Always two there are in a sequel. A villain and another villain. But one villain less so than the other my padawan. Yep, it looks like the Avengers sequel will be doubling up on the bad guy threat, as rogue ultra-AI and all-around evil robot Ultron won’t be alone.
He’ll be getting a little bit of help in that film, from a foe that ol’ Nick Fury and Captain America should be more than familiar with. Folks, say hello to the big screen debut of Baron Wolfgang von Strucker.
Thomas “Dracula” Kretschmann is going to need to start shaving his head and practicing how to keep a monocle from falling out, as he’ll be portraying the classic big bad comic book villain. Strucker has been around since 1964, as the leader of HYDRA, which you might recognise from the first Captain America movie. Primarily a Nick Fury and Captain America villain, the HYDRA head has plagued pretty much every comic book character possible. Like a Nazier version of the Red Skull and Cap, Strucker has a genius level intellect, superb fighting skills, enhanced strength and wields the coolest-named weapon in comics, the Satan Claw.
Hitfix gave a description of Kretschmann’s role in the film and how it’ll help introduce the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, minor spoilers beware:
In “Age Of Ultron,” Baron Von Strucker is the initial threat, the guy they’re fighting at the start of the film. He does not have a major ongoing role in the film, but he is responsible for bringing Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch into contact with the Avengers in the first place, since they start the film working either with or for the Baron.
If you look at this like a James Bond movie, Von Strucker’s the bad guy they’ll take care of in the pre-credits sequence before they move into the main story. Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch have a complicated journey in this film, and the question of whether they’re good or bad is one of the big things driving the movie overall.
While it sounds like Von Strucker won’t be around for the entire movie, Kretschmann apparently does have a contract deal for several films. What does that mean? Well, seeing as how Red Skull actor Hugo Weaving isn’t too keen to don the Red Skull make-up for another Captain America movie, Strucker would be an ideal replacement for him. He has the HYDRA legacy and if Kretschmann can make the role memorable in the Avengers sequel, the screen presence to give Captain America a run for his money.
Plus seeing SHIELD go to all-out war with HYDRA forces would make for some gripping entertainment. Avengers: Age of Ultron is out next year May 2015, and stars the usual gang from the first film as well as James Spader, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen.
Last Updated: January 16, 2014
RinceThis2014
January 16, 2014 at 09:15
I wish I had a time machine and the ability to forget what I have watched. Life would be awesome, wait, what was I saying?