James Spader is Ultron in the Avengers sequel, will make the Avengers feel kind of unsure of themselves

The biggest non-raccoon-related bit of Marvel casting has at last been settled: James Spader will play the role of Ultron in Avengers: Age Of Ultron (whose titular question can now be answered with, “He's 53?! I remember when he was in Pretty In Pink. Good God, where does the time go….” and then you listen to your Psychedelic Furs records and weep). Anyway, Spader’s casting is an unexpected yet not unpleasant surprise, with the sequel now pitting the formidable superhero team against Spader’s super-intelligent robot, whose inner rage at his creators (chief among them, in the comics at least, is Dr. Henry Pym) manifests itself in a quest for god-like supremacy that begins with the Avengers' total destruction. And with Spader playing that robot, it will probably also involve a lot of conversations where it feels like he’s kind of mocking you even when he’s ostensibly being nice. “Tremble before the dry, unsettling wit of Ultron!” Ultron will say, maybe.