In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Avengers movies tend to be blockbuster eventswith major consequences. The first Avengers was a huge success, proving that the MCU’s interconnected storyline could work.Avengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgamecapped off a decade’s worth of storytelling, and made box office history. Marvel Studios is pulling out all the stops forAvengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars, even bringing backInfinity War/EndgamehelmersJoeandAnthony Russoas well asRobert Downey Jr.ButAvengers: Age of Ultrontends to either get overlooked, or is considered to be one of the lesser entries in the MCU canon. It’s a shame, sinceAge of Ultronhas one of the best scenes in the entire franchise— and will make you look at Earth’s Mightiest Heroes differently.
The Party Scene in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Shows the Avengers as People
Avengers: Age of Ultronreunites Iron Man (Downey Jr.),Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) as they battle the forces of Hydra. After reclaiming the scepter that Thor’s brother Loki used in the Battle of New York, the Avengers decide to throw a partyto celebrate their victory. Said partyshows that, underneath all of their powers and abilities, the Avengers have bonded together as a team and as friends. Thor and Steve have a drinking contest, even roping in a WWII veteran (played by Avengers co-creatorStan Lee, of all people).
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Steve even reconnects withSam Wilson (Anthony Mackie)following the events ofCaptain America: The Winter Soldier.The real standout of the party scene is when everyone has a debate about who would be able to lift Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir. Banner fakes transforming into the Hulk, Iron Man and War Machine (Don Cheadle) can’t budge it, despite their combined might, and when it’s Steve’s turn,he shifts the hammer ever so slightly, leaving a priceless look of terror on Thor’s face. Marvel’s heroes were always meant to be as human as possible — flaws and all — andAge of Ultron’s party scene shows that off. That is, until Ultron (James Spader) attacks them.
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Age of Ultron’s party scene is one of the few brief respites in a filmthat’s packed to the core with subplots, new characters, and setups. Not only doesAge of UltronintroduceWanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen)and her brother Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), but it also brings the Vision (Paul Bettany) to life. Plus, Thor has weird visions about the Infinity Stones, which is meant to hint at future movies. The only scenes that come close to matching the party scene’s highs is when the Avengers hide out at Hawkeye’s farmhouse, although the mood there is far more somber as they deal with Wanda’s psychic powers digging up ghosts from their past and the fallout from her brainwashing Banner into Hulking out in South Africa. Writer/directorJoss Whedonwould eventually unpack the fraught post-production processAge of Ultronwent through onEmpire Magazine’s podcast, saying that things “got really, really unpleasant.” He explained:
“The dreams were not an executive favorite either — the dreams, the farmhouse, these were things I fought to keep…With the cave, it really turned into: They pointed a gun at the farm’s head and said, ‘Give us the cave, or we’ll take out the farm’ — in a civilized way.”
Whedon’s comments highlight how the MCU tended to prioritize setting up future films more and more during Phases 2 and 3,which often clashed with filmmakers' visions. It also reveals how Marvel, in trying to make sureAge of Ultronwas bigger and better than the first Avengers film, forgot that a large part of what made that film workwas the character moments. Banner and Iron Man bonding over science, the other Avengers immediately turning to Steve during the Chitauri invasion, and Black Widow getting the upper hand on Loki are just a few standouts, and they resonate just as much — if not more — than the big battle set-pieces.Age of Ultroncould have used more of those character moments in its runtime.
Avengers: Age of Ultron' Set the Stage for Some of the MCU’s Biggest Movies
Age of Ultronmay not be one of the more well-regarded Avengers films,but it helped set the stage for some major events in the MCU. Thor’s vision of the future leads him on a quest to find the Infinity Stones, which directly leads intoThor: Ragnarokand his character arc inAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgame,which turns out to be surprisingly deep. Steve Rogers and Tony Stark had always butted heads, butCaptain America: Civil Wartook it to a whole other level, and the seeds for that conflict were sewn duringAge of Ultron’s final battle.Ultron is also slated to make his return duringVision Quest, despite seemingly being destroyed. But the biggest payoff connects back to the party scene, asEndgameshows that Steve Rogers actually is capable of wielding Mjölnir!This moment was not only applause-worthy, but it shows Thor genuinely happy to see Mjölnir being used by someone who is just as worthy as he is.
The party scene inAge of Ultronisthe type of scene that the MCU needs more of. Other films, particularlyTom Holland’s Spider-Man series, feature the hero doing everyday tasks that make them feel more relatable. Would it really hurtDoomsdayorSecret Warsto have a breather in between whatever cameos or massive fight scenes it plans to throw at the viewers? The Russos have said that the originalSecret Warsisthe comic series that got them into Marvel, and it has plenty of moments where its heroes are taking the time to explore the newly constructed Battleworld. Maybe they could try and throw a party while they’re at it.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
