Top 10 Avengers: Age of Ultron Storylines That Helped Build the MCU

Avengers: Age of Ultron is the weakest of all the team-up films, but it deserves credit for setting up many of the major storylines in the MCU.

Although Avengers: Age of Ultron is the weakest installment of the eponymous Team-Up series (with a 76% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), it certainly contributes to the most important storyline in the MCU. Its messy storyline and dire pacing allowed at least some of the subplots to develop individual character arcs, resulting in films like Black Panther and Thor: Ragnarok.

Age of Ultron deserves more credit and credit for establishing the MCU, as these events were integral to the final Infinity Saga. Still, the Avengers sequels have had a lasting impact on multiverse saga, especially WandaVision. So if the movie didn't exist, it wouldn't have heralded Captain America's big moment in Avengers: Endgame, or Wanda Maximoff's evolution as Scarlet Witch.

Escalating Conflicts Before Civil War

The reason why Age of Ultron is such an important film is because it was the precursor to Captain America: Civil War. Tony Stark and Steve Rogers bickered about their past philosophies and ways of going about things, but Ultron's situation heightened tension between them. Because Tony kept his Ultron experiments a secret (which got worse when Ultron became a rogue AI), many of the Avengers, including Steve, lost their trust in him. Unfortunately, both Characters bump heads, especially in the scene where they chop wood at Clint's house.

While Tony has good intentions in wanting to use technology like Ultron to protect the world, Steve accuses him of dishonesty and recklessness that could cost more lives - Sokovia did. Their conflict reached a flashpoint during the Civil War between Team Iron Man and Team Captain America, as they disagreed on their stance on the Sokovia Accords. While Age of Ultron is currently showing only fleeting friction, it can have devastating consequences in the long run, with a fragmented team leaving Earth more vulnerable to Thanos' threat and eventual defeat at Snap.

Foreshadowing Captain America's Worthiness

Steve Rogers has demonstrated that his bravery and innate leadership qualities are his distinctive Captain America traits, which explains why Dr. Erskine chose him for Project Rebirth in the first place. His consistent selflessness in battle while prioritizing his friends shows his true nature and perhaps hints at his worth.

In Age of Ultron, his worth is tested when he is the only Avenger to slightly move Mjölnir on the glass table, although unsuccessfully. but this The scene foreshadows Captain America's cinematic moment in Avengers: Endgame. That meant waiting another four years for this moment to hit the big screen, but patience brings rewarding experiences. Since then, Jane Foster and Love have become the latest recipients to use Mjolnir in Thor: Love and Thunder, so Steve shares the feat with many others.

Setting Up Wanda Maximoff As Scarlet Witch

Wanda Maximoff, aka Scarlet Witch, is a fan-favorite character due to her powerful and complex character development. Credit goes to Age of Ultron for introducing the telepathic witch, but it took a long time for her tragic story to start taking shape. The movie also forewarned Wanda's incredible strength, which would make her one of the most powerful Avengers in the MCU -- especially in the final scene, where she wiped out all the remaining Ultron droids.

Wanda's misery began with the death of her twin brother, and her misfortunes continued to accumulate with the accident in Lagos and the death of Vision in Avengers: Infinity War. These only have a lasting effect on her as she slowly becomes lonely and heartbroken. These tragic events in the MCU will help her grow as Scarlet The Witch in WandaVision, and finally kickstarted her villainous arc in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. While it's unclear if Wanda will return for future MCU projects, her expertise in chaos magic and the multiverse could make her a key figure in the MCU in unraveling these uncertainties.

Tony's Fears & His Inevitable Sacrifice

One of the most important scenes in Age of Ultron is the vision of each character. Throughout the film, Wanda plays with each Avenger's mind with a vision that could be their desire, fear, or disturbing memory. Tony Stark was Wanda's first victim to experience this experience, and his visions manifested his deepest fears of human death and his failure.

While Tony has been dealing with PTSD since the Battle of New York, this will be the first time Tony has revealed his fear that everyone dies, which is why he did what he did in Age of Ultron things. Sadly, this fear became a reality when Thanos wiped out half the universe, leaving Tony frustrated by failure. It shows that Tony isn't just "genius, billionaire, and philanthropist"—someone who wants to protect humanity and those he loves at all costs. this moment will Further justifying his key decisions, making the ultimate sacrifice to save humanity and finally finding peace.

