The Avengers: Age of Ultron Trailer: Scene Breakdown and Analysis

The first trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron was released early this week. Based on your reactions, it's been watched many times. But what is really going on here? You can imagine when it comes to putting together a first trailer for a highly anticipated movie, careful thought is put in. Looking closely at the trailer, it's obvious things are happening out of order.

We looked at the key scenes and put together our thoughts on it all. Just a warning, there might be potential spoilers below.

Opening Shot

There's a big scene of destruction in a city that is clearly not New York. Based on the shots, it appears to be Johannesburg, South Africa. This could play a key role in the movie, which we'll get into later.

Molten Metal

We can assume this is likely Ultron. Why is he covered in molten metal? Going along with the location in South Africa, it's possible that Vibranium and Wakanda are both involved. If Ultron is as highly intelligent as we assume he'll be, it makes perfect sense he'll want to ensure his body is as strong as it can be. Vibranium is found in Wakanda and this could also open the door for Black Panther appearing in the Cinematic Universe later.

City Ravaged

It looks like the same city from the opening has been attacked. One might think it was because of Ultron but based on the reactions and tones in the next scene and what happens later, it appears there might be something else, or someone else, that caused this destruction.

A Somber Group of Avengers

We get a look at the inside of a (new?) Quinjet. They don't look too happy and Banner especially looks concerned. Could it be the Hulk that caused the destruction? If so, you'd think they'd have him restrained with something more than just a blanket. Again, later parts of the trailer may suggest something more.

Someone Crashes the Dinner Party

We get our first full look at Ultron. He appears to have cobbled a body together from some of Tony Stark's armor and tech. You can see the look of concern from everyone. You'll also notice Rhodey is here. How much of War Machine will we see?

But there's more here too.

Others at this gathering include Black Widow and most likely Maria Hill. Is that Jane Foster next to Thor? Trying to enlarge the image doesn't tell us too much.

Road Trip

We see an undisclosed location. Iron Man and Captain America are there. Is this where Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver were seen, locked up, at the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier? It's possible they're there to liberate them. How did they find out about them? What lead them to this location? It appears they're too late.

Where Are the Others?

There are more attacks. We see the police with machine guns and tanks. Does this go back to the beginning? Are they firing upon a rampaging Hulk? It soon cuts to Banner, after being the Hulk, wandering through the woods. This could be where the Avengers picked him up and took him back on the Quinjet.

A second shot shows Black Widow alone in a big room. What's the significance of this? What used to be in this room? It's possible we'll be seeing more of her past. Through events in The Winter Soldier, her file became public knowledge. She might be trying to tie up loose ends to continue to make amends for what she did in the past.

The Twins

We know Baron Strucker was likely doing some sort of experiment on some "gifted" individuals at the end of The Winter Soldier. Those medial tools don't look too pleasing.

But why are Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch with Ultron?!? Was it Ultron that liberated them as part of his crazy scheme to make the world a better place through any means necessary? Is this why Iron Man and Cap were too late? It's possible the twins will work against the Avengers due to a big misunderstanding, thanks to Ultron. If Ultron did free them, they would owe him quite a bit.

Lots of Ultrons

This won't go well. Ultron has often created multiple bodies for himself. If he is able to control all of these, it's going to mean even more problems for the Avengers. They'll likely be able to dispatch them fairly easily and this could be why he seeks out adding a Vibranium shell to his body.

Thor Drops Mjolnir

The only time Thor has his hammer is in the beginning. Later he drops it. He isn't seen with it at any other point in the trailer. When their on the Quinjet or when he goes after Tony, where is it? Most likely it doesn't have anything to do with not being Worthy, as in the comic. But it is curious.

EDIT

Could this be some sort of trickery? Look at that column. Looks pretty fancy. What about in the background? What's that domed building? Is Thor on Asgard? Does he think he's on Asgard? Could he end up thinking he did something or is responsible for something and becomes unworthy?

It's all Tony's Fault

Tony explains that all he built has been destroyed. Looks like it might be casual Friday. We also see Nick Fury decided to turn up even though he's supposed to be in hiding.

