5 Changes That Would Have Made AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Better

5 Changes That Would Have Made AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Better

As they continue to release hit after hit, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is growing larger day by day! But does that mean their films are perfect? Nope... so let's dive in and make a few adjustments to Avengers: Age Of Ultron in a new feature titled "5 Changes."

Editorial Opinion
By dylanmm5 - Aug 14, 2015 05:08 PM EST


Hello, ComicBookMovie.com users! My name is dylanmm5 and this is my first article. To be perfectly clear, I am a huge Marvel fanboy and have a deep passion for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I love Marvel Studios so much that I am very critical and honest when it comes to their films. Now I hope you enjoy my take on their films as I tweak some paths these charcters and storylines take. Not to discredit anyone that was a part of this amazing film but I feel AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON could have exceeded the studio's own expectations as well as its audience. So let's get right to it!

1. Ultron's Evolution


Every great story needs its villain and Ultron, stunningly voiced by James Spader, fell a bit short of being the menacing A.I. the comics portrayed him (or "it") to be. Not only was his physical appearance a bit rushed and at times not very obvious but his character development did not seem to go anywhere. When he and Vision had a deep and meaningful conversation in the woods about being afraid of death, I never got the sense of Ultron having some sort of fear or at least getting the grasp of life throughout the film. Seems farfetched for a robot to show any emotion or development but he is an A.I. afterall. Perfect example would be I, ROBOT. Maybe less scenes of him cracking jokes and more of his simple thought process would have furthered this villain's ranking in Marvel's rogue gallery. If only the movie's direction and tone stayed within that famous "Party" scene. A menacing creepy machine talking about human extinction as it were in last week's newspaper was what we were promised. Also, I want the element of surprise to hit the Avengers when they find out Ultron is back. In this version, it would be fun to see the team think they destroyed the A.I. back at their headquaters. Tony would simply delete the program but little does he know Ultron is already off the books and his own being. Intel comes in about illegal trades with Vibranium going on in Africa, a natural resource that would get the Avengers attention, and goes to investigate. Oh look, Ultron is still around! *glares at Stark*

And going back to his physical appearance. As the film went on, Ultron began to look less threatening. How am I suppose to be worried about the Avengers if their villain looks like a puppet? Instead of this type of transition...


I believe a more effective approach in Ultron's design should have gone like this...

This shows drastic improvements to his armor, especially in this final form as he's coated in Vibranium, as well as his mental capacity. (Need I remind you, in this version his facial features do not have any type of movement like a Michael Bay Transformer) If anything this makes Vision's presence more impactful for Ultron. Vision's body was originally made for Ultron and for that to be taken away from him by his somewhat own creation, you can only imagine his envy and anger towards the android. I wanted to go from fear to pity towards Ultron during this scene! Now maybe there was too much going on in this film that there wasn't enough time to fully flesh out Ultron. Which brings me to my next change...

 
2. No Black Widow/Hulk Romance
 


I am, in fact, part of the obvious demographic that was not on board with this side scenerio but let me explain my reasons. These two characters did not benefit or grow in the best way and it did not further the plot in any way. We want to see each member of the Avengers contribute to the story as well as expand in character. Individually, Black Widow and the Hulk could have easily shined on their own with exploring there strengths and weaknesses as independent human beings. That's why I decided to seperate these two and help them become better charcters.



Last time we saw Bruce Banner (aside from that pointless post credit scene in IRON MAN 3) he seemed to have a clear grasp on his inner monster in THE AVENGERS. Even the ending of THE INCREDIBLE HULK suggested the scientist was in control of his emotional state, not happy but in control. I went into AGE OF ULTRON thinking we were going to get a much more fun Hulk, helping his team out hunting HYDRA bases while trying to tame himself in the process. Having the audience think Banner is finally in control of the Hulk sets up panic when he looses that control with the help of Scarlet Witch. Also shifting the screen time from the bad romance with Black Widow and giving it to Tony Stark builds up their "Science Bromance" that sparked in THE AVENGERS. Having a stronger bond with Stark and seeming collected within himself gives that Hulkbuster scene much more meaning! It can be played out as heartbreaking to see these best friends fight as well as hoping that Dr. Banner overcomes these mind tricks if properly set up right. All this emotion for these charcters and the possible outcomes wrapped in an epic blockbuster fight sequence is what story is all about!



As for Natasha Romanoff, her character is already set up perfectly just like the others who got manipulated by their own nightmares. Here we explore Black Widow's past and get to somewhat understand the character a bit better without getting carried away. If anything, her sucking up this nightmare she is under while still kicking ass shows how strong of a woman she really is. I do in fact like the idea of Black Widow being the only one who can actually help Bruce turn back to him normal self, it's shows her importance to the team, interaction between other characters is always a good thing, and even her overcoming a fear (remember her being traumatized by the Hulk in the first film?). Another reason I was not fond, though I do appreciate the concept, of the forced romance was due to one person. Clint Barton! We have all seen the fan art, the theories, and Budapest. Building up their relationship in the beginning of this film would have payed off when it came to that farm scene. A little shock value to the audience who thought these two assassins were a thing since the first film would have been subtle when revealed. I know I was I sad when Hawk/Widow was not a thing anymore. Which brings me to my third alteration...

