Yesterday, fans finally got a look at Avengers: Age of Ultron (click here for screengrabs from the trailer), which was dominated by James Spader voicing the eponymous, evil robot.  The highly-anticipated sequel looks much darker than the first, and obviously a large part of that comes from an intimidating villain.  If audiences are going to buy Ultron as a true threat—and, let's face it, someone as charismatic as Loki—then it's going to come from Spader.

Thankfully, the actor has a strong understanding of how he sees the character, and how he'll bring the Avengers' foe to life.  Hit the jump for what Spader had to say.  The film also stars Robert Downey Jr.Chris EvansChris HemsworthMark RuffaloScarlett JohanssonJeremy RennerElizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, and Aaron Taylor-JohnsonAvengers: Age of Ultron opens May 1, 2015.

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Speaking to Total Film, Spader explained what drew him to the character and where Ultron is coming from:

"There's a humerous aspect to him, which is something that drew me in from the very first conversation I had with Joss [Whedon]," Spader revealed. "In many ways he's a child, this character, because he's a brand new being who's just come to be. And yet, through artificial intelligence, he has an incredible capacity for knowledge. So he's a very powerful, smart child."

I wonder if that "child" aspect ties into the eerie use of "I've Got No Strings" in the trailer, a song from Disney's animated Pinocchio.

Spader also compared his charismatic character from The Blacklist, Raymond "Red" Reddington, to Ultron:

"Ultron takes abrupt turns in scenes." He explained. "Red isn't pyschopathic but Ultron is. Yes, he is psychopathic. He's really batshit crazy!"

Joss Whedon has created memorable villain after memorable villain, and I can't wait to see what he and Spader have put together for Ultron.  May is very far away.

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