Scarlet Witch is Not Happy

We know Scarlet Witch is dangerously powerful. Did she cause this destruction? Did her powers get out of control? We don't know how long she and Pietro have been locked up and tested on. Or did she just discover her family or friends have been killed? Again, it's likely this destruction is from an out of control Hulk. This could add to Wanda and Pietro wanting to go up against Hulk and the Avengers.

Fight!

This appears it could take place before Banner lost it and was picked up by the Avengers. We can see the police trying to stop him. Then he turns around to see Tony in a new armor.

It's the Hulkbuster armor. It even appears Tony added some arc reactors to the knees. It's likely a suit of this size will require a considerable more amount of power. The last thing you'd want is to run out of juice when fighting the Hulk.

We also see the new Quinjet, Quicksilver maybe fighting Cap, and Scarlet Witch unleashing her hex powers. Could Wanda have possibly used her powers to get Hulk to attack the city? It could also be possible that Quicksilver is trying to stop something that's attacking Cap.

Flashback I

This looks like a WWII flashback. How would this fit into the story? Are any of the Infinity Stones being used. Has Ultron somehow come across them and is sending the heroes into their past to play mind games with them? Could this be Howard Stark and Peggy Carter?

Who's This Guy?

Who is Andy Serkis playing in the movie? Why was this shot specifically chosen for the trailer? The safe money is that he'll be playing Ulysses Klaw. He's another connection to Wakanda and Black Panther.

What's Up With Thor?

It might look like just another gratuitous shirtless Thor scene. But what is really going on. It looks like he's in some sort of pain. Is Ultron torturing him? What happened to his shirt?

Time to Bond?

We know Black Widow and Hulk sort of have a connection. He did almost kill her on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier in the first movie. Could she be the key to getting him to get his anger in check?

Flashback II?

Natasha had her training by the Russian government and was placed in the "Black Widow Ops" program. Later she was training to be a ballerina but soon discovered some of her memories were due to brainwashing by the Russian government (see our 3-Minute Expert video HERE). Could this scene be a flashback to her training in the Red Room facility?

Yes, Hawkeye is in this Movie

He doesn't have too big a role in the trailer but he is seen a couple times.

Don't Make Thor Angry, You Wouldn't Like Him When He's Angry

What could Tony do to tick off Thor so much? Is it just because he accidentally created Ultron? Does something else happen, like perhaps to Jane, that causes Thor to grab Tony by the throat?

What is Natasha so concerned about? This doesn't appear to take place at the same time and place. She has a good head on her shoulders but something has upset her here. Could it be about her past or something that Ultron has done?

EDIT

Notice Thor's sleeves when he's angrily charging and when he grabs Tony. Two different scenes. Who is charging at?

So Much Destruction!

It's still hard to tell if Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver will spend the entire movie against and separate from the Avengers or if they'll come around and work with them. We see more yelling from Wanda, lots of cars flying and more Hulk-busting action.

The End of the Avengers

You'll notice Thor's hand by Cap's cracked shield. It looks like it's more than just Cap that may have suffered here. The trailer ends with Ultron proclaiming he's free and "There are no strings on me" while a creepy slow rendition of Pinocchio's "I've Got No Strings" plays in the background.

Where is Vision in all of this? Some concept art has been released already. Could it be Vision that's being created in the beginning by Ultron?

We'll have to wait for the inevitable next trailer for more information.

You can watch the trailer again HERE. Was there anything we missed? What do you think of our ideas?

mmmm...no i dont like sorry, better luck for the next....

Guadians of the Galaxy Ruuuuuuuuuules!!!!!

The trailer looks amazing.

I mean, could it be?? A villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that actually has a personality??? (besides Loki).

Also. First!

I think there might indeed be some time travel going on here. At SDCC, they showed a wide shot of the "broken shield scene", and it's Tony stumbling upon a dead Thor and Cap (and maybe others?). Whether that's a dream or not, I don't know, but it definitely gets you thinking.

I reckon/ think it would be cool if Stark doesn't create Ultron but after everything gets released from SHIELD'S files post TWS, he takes position of the shut down Ultron Project that was started by Pym and Howard decades ago and restarts it, only making it much worse.

Need. More. Vision.