 
3. Kill Off Hawkeye...?
 
Now I thought a lot about this change. At first I wanted Hawkeye dead just because it was built up so well with his family and all. Then I went back to just keeping Quicksilver's death as is. But death seems to be toyed with in Marvel Studios, to point where it is not that effective anymore. Every other character has cheated death and it becomes this expectancy in these films. Killing off Dr. Cho showed Ultron was a threat, so how much more death do we really need? But I started to think... why not keep them both alive? We can still have that infamous scene play out to where we think it's the end for Hawkeye and suddenly show Pietro in front of him full of bullets caught in hand because he's really fast, remember? Even throw in that "You didn't see that coming" line in there because it's not out of place anymore! (Do you really think Quicksilver's last dying words would have been a checky one-liner to an archer he barely knows) And in this case, it's more of a moment of relief than a comedic one and can also play out as a slight breather from the non-stop action happening in the final act.



And to add on with that, give Hawkeye more of a presence in this movie. Seems odd to say since he had the best lines of dialouge and his own side story but that seemed expected since he was just a zombie in the first installment. Seeing him save his other teammates from their own nightmares was great and I wanted more of that. Hawkeye is the average joe compared to these gods, his bad ass-ery would just grow! The opening scene of the film could have been him navigating the Avengers to the HYDRA base, in a way leading them. It's the small things that count.
 
5. Alternate Hulkbuster Scene
 


Before we get to the scene we have all been waiting for, we need a proper set up. Bruce Banner needs to be feared by the rest of the team. He's an upredictable monster! He may be under control as far as we know but the audience and the Avengers are not entirely sure about that, neither is Banner himself. The moment where Bruce tries to lift Thor's hammer was a great little set up. He gets frustrated and pretends to go through his transformation jokingly. I would have wanted the rest of the team to react by immediately jumping up and getting ready for the worst, taking the doctor's gag seriously. A hint of suspense but fun at the same time. Going back to our team's second encounter with Ultron in Africa, this is where we see the trust our Avengers lack when it comes to Hulk. Captain Rogers orders Banner to stay in the Quinjet while the rest take care of the situation. Here we can get a nice back and forth of scenes. One where the team finds out Ultron (now in his second body of my choosing) is still active and the other of Bruce self-loathing. This scene creates tension for the physicist and we get to see another quick but bookmark fight sequence. The movie forgots to play with one of Ultron's ability- learning. Last time he met the Avengers he was half a broken suit and got his ass handed to him. This time he is in control of his movements and can scan his opponents! Ultron counters and toys with them by shifting bodies but the team works together again and overcomes the odds. Yes, he will lose again but that's due to facing our heroes at their prime rather than catching them off guard at a party. So that way next time we see Ultron he will know this team and "tear them apart from the inside."But let us not forget the twins, here is when they step in! Pietro does some physical damage but it's when Wanda strikes that things take a turn for the worst. After this, Hawkeye does his thing while Iron Man chases after the last bot. Bruce sees Tony flying and runs toward his friends. He runs into Scarlet Witch and so it begins...


 
We can all admit the fight between the Hulk and Iron Man was pretty epic! Now with my second change this sets up an even bigger fight because this time it's personal. Did we need Tony to drill a raged Hulk through an abandoned skyscraper and a cop out sucker punch to solve the problem? No! Another option is to stop this fight right after Hulk's arm is handcuffed to Hulkbuster's armor. (Watch the "Go to sleep, go to sleep" section of this fight and you will know what I'm talking about.) Have the Green Giant punch the suit with his available arm, striking the arc reactor! Stark's Hulkbuster is out for the count. But who comes leading the pack? Captain America and the rest of the Avengers! Here we get to see an actual Avengers vs Hulk scene! I know the team just got invaded mentally through Scarlet Witch but people are in danger, of course the Avengers' immediate adrenaline can shake it off and fight a bit more. Now while Tony is getting himself out of the Hulkbuster suit, we see Rogers yelling orders to Hawkeye, Black Widow, and even Thor! Midway through this battle, Iron Man would jump in for support (in his Mark XLIII of course)! This reminds the audience on how strong the bond, communication, and teamwork is between these characters. Showing the world of the MCU, as well as us, how far our team has come since the Battle of New York. Now I will let your imagination ster how this fight would work out from there! But I will say it would be cool to end it off where Thor has a clear but quick shot at Hulk. He charges up the Mjolnir that's now glowing and producing sparks of lightning and aims for a head shot. This would be a reminisce to the Helicarrier scene in THE AVENGERS but this time Thor doesn't miss and Hulk won't see it coming. Might seem like a sucker punch as well but from a fully charged magical hammer of the gods, Hulk will go down like a champ.



