James Spader

ScreenCrush’s Comic Strip is a weekly roundup of the hottest superhero movie/TV news items. From Marvel to DC and points in between, if it pertains to costumed comic book heroes, we’re covering it here, bringing you our expert analysis. This week, the 'Avengers 2' trailer arrives, Jesse Eisenberg may join a very interesting DC movie, and the other superheroes of the Justice League offer updates on their movies.

As the 'Avengers 2' trailer leaked online last night about six days earlier than planned, we got our first look at Marvel's latest (and biggest) villain, Ultron, in action. Set the creepy tune of Pinocchio's "I've Got No Strings," we got to see a little bit of what Ultron is all about. And, fresh off that first look, James Spader - the voice and actor behind Ultron - has some words about his cinematic counterpart: "He's really batshit crazy!"

Seems like the internet just couldn't wait for that 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' trailer to premiere. Just last night, Marvel announced that the trailer would debut following next week's new episode of 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,' and tonight a pirated version found its way online. Marvel reacted quickly by posting the real deal and revealing a new teaser poster.

During Marvel Studio's big presentation at Comic-Con 2014, nearly the entire 'Avengers 2' cast came out on the Hall H stage to tease their next big battle and screen the first footage for the fans. But what the audience didn't see was all the post-action. The stars came out to chat with press about all things Ultron, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, the post-'Winter Soldier' S.H.I.E.L.D., and what each character is up to in this brave new world.

Ratings for NBC crime thriller 'The Blacklist' have proven especially solid across the board for NBC, and with James Spader's prominence inevitable for years to come, is it any wonder the peacock has opted to renew one of its few buzzed-about hits from the 2013-2014 season? Get a pen ready, because 'The Blacklist' will have more names to cross off in season 2!

One of the big questions we had when it was revealed James Spader was joining 'Avengers 2' as the villainous robot Ultron, was whether Spader would simply be providing the voice or if he would actually be performing on set in a motion-capture suit. Today, courtesy Spader himself, we have the answer.

Superhero movie casting is often controversial, inspiring much wailing and gnashing of teeth from fanboys, but you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who thinks that James Spader playing Ultron in 'The Avengers: Age of Ultron' is a bad idea. The three-time Emmy award-winning star of 'Boston Legal' and 'The Practice' feels like the right fit for Marvel. He's also the exact kind of actor that writer/d

Now that you've had a day to sit with the news that everyone's favorite 80s yuppie villain James Spader will be portraying Ultron in 'Avengers 2: Age of Ultron', we'd like to ask you: what do you think of the casting?

Robert Downey Jr. and James Spader will appear together in 'Avengers 2: Age of Ultron,' but way back in 1987, the two actors starred together in a much different film: 'Less Than Zero,' based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, in which a college student returns home to L.A. for the holidays to spend time with his ex-girlfriend and his junkie best friend. 26 years later, and with a reunion of sorts

So much for those rumors that Paul Bettany (as Jarvis) would be playing Ultron... Marvel announced today that Joss Whedon has cast the maniacal, villainous robot in 'Avengers 2: Age of Ultron' but instead of Bettany (who has voiced Jarvis in all three 'Iron Man' films and 'The Avengers'), we'll instead get...James Spader?