All signs point to Wakanda/Black Panther eventually showing up, I hope so. I didn't even notice the WWII flashback with Cap, nice article. Gonna go watch the trailer again now...

The Marvel movies make me feel like a kid again. They make me feel just like I did when I saw the Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi trailer for the first time during Saturday morning cartoon when I was a child.

I have mixed feelings... could be epic but I was underwhelmed by the trailer in honesty

I'm desperately wishing Black Panther appears in the next trailer, surprising everybody being a secret casting.

there was a New York Times article around the time of SDCC where they talked about the footage that they saw there and they say that Tony made Ultron using his brain scans and that Ultron got all the futurist stuff but none of Tony's compassion

In Age of Ultron, those origins details remain the same, but the person who created him has changed. In the comics, Ultron was built by scientist Hank Pym (a.k.a. the first Ant-Man). This time, he is the handiwork of Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark—devised, essentially, as the ultimate drone, a way for Iron Man to abdicate his duties and offload them onto a fully mechanized protector.

The Avengers sequelbegins with Stark’s latest plan to fix the world: Ultron will be an all-seeing, all-knowing captain of a planetary police force known as the Iron Legion,a team of robotic beat cops who resemble blue-and-white versions of the Iron Man suit but have no human core—and less soul than a Carpenters album. If it all works out, the superheroes can rest easy.

IT DOES NOT WORK OUT

In a bid to give his creation a dose of humanity, Stark programs Ultron (performed and voiced by his Less Than Zero brat pack costar James Spader) with elements of his own personality—which proves to be Mistake No. 1.

The problem is that our new robot overlord is an absolutist, who inherits Stark’s cynicism, but not his sympathy. “It’s not the good version that could’ve come from [Stark's] intellect and personality,” says Chris Hemsworth, returning as the hammer-hurling Thor. “It’s the bad son.”

edit: it was an Entertainment Weekly article...my bad

I'm going to go ahead and guess that all the blue-eyed Ultrons we see are ones created and mass produced by Tony to take care of the work the Avengers can't handle, or made to be a back up alternative to the team if something happens to them. Once the prime Ultron unit "awakens," he'll have the red eyes.

Didn't Baron whatshisname have Loki's sceptre at the end of Captain America 2? Maybe that's used to control Hulk and cause all the destruction at the start...

Black Panther cameo would be fantastic.

if those flashbacks are actually the avengers being thrown back to their own origins or something of that nature , maybe the time gem will play a part and therein lies the title age of ultron. pure speculation.

also if klaw and wakanda/africa are featured it would be cool to have t'challa teased/make a cameo , something??!!

This is exactly what I'm thinking is the case, but it ONLY extends to the Hulk, not Banner. Which could be why everyone is relatively calm around him and Banner is scared shitless.

I didn't like it that much.

Its a possibility that Thor himself broke Cap's shield using Mjolnir maybe and may have passed out from the strain. Or he could've used Cap's shield to try and block something but the attack broke both the shield and him. It seems that Thor might not have his hammer for some time here.

Niiiiice. I think the girl with Thor is a disguised Sif, Think the hammer drop is something to do with the fact they explain Asgardian 'Magic' is just highly advanced science. Maybe Ultron understands it and then some, messes with the 'program' of the hammer and makes him unworthy.

I have a feeling the action scenes will be really good but the story will probably fall short. Overall im happy to see ultron be, look, and sound awesome but im not excited about anything else.

The flashback takes us back to the Stark Expo seen in Captain America: The First Avenger. The original Human Torch was there (Jim Hammond) in a glass. He'll become The Vision.

Obviously.

Cap picks up Mjolnir. Calling it.

Also, this looks totally awesome.

What happened to Thor's shirt ... what happened to Natasha's long, straight hair ... dammit.

Cap's shield can't break, this movie is totally unrealistic. :) Can't wait. Thanks for the write-up.

@granitesoldier said:

Yeah, i think so too.

And also: Black Widow dies.

Maybe Thor dies as well and we have a Hel story in Thor 3.

@g_man The girls in that picture are supposedly Black Widow, Maria Hill, and Actress Kim Soo-hyun's unannounced character, who is said to have a substantial supporting role.

