Avengers:Age Of Ultron - London Press Conference

There can only be one thing better than an Avenger – and that’s eight of them. A veritable galaxy of stars and their superhero alter-egos descended on the ballroom of the Corinthia Hotel in South West London, to reveal to the assembled press just what it was that persuaded them to reprise their roles in the latest big screen instalment of Marvel’s Avengers franchise. Along with the film’s writer / director Joss Whedon, the stars including Elizabeth Olsen, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Scarlett Johansson and Paul Bettany were more than candid about the experience of participating in what is fast becoming a cinematic phenomenon.

Though he initially joked that it was the paycheque and percentage of box-office earnings which appealed to him most, Bettany (who plays the dual characters of Jarvis / The Vision in the film) itted that “it was lovely to be physically on the screen, and not just a voice”, as he has been in previous films. As this was the first time he was a real presence onscreen he also enthused that, “everyone was so welcoming, and it was a dream to be involved”. A point which several of his co-stars – including story newcomers Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen, who play brother and sister Pietro and Wanda Maximoff (alias Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch) agreed on. “I’m excited to be part of the whole thing”, said Taylor-Johnson, whilst Olsen added, “I was thrilled to be part of something that was both deep and human with strength. It’s mind boggling to be part of it”.

An overriding aspect to the production and something which appealed to all of the cast was the depth of their characters, and the directions which the story arch took as it played out onscreen. Ruffalo (Bruce Banner / The Hulk) said he enjoyed, “coming back to the world and seeing where the characters were going”, whilst Renner (Clint Barton / Hawkeye) believed that “all the characters are interesting, and it’s good that we dive deeper into them this time round”. A point on which Johansson (Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow) agreed. “My character is based on something deep and real which I could hold on to. One of the qualities I love is that she is at a place where she can do something for herself. She’s ready to make choices in this film”.

One aspect on which there was almost universal agreement was the strength of the storyline between Ruffalo and Johansson’s characters. Chris Evans (Steve Rogers / Captain America) said that he “liked Scarlett and Ruffalo’s story with its ‘intimate moments’ “, whilst Taylor-Johnson found it “emotional”. Olsen however, was most verbose on the subject. “I loved the Scarlett, Ruffalo thing. I love the first time you see Black Widow talk the Hulk down”.

One thing those in the audience wanted to know was whether there are going to be any more films in the series? A question perhaps best answered (somewhat enigmatically) by Whedon. “I have nothing in the pipeline at the moment, but I love the Marvel universe and never see myself as being far from it. Each movie is a new idea, so the series could potentially run and run …..”. You heard it here first!