Avengers: Age of Ultron Theme of Transformation

If you stumbled into the wrong theater, you'd be forgiven if you mistook Age of Ultron for a Transformers movie. For starters, a nine-foot robot and his droid pals take up a good deal screen time. On a more profound level, though, at the heart of this movie lies several characters' burning desire for change. They can no longer accept the status quo, and they're motivated to change things however they can—except by turning into Decepticons or Autobots. That movie's playing a few screens over.

Questions about Transformation

  • By defending the status quo, are the Avengers making it possible for human beings to continue to do horrible things to each other? If so, aren't they just as guilty as us normal folks?
  • Do you agree with Ultron's assessment of the need to change humanity? Why or why not?
  • Is Ultron truly motivated to change humanity, or is he more interested in using his power? How can you tell?
  • Why are human beings so resistant to transformation?

Chew on This

Take a peek at these thesis statements. Agree or disagree?

Ultron's not wrong; he's just wrong-headed. The changes he wants to make are fundamentally good ideas. He's just too impatient for them to come about.

The main conflict in Age of Ultron is not about transformation; it's about power, power of who gets to decide the fate of humanity.