Joss Whedon was on a high after The Avengers. The first full MCU crossover grossed an astonishing $1.5 billion at the box office and cemented Marvel Studios as one of Hollywood’s biggest blockbuster factories. After this, signing up Whedon for its sequel, 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron was a no-brainer.
Sadly things didn’t quite work out. While the movie did gross $1.4 billion, many consider it a missed opportunity and a low point for the MCU. Whedon ended up in a conflict with Kevin Feige about the direction of the movie, which was followed by him parting ways with the studio.
But now, with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness resolving Wanda Maximoff’s story, fans are reappraising Age of Ultron.
Some are saying it just gets overshadowed by better movies:
That they’re invested:
Some know it’s unpopular but still like it:
A few are even ready to look past Whedon’s well-chronicled history of misogynistic behaviour.
But the overwhelming consensus is that Age of Ultron falls far short of MCU’s usual parameters of greatness.
It’s also been named as the originating source of the MCU’s worst plotlines:
Some also called out Whedon’s influence as the reason for its flaws.
And many simply can’t get past the fact that it was Whedon’s creation.
Let’s face it, while Age of Ultron isn’t a complete cinematic disaster โ there are a couple of good scenes, James Spader is a commendable villain, and the dream sequences are quite fun โ there is no denying that some truly cringy moments involving Black Widow have aged terribly.
In case, you are planning to add your input to the debate above, you can refresh your memories by watching Avengers: Age of Ultron, which is available to stream on Disney Plus.