Update 10/30: It seems we’ve been hearing about this all summer, but The Wrap confirms that the deal is signed, sealed and delivered for Aaron Taylor-Johnson to play Quicksilver in “Avengers: Age Of Ultron.”
Original story 06/08: Well, that was fast. Despite Marvel Chief Kevin Feige cautioning that “The Avengers 2” was some ways away, Joss Whedon had just started screenplay, and therefore the new characters of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch could potentially not land in the final version of the script, casting is underway. And a frontrunner for the role of the speedster Quicksilver has already been found. The Wrap reports that “Kick-Ass” and “Savages” star Aaron Taylor-Johnson is the main actor Marvel is eyeing for the role. No decision has been made yet and no other actors in the running have been revealed.
Fans will note that Quicksilver, a superfast character who has been both friend and foe to “The Avengers” in the comics, is also a mutant and the son of “X-Men” villain Magneto. So is there a crossover in the works? Likely not. Quicksilver and his mutant sister the Scarlet Witch are the rare characters that both 20th Century Fox (who owns the “X-Men” universe in its entirety) and Marvel both co-own, possibly due to the fact that the characters were members of both teams (and it was negotiated as such). In fact, what some may consider a “dick move,” after months into shooting “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” and coincidentally right after Whedon’s intentions to use these characters were made public, Fox announced that young actor Evan Peters would be playing their version of Quicksilver in the movie. And Fox’s version is a character many fans insist will be the superior version because he won’t have to hide the fact that he’s a mutant and has blood ties to Magneto and his true origin story. Complicated, huh? And yes, we’ll see Fox’s Quicksilver first because ‘XMDOFP’ opens in 2014, one whole year before ‘Avengers 2.’
Whedon recently talked about the characters on the Tavis Smiley show (see the clip below around the 10-minute mark), but it doesn’t sound like he’s figured how the characters fit into this universe yet. “We are introducing Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch who are mainstays of ‘The Avengers’ universe, they’re foes, they’ve been allies and they’re very interesting to me because I grew up reading ‘The Avengers,’ ” he said. “They have powers that are visually exciting, different from the characters we’ve seen before so I’m excited to knock them against ‘The Avengers’ and see what shakes loose.”
Whedon recently said he would not make “Avengers 2” if Robert Downey Jr. did not return as Iron Man, but all parties assume these thorny and loaded negotiations will eventually get worked out (even thought Feige said the character can live on beyond RDJ like James Bond). “The Avengers 2” is already set for a May 1, 2015 release date. [The Wrap]