James Spader

It’s been a few months since the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron, but Marvel isn’t done providing us with new materials from the film. The blockbuster sequel is hitting DVD and Blu-ray in a little over a month, but you can check out a clips from one of the bonus features right now — as well as a little Black Panther easter egg you might have missed the first time around.

The superheroes at the center of Avengers: Age of Ultron resonate so strongly with so many people because they’re so deeply entrenched in popular culture. Captain America, Iron Man and the Hulk were around for years before Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo were even born. These aren’t just characters – they’re icons. And while serious comic book nerds know how much Earth’s mightiest heroes have changed with the times, taking a look back at what the likes of Black Widow and Hawkeye and the Vision used to look like is both entertaining and (dare we say it?) educational.

There’s a lot to like about Avengers: Age of Ultron, but the coolest thing about it is the way it reclaims the comic book part of the phrase “comic-book movie.” Rather than using these characters to do something “edgy” or “adult” or “important,” or sanding down their quirkier edges to appeal to as broad and mainstream an audience as possible, Age of Ultron doubles down on its source material’s geeky origins.

Avengers: Age of Ultron has already begun screening for critics and it has been receiving very positive responses, which is definitely not doing anything to deter our personal hype from reaching unfair and dangerous levels. Thankfully, Marvel has thrown the rest of us a bone with this new clip from the film, which features enough of that typical Joss Whedon wit and enough big action to satiate us for, oh, another day or so.

We’re just weeks away from the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron, which means Marvel is really ramping up their promotion for the upcoming super-sequel. In addition to new featurettes, TV spots, and the debut of Vision’s very own character poster (finally), the studio continues to release images from Joss Whedon’s epic new film. Today’s batch includes a couple of set photos along with new looks at super-siblings Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.

We’re approaching that point in the ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ marketing campaign where it can start to feel like we’ve already seen every big stunt and setpiece in the film before the movie’s even opened. But the new ‘Avengers’ trailer reveals yet another amazingly cool beat that’s never been seen before: Chris Evans’ Captain America loses his shield in battle with James Spader’s Ultron, so Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow snatches it while trailing the fight on a motorcycle, then slides under a semi-truck Fast & Furious-style and tosses it up to Cap so he can continue the battle. Awesome awesome awesome. (Marvel’s going to try to use that as a pull-quote on the poster, aren’t they?)

Mo-cap technology has become incredibly valuable on productions like Avengers: Age of Ultron, in which Andy Serkis collaborated with Mark Ruffalo and James Spader to bring the Hulk and Ultron to life. You really couldn’t ask for a better performer to help with your mo-cap performance. In a new interview, Joss Whedon opens up about what it was like to work with Spader and the actor’s difficulties with the technology, which still yielded some impressive results.

Vision and Ultron are two of the most prominent new elements in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron,’ as both characters drive much of the film’s action. We’ve gotten several sneak peeks at the enigmatic Vision and the sinister Ultron, but this new premium figure from Hot Toys gives us the most sharp and sleek look at the epic super villain yet. If you’re an ‘Avengers’ fan and have some extra cash just laying around, maybe consider throwing it down for this awesome new toy—or “premium figure,” if you want to use grown-up language.

By the twelve moons of Munnopor! ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ opens in theaters in less than five months! Five months! An we’ve still only seen a couple of brief teasers and a handful of images from the movie! Why, it’s almost like Marvel wants us to actually be surprised by the movie!

Those who tuned into the newest episode of Marvel's 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.' tonight were rewarded with a little treat: brand new footage from 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' to go with that pretty sweet trailer that dropped just last week.