay alive – which I think is probably a few months more – it has legs.

“As long as somebody who really cares is at the head trying to create new versions of superhero movies and not just fall into a pattern then it can sustain for quite a while.”

Avengers: Age of Ultron (12a) is out Thursday (April 23)