‘The Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Casts Its Baron Von Strucker

It may be the Age of Ultron, but a bad guy from a whole different era will be appearing in the Avengers sequel set for release on May 1, 2015.

Marvel hasn't officially confirmed it, but sources including The Hollywood Reporter are reporting that actor Thomas Kretschmann, who plays Abraham van Helsing on the NBC series Dracula, will take on the role of Baron Wolfgang von Strucker in the Joss Whedon-directed film.

This won't be von Strucker first appearance in a Marvel Movie Universe property. He was a key character in the Sega-developed Captain America: Super-Soldier video game back in 2011. Whether this version of the character will look anything like that one is yet to be determined. The voice actor who played him in the game was Kai Wulff.

Marvel fans know von Strucker is a former Nazi and the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. arch-nemeses H.Y.D.R.A. Sources say that von Strucker won't be a main antagonist in the film -- it's pretty clearly Ultron, after all -- but will play a role in two new Avengers, namely the Scarlet Witch and Qucksilver, coming into the fold.

Plenty of casting decisions for the movie have been officially announced. Aaron Taylor-Johnson will play Quicksilver and Elizabeth Olsen will be the Scarlet Witch. James Spader will provide the voice of Ultron.

[Via ScreenCrush]