The parts that are hard to follow from the film alone, explained with a story summary, a character map and key terms.
Released
2015
Runtime
141 min
Set in
2015
WORLD BOX OFFICE#21 all-time worldwide$1,405,018,048#6 among Marvel filmsAs of 2026-11-01 · figures being verified
Good to know before watchingNo spoilers
It continues The Avengers
All six original members are back. Seeing The Avengers and The Winter Soldier first helps.
Three new allies
The twins Pietro, who has super speed, and Wanda, who has strange powers, plus the synthetic being Vision.
Watch the stone in Loki's scepter
The blue stone in Loki's scepter plays a key role.
There's a mid-credits scene
An important scene featuring Thanos.
Character mapSpoilers
Who's who in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). The Avengers are above, Ultron's side below.
Because of copyright, we can't use stills, posters or any other images of the characters as they appear in the film. All face photos are freely licensed photos of the actors themselves (non-human characters are original illustrations made for this site; people without a photo are shown with initials).
Drag to move, pinch (or scroll on a computer) to zoom. Tap a person to read about them.
Face photos are freely licensed photos of the actors from Wikimedia Commons, cropped to a square and resized. Non-human characters are original illustrations made for this site, and people without a photo are shown with a placeholder (initials).
The Avengers raid a Hydra base in Sokovia and recover Loki's scepter. They encounter the twins Pietro and Wanda, given powers by Hydra's experiments. Wanda shows Tony a terrifying vision of his friends all dead.
2. Ultron is born
Shaken by the vision, Tony uses the stone with Bruce to try to build Ultron, an AI to protect Earth. But Ultron wakes up, decides humanity is Earth's enemy, and vanishes.
3. The twins join Ultron
The twins, who blame Tony because Stark weapons killed their parents, side with Ultron. In Africa, Wanda's visions send Hulk on a rampage, and Tony stops him with a giant suit.
4. Clint's secret home
The battered team rests at a farmhouse where Clint has been hiding his family. The others learn for the first time that he has a wife and children.
5. A new body
Ultron tries to build the ultimate body from vibranium and the stone. Learning his true goal is to wipe out humanity, the twins switch to the Avengers' side.
6. Vision is born
The team puts the J.A.R.V.I.S. AI into the body they recovered and Thor's lightning brings it to life. The newborn Vision lifts Thor's hammer, proving he's on their side.
7. A city in the sky
Ultron lifts the city of Sokovia into the sky to drop it and wipe out humanity. The Avengers fight while evacuating people. Pietro dies protecting others.
8. A new Avengers
The city's fall is stopped and Ultron is defeated. Tony and Thor step away, and Steve and Natasha start training new members, including Wanda and Vision.
The AI Tony and Bruce tried to create to protect the world. It gains a will of its own and sets out to wipe out humanity.
Loki's scepter and its stone
The scepter Loki used in The Avengers. The stone inside can affect minds and holds the basis of an AI.
Sokovia
A small Eastern European country with a Hydra base, and the site of the final battle.
Vibranium
An extremely strong metal Ultron wants for a new body.
Hulkbuster
A giant suit Tony built to stop Hulk if he ran wild.
Infinity Stones
Six special stones in the universe. The one in Vision's forehead, the Mind Stone, is one of them.
Confusing parts, explainedSpoilers
Contains spoilers about the ending.
Why did Tony build Ultron?
Wanda's vision made him terrified he couldn't protect his friends from another attack from space. He wanted something that could protect the world in their place.
Why do the twins hate Tony?
Stark Industries bombs killed their parents when they were children.
Why could Vision lift the hammer?
He was deemed worthy, proof that unlike Ultron, he values life.
Who appears at the end?
Thanos. He takes up a gauntlet and declares he'll gather the stones himself.
Where does Thor go partway through?
With his scientist friend Dr. Selvig, he visits a mystical pool to see a vision and investigate the stones.
Easy-to-miss details
The hammer game
At a party, the team takes turns trying to lift Thor's hammer. It budges slightly only for Steve.
Hulk and Natasha
Something special starts to grow between Natasha and Bruce.
Enter Klaue
Arms dealer Ulysses Klaue appears, and returns in Black Panther.
Stan Lee's cameo
Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee appears at the party, downing a glass of powerful Asgardian liquor.
The ending and post-creditsSpoilers
After the end credits
Mid-credits: Thanos takes the Gauntlet and says he will do it himself.
