AVENGERS AGE OF ULTRON Casts Thomas Kretschmann as Baron von Strucker

Ultron won’t be the only dastardly force the Avengers will fight in 2015, although he’ll probably still be the most powerful. The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Dracula actor Thomas Kretchsmann will play villain Baron Wolfgang von Strucker in the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron. The actor, also known from such movies as King Kong and Stalingrad (and for my personal favorite, Max in the TV series 24), is the fourth new actor to be cast in the film after James Spader, Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Borys Kit, the writer of the article, later tweeted that Kretschmann signed a multi-movie deal with Marvel, although this doesn’t necessarily mean he will appear in sequels.

Also of note for Stucker fans: Kretchmann’s deal is for several movies, I’m being told.

— Borys Kit (@Borys_Kit) January 15, 2014

When Strucker’s inclusion in the movie was rumored last month, it was said that he would be the villain that the superhero team would face off against in the opening scene, and that Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch would be working for him before they defect over to the Avengers. Strucker has been an enemy to almost every hero in the Marvel Universe, and is prominently known as a World War II Nazi who would later become one of HYDRA’s leaders.

Although HYDRA was defeated in Captain America: The First Avenger (which oddly enough was mentioned in last night’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. episode), I wouldn’t be surprised if the group is still around in the present day as a terrorist organization and Strucker is its leader. I’m hoping that unlike most of its villains, Marvel doesn’t kill him off and just has him captured so we can see him in a future movie.

Seriously though, I’m so freakin’ glad they cast a German actor in the role! Now they just need to make sure he’s wearing that monocle and I’ll be as happy as a clam.

SOURCE: The Hollywood Reporter