The image above is the perfect follow up to the bout! We see a god, a leader, a monster, and an assasin all clearly troubled and worn out. Their brains have been tampered with and for the first time it seems like our heroes are not the greatest team anymore. You can now know how this plays out including the previous changes. This is our climax! Ultron uses his new allies against the Avengers, our team finally set off that "time bomb" amongst themselves, and hope seems to be lost. This can even plant a little CIVIL WAR seed with Stark confronting Rogers that he had the whole Hulk situation under control. The Avengers are dysfunctional yet again. Which is why we need to go to the farm and take a breather. Ultron has the upper hand and our heroes need to regroup and come up with a plan!

 
5. Come Back Thor!
 
  
One of the biggest gripes I have with the Marvel Cinematic Universe is their main concept! A shared universe within these movies is as much of a curse as it is a blessing. Joss Whedon did the best he could with this movie as he had to rebuild the bridge of bringing these characters together, setting up future films, introducing new characters, growing old ones, and telling an actual story that would make this film stand on its own. For me less is more! Thor's little adventure was so unnecessary and confusing! All it did for me was tell me what I already knew was coming... Infinity War! Instead, have his nightmare be about the destruction of Asgard. The God of Thunder now has this guilt lingering inside of him throughout the movie. Should he go back to his people or stay in this world he still cannot understand? Who is worth protecting more? Imagine Captain America having a heroic conversation with Thor right before he decides to storm out of Barton's house (and not to meet up with Professor Erik Selvig for a psychic baptism but to Asgard) and convinces him to fight with them one last time. Setting up future plans for the studio is fine when done in a subtle way, like introducing Ulysses Klaw or hinting at a Scarlet Witch/Vision romance. Guardians of the Galaxy already explained to use how the Infinity Gems work. Hell, AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR has two movies to set up this epic story!

 
Honorable Mentions
 
  • Have Falcon Join War Machine!- I have no idea why Marvel did not do this!
  • No More SHIELD!- Nick Fury should be "dead" and we should leave it like that. Falcon and War Machine coming to help out alone was great enough. I could settle having Maria Hill drive the Helicarrier with a hand full of agents (maybe from the ABC show if you want to provide fan service) to help civilians off the meteor city.
  • Thanos Scene- "I'll do it myself!" Please! How about showing a war going on in Odin's vault (and the rest of Asgard) and we see the Mad Titan simply walking through the destruction towards the Infinity Gauntlet! Boom! I just linked some movies together!
  • No More Shawarma?- I guess the production team and cast were so burnt out from the movie that they didn't care to film a short fun credit scene...
Well that concludes my first "Changes 5" article and I hope you all enjoyed my rants and chants as much as I enjoyed writing this. Please LIKE this article and share it! I would love to hear your own changes to this film. Feedback is much appreciate it. If you would like to read another installment of mine, let me know! Thank you!
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kong
kong - 8/11/2015, 6:38 PM
^ It would be 5/5
Reasonnnn
Reasonnnn - 8/11/2015, 7:10 PM
Hmmmmmmmm....

I disagree.
dylanmm5
dylanmm5 - 8/12/2015, 12:10 AM
Thanks for the feedback! I am so new to this and didn't even realize it posted. It is not finished!!! I thought it was in my drafts lol Someone help me
MaximusTheMad
MaximusTheMad - 8/12/2015, 3:36 AM
My biggest gripe with this movie was Hulkbuster beating the Hulk... BY KNOCKOUT!!!!!!!

I mean, if The Jade Giant gets smacked around and KO'ed by Tony, then dafuk he gon' do against Thanos!!???

I will shit myself laughing if Stark ends up building a Thanos-buster... Then I'll shit on the cinema screen and leave the [frick]in theater.
UltimateLegend
UltimateLegend - 8/12/2015, 12:05 PM
My biggest issue with this film is Quicksilver's death. I don't think it was needed. Sure, it deepens Scarlet Witch's reason for being an Avenger, but they were both Avengers regardless! He had so much potential in the MCU. And what, they killed him for what? Some petty battle with Fox? Seriously? I seriously think he should come back in Infinity War.
TheManFromMars
TheManFromMars - 8/12/2015, 2:31 PM
@dylanmm55

There's still only 2 things rather than five.
dylanmm5
dylanmm5 - 8/12/2015, 4:13 PM
@TheManFromMars

