Baron Von Strucker Rumored To Be Secondary Villain In AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON

As if fighting a sentient robot with goals of eradicating the human race wasn’t enough of a challenge, it turns out that the Avengers might have to face another enemy in the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron. According to Latino Review, Marvel for a “physically imposing man, age range 40-50, Caucasian” to play Baron Von Strucker. Apparently Marvel has shown interest in actors Martin Csokas and Dougray Scott for the role, but no offer has been made at this point to either of them. Latino Review also reports that Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver will be working for him in the movie.

If all of this wasn’t enough for you, Hitflix has not only confirmed this scoop, but given additional details on what Strucker’s role will be in the movie and what his relationship with Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch will be.

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 or 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.

In the comics, Strucker is one of HYDRA’s leaders who is not only ageless due to the many serums he takes, but can also revive from death after being exposed to the Death Spore virus. Strucker’s only other live-action appearance was as the main villain in the 1998 Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD TV movie starring David Hasselhoff.

Keep in mind this is still just a rumor, but it sounds pretty legit. If I were a betting man, I’d say that Strucker is the leader of the present-day HYDRA, which at this point has morphed into a terrorist organization. It sounds like his role in the film will be similar to how Rhino will be used in The Amazing Spider-Man 2; a villain who only appears briefly to fight the heroes of the movie. Hopefully they don’t kill him so that he can be used in a future Marvel project. Perhaps a third Captain America film or Agents of SHIELD?

We know that Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch are tricky characters for Marvel Studios to use since they can’t reference any their mutant heritage, including their father Magneto who they served under in their earliest appearances in the X-Men comics. Still, I’m glad that Joss Whedon kept their criminal background to an extent rather than just go the generic route and make them SHIELD agents. It will be interesting to see not only they’re working with or for Strucker, but what leads them to joining the Avengers.

As for Strucker, just make sure you keep his monocle! I don’t care if nobody wears them anymore, that piece of outdated fashion is crucial for the full Strucker look.

SOURCE: Latino Review and Hitfix