Joss Whedon Discusses James Spader And Character Surprises In ‘Avengers: Age Of Ultron’
It’s just a short six months until Avengers: Age Of Ultron hits the big screen. It’s been a long time coming for fans: four films and three years in the making. The initial trailer for the flick did a lot to stir up anticipation, and many noted just how dark it looked compared to the first Avengers flick. A big part of that likely had to do with the vocal performance of James Spader, who plays the film’s main villain, Ultron, after whom the film was named. While on the set of Avengers: Age Of Ultron, Cinema Blend got to speak with director Joss Whedon and discuss what it was like working with Spader on the film, and how the motion capture suit helped distance Spader from humanity.
“The day Spader got here we put on the mo-cap pajamas, a giant thing with red dots on it for his eye line, a giant pack, and a helmet with two cameras in his face with lights to record his performance. He then did a scene with Scarlett, but could not look him in the eye because she was looking up in his eye line. And nor could he see her, because he had two lights shining in his face, and he didn’t have his glasses on. Therefore he has a certain distance from humanity too.”
While it seems like such a minute and insignificant thing, in performance, the slightest change in any one thing can make a world of a difference. This is especially true for any actor who hasn’t worked on a film with extensive motion capture and green screen use. Luckily for Joss Whedon, Spader handled his work on Avengers: Age Of Ultron like a true professional.
“God bless him, he was wonderful and, and very game and has been the whole time. He’s very interested in the mechanics of the mechanics and finding the humanity. He and I share a genuine love of this version of Ultron, and he has an innate eccentricity in his delivery that is everything that I had hoped Ultron would be.”
Ultron isn’t the only thing audiences will have to look forward to in the new Avengers movie. Joss Whedon is notorious for killing off characters, and in a recent interview with IGN, Whedon says that there is “something terrible coming” that audiences will love in regards to The Hulk. So what does this mean? Could Ultron possibly be responsible for the first death of an Avenger?
We’ll have to wait until next year to find out! If you have yet to see the extended trailer, check it out below!
[Image Credit: Marvel Studios]
