Why Age of Ultron Feels More Uncomfortable 10 Years Later

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2015’s film “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is marking a milestone this year as it turns 10, however, the occasion isn’t particularly joyous due to the subsequent work of writer-director Joss Whedon in the 2017 release of “Justice League.” Following the monumental success of 2012’s “The Avengers,” Earth’s Mightiest Heroes took on the challenge of the artificially intelligent antagonist, Ultron (portrayed by James Spader), who aimed to eliminate mankind. Despite grossing $1.4 billion globally, “Age of Ultron” is not as highly regarded among Avengers films, but that was prior to another issue weighing heavily on its reputation.

Joss Whedon, known for his contentious reshaping of 2017’s Justice League following Zack Snyder’s departure due to a personal tragedy, has inadvertently linked two of his superhero films – Age of Ultron and Justice League. Although the tumultuous production of Justice League might seem unrelated to Age of Ultron, certain plot points in the latter and Whedon’s role in the former have combined to make rewatching the second Avengers movie a less enjoyable experience for some viewers due to its increased discomfort as a superhero film.

Age Of Ultron Makes Some Implicit Jabs At Man Of Steel

In any film directed by Zack Snyder, it’s common to find a divided opinion among viewers – his devout followers and his fiercest critics. The movie “Man of Steel” is a prime example, being one of the most contentiously discussed superhero films ever made. A large part of this debate revolves around the massive destruction in Metropolis during the final act and Superman’s (Henry Cavill) actions, particularly his killing of General Zod (Michael Shannon) to prevent him from slaughtering an innocent family with his heat vision.

While it might seem that Superman is responsible for the destruction in “Man of Steel”, it’s actually the Kryptonian World Engine that unleashes devastation as part of Zod’s plan to transform Earth into a new Krypton. However, the battles between Kryptonians in “Man of Steel” do cause considerable damage, leading some critics to argue that Superman should have made more efforts to evacuate civilians from danger zones.

As a fervent admirer, I often find myself engaging in discussions where Snyder’s supporters argue that Superman demonstrates his heroism by saving civilians throughout Man of Steel, while acknowledging the challenges and implausibility for Superman to relocate bystanders away from danger at the same time he’s engaged in combat with equally powerful Kryptonians. The discourse over the destructive nature of Man of Steel has sparked debate, and it appears that Joss Whedon was among the critics. In a sense, the climax of Avengers: Age of Ultron served as a response to Man of Steel. As the Avengers prepared for their confrontation with Ultron in Sokovia, Captain America (Chris Evans) made it clear that the citizens of Sokovia hadn’t voluntarily enlisted for battle, and emphasized the importance of evacuating the city before the Avengers squared off against Ultron and his robotic forces.

When Ultron, using his self-made levitation tech, lifts an entire city from the ground and threatens to slam it back into Earth like a destructive meteorite, intending to exterminate all of humanity, the Avengers show incredible determination, even prepared to give their lives to prevent this catastrophe. In response, Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson) and the remaining S.H.I.E.L.D. forces appear with the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier, allowing the Avengers to evacuate the Sokovian civilians out of danger, before focusing their efforts on halting Ultron’s destructive plan.

Two years after the release of “Man of Steel,” “Age of Ultron” hit theaters, and it seems that Joss Whedon may have subtly criticized Zack Snyder’s film. Some viewers might argue that these criticisms are not valid, considering the Avengers had ample time to prepare for their battle against Ultron compared to Superman’s immediate threats from Zod’s army and the World Engine. Nevertheless, the underlying message in “Age of Ultron” aligns with criticisms leveled at “Man of Steel,” which becomes more noticeable given Whedon’s later work on the 2017 theatrical release of “Justice League.

Joss Whedon Was A Key Player In The Justice League Controversy (Including In His Treatment Of The Cast & Crew)

The production process of “Justice League” has been mired in debate and scandal, standing out among few superhero films for its turmoil. The tumult began when Zack Snyder left the project following the devastating loss of his daughter. Joss Whedon took over, with Warner Bros. initially stating that he was merely supervising minor reshoots and ensuring Snyder’s vision for “Justice League” was completed. However, whispers circulated suggesting that the studio had doubts about Snyder’s vision due to the divided response to his film, “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.”