I know, it's still drafting. I don't know how to take it off of publication and put it in my drafts.
dylanmm5
dylanmm5 - 8/14/2015, 9:10 AM
@TheManFromMars @ThtOneGuyUKnow @Kong @DrDoom @WakandasSoul Article is finished! Hope you all enjoy the read!
Nivekian
Nivekian - 8/14/2015, 12:27 PM
Agree with a lot of what was said. While not Godzilla level disappointing, I felt it fumbled way too much for my taste.
blackandyellow
blackandyellow - 8/14/2015, 12:33 PM

Thumb.
Darkknight2149
Darkknight2149 - 8/14/2015, 5:38 PM
Great article. While I thought this film was an improvement over the original, it had a lot of problems that this article addresses.
Deonox
Deonox - 8/14/2015, 5:48 PM
Decent List but i think the best real change would be adding about 20 minutes. The pacing was my only gripe. With 20 minutes you can give Ultron an extra bit of time to show him getting corrupt, a little more time with the Twins and their relationship to make QuickSilver's death more impactful. 5 minute of what the hell Thor was doing. Use 4:58 just for a little breathing room and then 2 seconds of Captain America saying "Assemble"
WYLEEJAY
WYLEEJAY - 8/14/2015, 5:55 PM
I love this movie! I wouldn't change much. Except Hulks personality. He barely has any characterization. And maybe when he was getting out of the wreckage, I know he was starting to get in his right mind and calm down, but maybe Tony should have sucker punched him just as he was starting to change back to Banner. Maybe that would have been better. I don't know.
DerekLake
DerekLake - 8/14/2015, 5:57 PM
My biggest issue with the film is that Scarlet Witch, and not Ultron, was the biggest threat to the Avengers. That needn't have been the case: As a complex artificial intelligence derived from one of the most powerful objects in the universe, Ultron should have been able to do so, so, so much more to hurt the Avengers and the world. He could have single-handedly bankrupted Stark Industries, framed the Avengers for a devastating attack, crashed the stock market, or even have started World War 3, all without resorting to nukes or the Twins (for examples, look at Person of Interest's "Samaritan"). He could have done all of these at once even. Instead, Ultron himself manages to be quite weak, and the threat posed by Scarlet Witch evaporates by the third act. Ultron needed to have been more of a threat.
NeoBaggins
NeoBaggins - 8/14/2015, 6:02 PM
Post the video of Cumberbatch in mo-cap crawling around voicing Smaug. Shit was amazing. Is that new, or am I the last one to see it?
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 8/14/2015, 6:10 PM
My biggest issue with the film is that Scarlet Witch, and not Ultron, was the biggest threat to the Avengers.

I never thought bout that @derekluke

Overall I agree but with the Hulk/Widow romance I will admit, I see where Whedon was going. How both are sort of monsters. Widow with her spy background, not so much with her unable to carry a child, & Banner with Hulk. I just don't think Whedon nailed the landing with it but its a good shot and I hated the idea to begin with.

Also no kill Hawkguy because then no Pizza Dog in the Mcu.
Desr0w
Desr0w - 8/14/2015, 6:11 PM
TheEpicJuicebox
TheEpicJuicebox - 8/14/2015, 6:12 PM
Marvels worst decision was killing off Quicksilver, hes such a cool character and i hope they bring him back since no superhero really stays dead
thewanderer
thewanderer - 8/14/2015, 6:15 PM
Age of Ultron was awesome.
NovaCorpsFan
NovaCorpsFan - 8/14/2015, 6:16 PM
@RandyBobandy
That's because he was just Tony Stark gone bad.
JPSpideyFan2015
JPSpideyFan2015 - 8/14/2015, 6:16 PM
Useless article, Age of Ultron is excellent and one the best cbm.
Minghagz
Minghagz - 8/14/2015, 6:18 PM
Great write up. Gotta say i agree with almost everything you said
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 8/14/2015, 6:20 PM
Anyone hates Ultron's charactization. Yea that's an issue.

What's also an issue is the fact Ultron got his ass kicked by Vision, Cap, &Tony, & Hulk in the film but made Thor Ultron's bitch in the climax.

Also nice to see Loki come back in the film to play Ultron so we have another Supervillain giving Black Widow and violent speech only this time Widow was afraid instead of tricking Loki.

And we have yet again another Marvel film with an army of nothing but punching bag robots/aliens/humans that serve the villain like we had in Cap 2, Iron Man 3, Iron Man 2's, Avengers, & GOTG climax.
Spidey91
Spidey91 - 8/14/2015, 6:21 PM
as much as I like the movie, these are some pretty good points.
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 8/14/2015, 6:23 PM
I'm not hating on AOU. I liked it more than I disliked it and I believe all the heroes are very balanced out and well written by Whedon but when you call a film after the main villain and the main villain isn't all that great and disappointing, you are well disappointed.

I mean imagine if in Wrath of Khan, Khan wasn't as great as he was but everything else was the same. That's AOU.
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