Age of Ultron Part I is a 2015 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. Produced by Marvel Studios, it is the sequel to The Avengers (2012) and the 25th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Written and directed by Zack Snyder, the film features an ensemble cast including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Edward Norton, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Andrew Garfield, Chadwick Boseman, Brie Larson, Anthony Mackie, Don Cheadle, Anne Hathaway, Paul Rudd, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Gary Oldman, Armie Hammer, Evan Rachel Wood, Joel Edgerton, Nick Robinson, Lucas Till, Josh Duhamel, Nathalie Emmanuel, Timothee Chalamet, Florian Munteanu, Louis Garrel, Alexandra Daddario, Elsie Fisher, Sarah Yarkin, Brandon Routh, Dwayne Johnson, Dacre Montgomery, Kate Bosworth, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jon Favaure, Liv Tyler, Maisie Williams, Florence Pugh, Natalie Portman, Samuel Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Clark Gregg, Idris Elba, Linda Cardellini, Stellan Skarsgård, Jeremy Irons, Jodie Comer, Nikolaj Coster Waldau and James Spader. In the film, the Avengers, along with the X-Men and Fantastic Four, fight Ultron (Spader), Magneto (Irons) and Doctor Doom (Waldau).
The sequel was announced in May 2012 after the successful release of The Avengers, with Whedon set to return as writer and director in August. Snyder updated Ultron's origin for the film to involve the MCU's Avengers team, and introduced the characters Pietro (Taylor-Johnson) and Wanda Maximoff (Olsen) to whom Marvel shared the rights with 20th Century Fox. Casting began in June 2013 with the re-signing of Downey. Second unit filming began in February 2014 in South Africa with principal photography taking place between March and August, primarily at Shepperton Studios in Surrey, England. Additional footage was filmed in Italy, South Korea, Bangladesh, the state of New York, and around England. With an estimated net production budget of $365 million, the film is the second most expensive film ever made.
Age of Ultron Part I premiered in Los Angeles on April 13, 2015, and was released in the United States on May 1, 2015, as part of Phase Two of the MCU. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed over $1.4 billion worldwide, becoming the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2015 and the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time during its run. Two sequels have been released: Age Of Ultron Part II, Avengers Civil War (2019) Avengers: Reborn (2022), Avengers: Infinity War (2025) and Avengers Endgame (2028).
