Avengers: Age of Ultron opens in theaters this Friday! I saw this movie several weeks ago and it has been killing me to be silent about how awesome it is. While the Babes In Disneyland official review (written by my Marvel-crazy husband) won’t be out until this Friday, May 1, I am excited to share with you five fun facts about this movie that I learned while attending the press junket with the stars of the film. (Be sure you read #5 before you see the movie this weekend!)

1. When asked what the biggest challenges were in bringing Avengers: Age of Ultron to life, writer/director Joss Whedon says that making sure that all of the characters got their share of screen time was a challenge. “It’s just making sure that everybody’s… got their moment,” said Whedon, “that everybody’s got their through-line, that it’s connected to the movie.” With so many BIG characters in one movie, that was not an easy task!

Scarlett Johansson was pregnant during the filming of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Her baby bump was digitally erased as needed throughout the move.

2. According to Whedon, when creating the movie, he focused on uncovering the “little moments” between characters so that audiences could get to know the characters better–on a personal level. Audiences definitely get a lot more backstory in this movie, and it is a lot of fun to really find out who they are and see a bit inside of their hearts and minds. Let’s face it, superheroes need love too!

3. James Spader isn’t just the voice of Ultron; motion capture was used so that he could act out the character’s movements. In fact, within the first half hour of arriving in London to work on the film, he was in the gear for the motion capture and then within the next 15 minutes, saw himself as an early incarnation of Ultron on the monitor.

4. Growing up, James Spader was not allowed to read comic books at home, but his good friend had a trunk full of them. When Spader would go for sleepovers at his friend’s house, he would devour the comic books like candy because his parents would not allow them in their home. It was easy to see his true love for comic books and the joy and enthusiasm he has for playing such a huge role in a comic book-based film.

5. This, my friends, is a big one. I am writing this one without a whole lot of detail so as to not spoil anything. When you are watching the movie, when you see “Veronica” and want to know why it is called “Veronica,” just remember this: Dr. Banner used to be in love with a woman named Betty and “Betty” is the opposite of “Veronica.” (This was a direct statement from Whedon and will make a ton of sense once you see the movie and you’ll thank me for this tidbit.)

And for the record, YES! This was basically the most beautiful room I had ever been in. 😉 Sigh…

Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner, Paul Bettany at the Avengers: Age of Ultron press conference. One additional fun fact: my husband used to wait tables with Jeremy Renner “back in the day” in Long Beach, California. They even wait paintballing together once and Jeremy slept on the floor of my husband’s apartment.

Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey, Jr. at the Avengers: Age of Ultron press conference at the Disney Studios. Hey guys – If either of you is ever in Burbank and you want to stop by our house for a BBQ, just let me know. I know three kids and a mommy that would be pretty stoked.