Joss Whedon very proud of Age of Ultron, but still has issues with the film

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Even though AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON proved to be a success at the box-office, it wasn't met with the same critical praise which Joss Whedon's first AVENGERS flick enjoyed. One person who didn't seem all that pumped about the film during its press-tour was Whedon himself, who seemed exhausted and beaten down as he described conflicts with Marvel and juggling all the Marvel Cinematic Universe plot-lines. Whedon and Marvel would soon split, which was apparently amicable, but the time away has given Joss Whedon a chance to reflect on his final Marvel film. While chatting with Mark Ruffalo during a Tribeca Film Festival Q&A, Whedon spoke about AGE OF ULTRON as well as his own feelings towards the film.

Ultron, I’m very proud of, there are things that did not meet my expectations of myself, and I was so beaten down by the process. Some of that was conflict with Marvel, which is inevitable, but a lot of that was about my own work. And I was also exhausted, and we went right away and did publicity, and I sort of created the narrative, wherein I’m not quite accomplished at it, and people just ran with that: ‘Well, it’s okay, it could be better, but it’s not Joss’s fault.’ And I think that did a disservice to the movie and to the studio and to myself, ultimately. It was not the right way to be, because I am very proud of it.

The things that are wrong frustrate me enormously, and I probably had more of those than I had on other movies I made, but I also got to make, for the second time, an absurdly personal movie where I got to talk about how I felt about humanity and what it means in very esoteric and bizarre ways for hundreds of millions of dollars. The fact that Marvel gave me that opportunity twice is so bonkers and so beautiful, and the fact that I come off of it feeling like a miserable failure is also bonkers, but not in a cute way. It becomes problematic.

Even though Whedon swore off doing another Marvel film, Mark Ruffalo told the Tribeca audience that he begged him to return for another couple of AVENGERS movies; Whedon's response? "I'll never do it again." There's plenty to like about AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON but there are also several aspects which keep it from feeling like a complete film. Anyone who creates something artistic can attest to looking back on your work and feeling like you could have done better, granted it's not always a $250 million blockbuster, but its a feeling we can all relate to. Marvel's latest film, CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR, is set to hit theaters on May 6, 2016.

Now that it's been nearly a year since the release of AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, have your thoughts on the film changed at all?