The theatrical release of “Justice League” in November 2017 revealed that the studio-mandated, Whedon-directed reshoots had significantly transformed the movie, more than Warner Bros. had disclosed. This became even more apparent with the unveiling of the Snyder Cut, titled “Zack Snyder’s Justice League“, in 2021. The stark contrast between the two versions of “Justice League” wasn’t the only controversy; Whedon’s behavior during filming exposed the harshness behind the scenes.

Ray Fisher, a cyborg actor in the Justice League cast, was the first to speak out about the reshoots, labeling Joss Whedon’s behavior towards cast and crew as “inappropriate, abusive, unprofessional, and intolerable.” Gal Gadot also shared her own unpleasant experiences with Whedon, claiming he threatened her career after off-screen disagreements. Other Justice League cast and crew members have recounted their difficult experiences during the reshoots, but it’s Whedon’s altercations with Gadot that make Age of Ultron seem less appealing. It appears that Gadot refused to film a scene in which Flash (Ezra Miller) falls onto Wonder Woman’s chest in the theatrical cut. Instead, her body double was used, and this scene bears striking resemblance to a scene in Age of Ultron where Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) falls on Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson)’s chest.

Furthermore, it’s said that Whedon expressed his criticism towards Snyder’s work on the set of Justice League during reshoots, as mentioned by Kevin Smith in his Fatman Beyond podcast. According to Smith, visual effects artists who worked on both versions of Justice League shared that there was a significant amount of criticism of Zack Snyder’s film version on set by Joss. In the end, it appears that Whedon himself doesn’t have much fondness for the version of Justice League produced under his supervision, as he expressed his involvement with the movie as “one of the biggest regrets of my life” in an interview with Vulture. This statement, along with the “I tried” sign near a homeless man just after Whedon’s credit in Justice League’s opening credits, is often interpreted as Whedon giving up on a movie he viewed as beyond repair. These conflicts surrounding the reshoots of Justice League paint the picture in a very negative light, but they also make revisiting Age of Ultron, another Marvel film directed by Whedon, a less enjoyable experience.

Joss Whedon’s Involvement In Justice League Makes Age Of Ultron‘s Man Of Steel Criticisms Much More Distasteful

Regardless of Joss Whedon’s or any casual viewer’s personal feelings towards “Man of Steel” or Zack Snyder’s body of work, everyone has the right to their movie opinions. However, considering Whedon’s significant role in the restructuring of “Justice League,” his apparent dislike for “Man of Steel” seems particularly petty and hurtful, as described by Ray Fisher, given the sensitive context surrounding the situation. The fact that Snyder’s film was being extensively altered during a time when he was dealing with the loss of his daughter makes the reshooting of “Justice League” an intensely emotional and troubling subject, and one that sparked justified outrage among Snyder’s supporters. This contrasts sharply with Warner Bros.’ assertion that Whedon was merely completing Snyder’s work on “Justice League.” It appears that Whedon’s involvement in the reshoots allowed him to transfer his criticisms of Snyder’s DCEU films, as seen in “Age of Ultron,” into one of Snyder’s own DCEU films.

It’s understandable that Whedon used “Age of Ultron” as a platform to critique aspects of “Man of Steel” he found problematic. However, it’s a whole different story when Whedon joined Snyder’s “Justice League” movie after his exit and helped transform it into a radically altered version, almost like Frankenstein’s monster. The Russian family hiding from Steppenwolf (played by Ciarán Hinds) in the final battle, as included by Whedon, might have been an attempt to counter criticisms leveled at “Age of Ultron”. Fisher has even suggested that many of Whedon’s rewrites were a response to viewers who didn’t comprehend “Age of Ultron”, and the Russian family in the theatrical cut of “Justice League” seems like an overtly obvious echo of this film’s focus on civilian evacuations.

Incorporating allegations of Joss Whedon’s mistreatment of the cast and crew during the production of “Justice League,” his derogatory comments about Zack Snyder’s film version to Snyder’s own collaborators, and an unfortunate scene where The Flash falls on Wonder Woman, the second Avengers movie contains certain elements that have taken on a decidedly negative connotation. Ironically, this is not due to any fault of its own. In contrast, the release of Zack Snyder’s cut of “Justice League” has led to a more positive reception overall and there remains a strong curiosity about the movie’s cliffhangers. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” a film whose jabs at “Man of Steel” now feel increasingly annoying, awkward, and unpleasant in light of Whedon’s later actions on the released version of “Justice League.

Avengers: Age of Ultron is available to stream on Disney+.

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2025-02-24 00:12