Marvel's iconic Age of Ultron storyline would have had a bigger impact on the MCU had Avengers: Age of Ultron borrowed Avengers: Infinity War's greatest narrative trick. Cataclysmic events are rather common in Marvel Comics. From the gritty Secret Invasion and Civil War to the reality-bending House of M and Secret Wars, huge events have frequently rocked the Marvel Universe. One of the darkest disasters in the comics has been Ultron's rise, which led to the deaths of countless famous heroes and the Earth's downfall in at least one universe.

The MCU wouldn't be able to go that far as early as Phase 2. However, Avengers: Age of Ultron fell short in stakes, with only Quicksilver as a casualty and Ultron defeated within the same movie he was introduced in. Granted, Sokovia was pulverized, and the seeds for Captain America: Civil War were planted, but Ultron wasn't nearly as threatening as he should have been and his influence on the MCU now seems tame in comparison to Thanos. While adapting the original Age of Ultron storyline more accurately could have presented problems for the rest of the Infinity Saga, there's an element from Avengers: Infinity War that the first Avengers sequel could have used to raise the stakes.

Related: MCU Theory: Ultron Wanted To Destroy Sokovia To Get Rid Of Mutants

Part of what fueled the anticipation for Avengers: Endgame was the fact that the Avengers lost in Avengers: Infinity War. They failed to stop the Mad Titan, Vision died, and half of all life in the universe was snapped away. Thanos' victory was like nothing fans had ever seen in a superhero movie before, and it helped shape the villain as one of the most developed MCU antagonists. Avengers: Age of Ultron didn't need to kill many characters or set up Ultron as the main villain of Phase 3, but it could have ended with the Avengers failing to destroy him for good. This early defeat could have started dividing the Avengers and created a bigger conflict for Captain America: Civil War, besides allowing Ultron to hide in the shadows for a future installment like Avengers 5 or Young Avengers.

Last Ultronbot in Age of Ultron and the Defeated Avengers in Infinity War

Letting Ultron escape through the internet would have made a lot of sense, as it's challenging to believe that the most advanced AI in the world never made any backup of his conscience anywhere. Certainly, Ultron's looming presence would keep heroes on their toes well into Phase 4 and beyond. The MCU could eventually reveal that the robotic villain did survive, but given how underwhelming Avengers: Age of Ultron was in comparison to the ensemble movies that followed it, the knowledge that the Avengers couldn't catch Ultron would have made Age of Ultron a more influential event within the Infinity Saga.

The Avengers' defeat in Avengers: Infinity War pushed every character — and the MCU as a whole — into an entirely new narrative stage. Phase 4 continues to show how much Thanos' snap affected the universe, and it's no coincidence that there are no fully-formed Avengers teams after the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Earth's Mightiest Heroes haven't felt invincible since Thanos completed his mission. Avengers: Age of Ultron needed to teach them exactly that lesson.

More: Thanos Created Ultron (Not Iron Man) - Theory Explained

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