The Avengers 2: Smulders & Bettany Speak

 Two cast members are talking about their roles in Joss Whedon's superhero team up sequel "The Avengers: Age of Ultron".

The sequel DOES NOT follow the Age of Ultron comics storyline--in which the big bad Ultron was created by Hank Pym who becomes Ant-Man. James Spader will both voice Ultron, and he'll have to do some kind of motion-capture as well--This news puts to rest the most popular theory suggesting that Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr,) robot butler J.A.R.V.I.S. (voiced by Paul Bettany) operating system from the Iron Man Films would turn into the villain.

Marvel vets RDJ, Chris Evans Chris Hemsworth Scarlett Johansson Samuel L. Jackson Jeremy Renner Mark Ruffalo, Clark Gregg and Cobie Smulders are all back Two time Iron Man co-star Don Cheadle is involved this time out according to USA Today. Bettany will appear on screen as The Vision an android created by Ultron as a weapon to be used against the Avengers. Vision can fire beams of radiation and turn invisible--the character ultimately turned the tables on Ultron and became an Avengers member himself.

Smulders talked with EW about her role as former S.H.I.E.L.D agent-turned-Stark employee Maria Hill and her character arc in the sequel:

"There's so many pieces to this giant puzzle, and I'm happy that Maria Hill is one of them. She's working for Tony Stark, yes, but they shot so many locations all over the world and this team is out doing all sorts of things. So I like to think that Maria is at headquarters, trying to keep everything running as smoothly as possible. And working for Tony Stark is a whole other ballgame. She doesn't have S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel to back her up at her disposal, so it's an entirely different vibe for her."

Meantime, Bettany talked about voicing Jarvis and becoming the character of Vision in the film. Speaking to THR while attending the Dubai International Film Festival, he says he's glad that fans will soon be able to get their first look at Vision:

"It's still a secret. I think all will be revealed very shortly. It's a secret I've kept for about three years, which is really hard, especially with three kids. I'm contractually obliged not to talk about it. (I'm still concerned about) sunlight glinting off a sniper's telescopic lens. J.A.R.V.I.S will be there and so will The Vision. But I simply can't tell you any more."

TV's Hulk Lou Ferrigno has confirmed that he'll return to do the voice of the big guy in the sequel. Ferrigno has said four words as the character so far - "Hulk Smash" in 2008's "The Incredible Hulk" and "Puny God" in "The Avengers".

Thomas Kretschmann has landed the role of 2nd bad guy Baron von Strucker. In the comics, the seemingly immortal Strucker is one of the leaders of Hydra, and an enemy of both S.H.I.E.L.D and The Avengers He seemingly beat out rumored candidates Marton Csokas and Dougray Scott who were being considered for the BvS role. The character will have Wanda Maximoff, a.k.a. Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and her twin brother Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) apparently working for him in the sequel (American Horror Story favorite Evan Peters plays a different incarnation of the speedy superhero in Bryan Singer's "X-Men: Days of Future Past"--in a very cool sequence in the film). Korean actress  Soo-hyun Kim will play a bad gal role.

 Idris Elba who plays Heimdall in the Thor films, confirmed to The Telegraph that he and fellow Thor star Tom Hiddleston [Loki] will both appear in the pic

Radar Online has an unidentified source that claims that RDJ was campaigning to get his pals Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster a role in the movie.

 Latino Review has posted what appears to be details about the film's opening 15-20 minutes (SPOILERS).

The movie shot in South Korea, South Africa, Bangladesh, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Post-production  on the 'Avengers 2' continues to meet a release date of May 1, 2015.

 Additional filming on the movie is scheduled to take place in January.