Rumours are circulating that James Spader will return as Ultron in the MCU’s upcoming Armor Wars.
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We were first introduced to the murderous, human-hating AI in Avengers: Age of Ultron, which also introduced the Maximoff twins. Ultron was created as a last line of defence against threats to Earth but became obsessed with Earth’s doom and the destruction of the human race. James Spader did a brilliant job voicing the undying AI in Age of Ultron, and it has been rumoured that he might return to voice the character once again in Armor Wars. In the comics, Ultron is more of an undying cockroach than Deadpool.
No matter how many times he gets taken out or how definite his death feels at the end of a battle, he always comes back stronger and more determined than ever. We saw just how destructive Ultron could have become in the first season of What If…? so there’s no telling what he could have in store for our heroes if he does come back.
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What Happens in the Comics and How It Could Be Changed for the Film
In Armor Wars, readers saw Tony Stark get all his technology stolen by Spymaster, who then sells it to various villains in the Marvel universe. Stark experiences his worst nightmare: his own armour being used to hurt people. In his grief, he goes on a rampage, taking down the newly armoured villains and destroying the technology they’d acquired.
However, Stark also went one step further, destroying the armour he’d made for organisations like S.H.I.E.L.D. This self-destructive spiral caused Tony to temporarily lose the trust of Captain America, get kicked out of the West Coast Avengers and almost die at the hands of one of Justin Hammer’s employees.
Since Tony Stark is dead in the MCU, the Armor Wars story could be very different. Instead, the film will focus on War Machine, the significantly more level-headed best friend of Tony Stark. Armor Wars is not a happy story, so it’d be interesting to see how the writers handle it and how Rhodey handles carrying the weight of the Iron Man Legacy.
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How Ultron Could Fit into The Story
Tony Stark’s biggest regret is the creation of Ultron. The AI that was supposed to protect Earth ended up trying to destroy it, and it managed to shatter the friendships he had developed with his teammates. However, Ultron was also one of the things that proved Tony Stark’s willingness to make amends for his mistakes. We saw that come full circle at the end of Endgame.
Rhodey could be suffering from survivor’s guilt following the events of Endgame, and a comeback from Ultron could be a harsh reminder of his best friend.
Whatever Marvel decides to do with the characters, fans can be sure that Armor War will not have as much humour as previous Marvel projects.
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TL;DR
- Rumours have been circling that James Spader will return to play Ultron.
- Ultron could serve as a reminder of Tony Stark’s mistakes on his mission to protect the world and might force Rhodey to deal with his guilt.
- If it sticks to the tone of the comics, Armor Wars will be a lot sadder than previous Marvel projects.
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