The Ragnarok Prophecy

Like Tony Stark, Thor's vision also foresees an inevitable event in which he will meet Heimdall, who is constantly haunted by the extinction of Asgard and the death of Agadian. Considering that Thor is considered the protector of the Nine Realms, hearing these remarks was unsettling. So, once Thor helped the Avengers defeat Ultron, he began working to uncover the meaning behind his vision, which explained his absence from Civil War.

This vision sets the Ragnarok prophecy in Thor: Ragnarok. It's clear that this day of reckoning is inevitable, though at least there is a chance of saving the survivors and relocating them to Earth. Thor managed to do this, as the remaining Asgardians had resettled on Earth and continued to function in society.

Laying The Storyline For Black Panther

In addition to dreams and visions, Age of Ultron subtly alludes to Wakanda and Black Panther by introducing the minor villain Ulysses Crow. There are multiple references to vibranium throughout the film, which originated in Wakanda as the metal for Captain America's shield. It also shows a glimpse of Zhenjin and the way anyone would go By getting their hands (including Ultron).

Age of Ultron sets up the plot for the Black Panther movies by introducing Crowe as an antagonist and explaining the ongoing issues surrounding vibranium smuggling. Even though Klaue posed no real threat, Zhenjin became a key element of T'Challa's leadership as the Panthers, as it was more open to change, such as opening Wakanda to the world. As an iconic location in the MCU, Wakanda becomes even more integral in the Multiverse Saga as Wakanda Forever reveals the increasingly greedy use of vibranium by many nations for personal use, which may have a catch-all in movies like Thunderbolts The plot of the.

Black Widow Relives Her Unsettling Past

Unlike the other Avengers, Natasha's vision is a memory from the Red Room, where she was trained to be the Black Widow. So far, she's only mentioned generally about her dark past before joining S.H.I.E.L.D. But Age of Ultron delves into Black Widow's origins, in which she underwent intense training and "graduated" from the program through surgery.

Natasha's foresight ultimately orchestrates the plot of the manipulated program in the Black Widow movie. Operation Black Widow is still in progress and this becomes their main target stop. So Age of Ultron hinted at this part of Natasha's dark past, which Black Widow expanded upon.

Hawkeye's Family

Perhaps, one of the unexpected revelations in Age of Ultron is that Clint Barton, aka Hawkeye, has a family. He explained that given the dangers of being an S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Nick Fury built the hideout to protect his family from threats. However, introducing Hawkeye's family would be his worst nightmare.

Given that his family is his weakness, anything that happens to them leaves Clint in a vulnerable position. This was the case when Endgame revealed that his entire family died on The Snap, leading him to adopt the rogue character as Ronin. His family has returned, and the MCU has recently begun exploring the family's background, hinting at Laura Barton's potential history as a Hawkeye agent.

Predicting Captain America's Wishes

Captain America's vision is unlike any other Avenger's. While most people experience dark memories or fears, Steve dreams of a heartwarming moment dancing with Peggy Carter. Steve's vision was a reference to Captain America: The Avengers, in which he promised to dance with Peggy, but that never happened. It is a It was a devastating feeling for Steve, who hadn't danced with Peggy since he'd been frozen in ice for nearly seventy years.

However, this vision foreshadows the end for Steve to be reunited with the love of his life. Endgame ends with Steve returning to his timeline, where he finally finishes dancing with Peggy. The music he envisioned in Age of Ultron is also played in their dance in Endgame, rounding out the moment. It was one of the few times Steve acted selfishly and still deserved it after fighting for so many years.

"That's The Endgame"

For a while, Marvel fans couldn't wait to reveal the name of Avengers 4, and names like "Avengers: Annihilation" were some of the predictions. However, many suspect that "Endgame" is the subtitle, with multiple references to the word throughout the MCU. This includes Doctor Strange's eerie quote "It's Endgame" in Avengers: Infinity War to illustrate the importance of tracking the events that led to a single successful outcome with Thanos.

Surprisingly, Doctor Strange is not the first character to mention "Endgame", that honor goes to Tony Stark. Tony tries to justify his creative intent AI, ends with "This is the endgame." A character's famous quote rarely inspires the title of a follow-up film, but Endgame is also the most appropriate title to reflect the incredibly long journey of the Infinity Saga.