“It would be a spoiler, so we can’t tell you which character Kim Soo-hyun will play. Marvel always prohibits telling too much about the story. Her character is already decided and the scene is already written so we cast Kim Soo-hyun, but we can’t let you know about her character. We only can say that her character is a substantial supporting role.”

Well, you know, i really hate the first Avengers movie, so when i sat in my chair and started watching the trailer i was more than sceptic about what i'll see.

But it turned out ti be really good actually, after this trailer i'm really hyped about this movie and i can't wait to go see it in theaters.

It is the first time since Ironman 1 or Thor1 that i'm actually willing to see the new Marvel movie...

The woman next to Thor isn't Jane Foster, she's the Korean actress whose role is still unnamed.

Nice breakdown.

Broken shield will need to be sorted before any more Captain America outings so I wonder if it will be a Blank Panther movie or a scene within Cap 3? You only have to look at ASM2 trailer with the Rhino shots compared to the film scene (singular LOL) to see how misleading things can be sometimes.

This would actually be a genius idea

Ultron knows the magic whisper.

Notice how the damaged Iron Man that Ultron took over was roughed up around the helmet to look like Ultron's iconic face.

My guess, he'll take over the Hulkbuster suit, and Banner will Hulk Out to stop him.

The mystery person next to Thor is likely the asian actress cast in the film who is likely playing Monica Chang.

Black Panther better be more than a background character in these movies. He deserves his own film. I mean, if DC can greenlight Cyborg, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern, Marvel should be able to greenlight Black Panther.

Could it be now that the shield is Broken, they actually have a reason to go to wakanda for T'challa to fix it?

I think that the flashbacks are because of Scarlet Witch. Notice how the flashbacks are right before the clip of Wanda unleashing her hex powers? I think that she's manipulating reality so that the Avengers relive moments from their past. Maybe it's some sort of form of torment on each Avengers member? It's less of a stretch than Ultron using a mind gem

I also think that the shirtless Thor scene is a flashback as well since it's played along with the Black Widow and Cap flashbacks.

Thor better not be unworthy at any point in this movie. Hulk should beat tony in the hulkbuster. No one but Thor should be able to lift mjolnir. The movie shouldnt focus on black widows past unless it is essential to the plot. Make Hawkeye actually seem important. As long as those things are done, I will love this movie no matter what happens.

Oh be quiet.

We already saw this-- if not more, in the first Avengers.

Keep talking about that. Stop adding.

Oh I really hope you aren't right about this

NEVER. THE TRUTH CAN NOT BE SILEN-...okay, I'll shut up now.

I say that Thor is dying here, so we can have Thor 3 movie featuring characters like Hella.

They're sending Hulk away from Earth, making the way to a Planet Hulk movie.

And the battle with Ultron will let the Earth devastated, creating tensions. This will lead to Civil War arc.

Everything makes perfect sense.

Caps broken shield looks just like in Secret Wars when Dr. Doom tries to kill everyone with the Beyonder's power.

This trailer was epic!

Not a completely crazy synopsis.

Probably not, they don't seem to actually be leveling the entire city like someone we know, cough cough.

@jacthripper: What? It's like your saying the destruction in MoS was gratuitous and unnecessary, while in Avengers it has meaning and adds to the story in a significant way. Wha?

@meatwadf: They didn't level the city and more importantly they didn't show civilians getting killed, they had hulk run through an office building without any casualties. MoS had that gravity thing slamming people like a meat grinder.

I think Hawkeye dies. Think about it he's barely even IN the teaser and when he is he isn't really shown with anyone else. But, we do see Bruce shivering in basically a catatonic state, so I'm thinking that about mid-movie, after Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are introduced, and Ultron gets Wanda to take over Hulk's mind and he kills Hawkeye, because killing your friend would mess anyone up.

I'm going purely based on the broken shield and Thor laying next to it. Plus Cap has lifted the hammer in the comics to my memory, so maybe they'll pay homage to that.

It is a wild speculation at best, but we'll see haha.

That could be right...

I mean, Hawkeye is missing here:

@zeeguy91: red skull was a prety spot on depiction.

I think were going to see a lot of dead Avengers and some needed time travel. I'm excited for this and hope the story lives up to the hype!