Avengers James Spader to play Ultron

.cnn_html_media_utility before color red content '>>' font size 9px line height 12px padding right 1px .cnnstrylccimg640 margin 0 27px 14px 0 .captionText filter alpha(opacity 100) opacity 1 .cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a .cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a visited .cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a link .captionText a .captionText a visited .captiontext a link color 004276 outline medium none .cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto margin 0 auto padding right 68px width 270px > James Spader has been cast as one of the Avengers' biggest villains Ultron in the 2015 release Avengers Age of Ultron. As we wait to see how Spader will master the psychotic sentient robot we're recounting our other favorite on screen bad guys in no particular order Benedict Cumberbatch's Star Trek Into Darkness villain is so fearsome the movie built much of its hype around learning the character's identity in the months leading up to its release. But now that the movie's out which we won't spoil we're recounting our other favorite on screen bad guys in no particular order Joe Pesci's Tommy DeVito in Martin Scorsese's 1990 classic Goodfellas wasn't there to amuse but he did that anyway. The short tempered mobster also won over the Academy who gave Pesci an Oscar for best supporting actor. Star Wars' Darth Vader played by David Prowse and voiced by James Earl Jones is one of the most notable cinematic villains of all time. Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 Apocalypse Now is a shining example of film making period. But Colonel Kurtz's (Marlon Brando) dark heart was particularly riveting. Louise Fletcher won the best actress Oscar for her role as Nurse Ratched in 1975's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Javier Bardem's Anton Chigurh from the 2007 film No Country For Old Men is one of the best villains as far as we're concerned. Directed and written by Ethan and Joel Coen the cat and mouse thriller also stars Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin. Anthony Hopkins was terrifying as Hannibal Lecter in both 1991's The Silence of the Lambs and Ridley Scott's 2001 movie named after the villain. Bryan Fuller has since brought the story of the serial killer back to life with NBC's Hannibal starring Mads Mikkelsen. Before Robert De Niro terrified us as Max Cady in Martin Scorsese's 1991 remake of Cape Fear Robert Mitchum played the role in 1962. If we were in the wizard world right now we wouldn't even mention the villain that landed actor Ralph Fiennes on this list. (Get it He Who Shall Not Be Named.) Fiennes' Lord Voldemort is pictured here in the final installment of the Harry Potter franchise. As the song goes If she doesn't scare you no evil thing will. Whether she's animated or not 101 Dalmations' Cruella De Vil is one of the most devilish villains of all time. Betty Lou Gerson voiced the puppy hater in the 1961 adaptation while Glenn Close played the role in the 1996 live action version. With the ability to manipulate metal Ian McKellen's Magneto is one of the most powerful villains of all time. The X Men mutant will be back on the big screen in 2014's X Men Days of Future Past. Star Trek's Khan Noonien Singh was played by Ricardo Montalb n in a 1967 episode of the original series as well as 1982's Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan. Margaret Hamilton played Wicked Witch of the West/Miss Gulch in 1939's The Wizard of Oz. In the end her evil laugh broomstick and flying monkeys were no match for a pail of water. Heath Ledger's Joker is one of the most disturbing villains on this list. His role in 2008's The Dark Knight earned him an Academy Award for best supporting actor. The makeup alone could give you chills. Bette Davis' work as the dangerously delusional Baby Jane Hudson in 1962's What Ever Happened to Baby Jane set a new standard for sibling rivalry as Joan Crawford played her tortured sister Blanche. Bruce Willis' John McClane has outlasted plenty of bad guys throughout the Die Hard franchise but the original baddie is still the best. Alan Rickman's portrayal of German terrorist leader Hans Gruber in 1988's Die Hard is classic. Have fans ever been so eager to kneel before a foe as they are for Superman and Superman II's General Zod The role at the time filled by Terence Stamp in the late '70s/early '80s will be reprised by Michael Shannon in June's Superman movie Man of Steel. Regina George's Mean Girls tactics are the stuff of legend even though the Tina Fey penned comedy is just nine years old. Anthony Perkins' Norman Bates is the ultimate proof that looks can be deceiving. The innocent seeming Norman gave viewers a shock in 1960's Psycho when the true nature of his relationship with his mother was revealed. Faye Dunaway's interpretation of Joan Crawford in 1981's Mommie Dearest was deliciously unnerving. The movie was based on a memoir of the same name by Crawford's adopted daughter Christina and it put us off wire hangers to this day. Kevin Spacey's role in 1995's Se7en inspires such a love hate relationship for us. We hate that watching the movie starring his sadistic John Doe can still make us leave the lights on at night but we love how well Spacey nailed the role. Kathy Bates did a marvelous job bringing Stephen King's obsessed and psychotic book lover Annie Wilkes to life in 1990's Misery. Michael Douglas was so good in his role as the cold blooded stockbroker Gordon Gekko in 1987's Wall Street it was easy to forget his Greed is Good mantra isn't something we're supposed to embrace. It's a wonder that extramarital affairs haven't been drastically reduced since 1987's Fatal Attraction in which Glenn Close plays a one night stand turned horror show named Alex Forrest. She teaches Michael Douglas' unfaithful Dan Gallagher (and one poor helpless bunny) a lesson on infidelity that we haven't forgotten. The other 2001 Oscar nominees ain't have s t on Denzel Washington's Alonzo Harris. The actor's role in Training Day allowed him to play a cutthroat and egomaniacal character earning the star a best actor Oscar. Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange in 1971 brought us the ultraviolent Alex as played by Malcolm McDowell. Although Alex is unquestionably brutal in the film the character's style is almost more memorable than his actions. The story goes that Dennis Hopper was dead set on playing the profane and sociopathic Frank Booth in 1986's Blue Velvet because as he reportedly told writer/director David Lynch he was Frank. Perhaps the only thing more frightening than Christian Bale's turn as well dressed killing machine Patrick Bateman in 2000's American Psycho is the rumor that Bale drew inspiration for the part from Tom Cruise. Disney movies have a plethora of fantastically drawn (literally and figuratively) villains but Scar in 1994's The Lion King is a standout. Voiced by Jeremy Irons Scar makes for a satisfying evil (and pretty entertaining) uncle. Christian Slater was the twisted boyfriend every high school girl wanted by her side when 1988's Heathers was released. As J.D. the beau of Winona Ryder's Veronica he helps her take down a clique of nasty girls in gruesome ways. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

(CNN) The next time the Avengers assemble it'll be to face off with James Spader.

The actor has been cast as the formidable foe Ultron in the next Avengers movie Marvel announced Thursday.

Written and directed by Joss Whedon The Avengers Age of Ultron will show a more humanized but just as fearsome villain Whedon told Entertainment Weekly.

In the Marvel universe Ultron is a sentient robot that has an incredibly wide range of abilities coming equipped with super speed super strength flight mind control and a coma ray to name a few. Whedon's Ultron won't be quite as versatile and the filmmaker is imagining a less robotic bad guy.

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I knew right away what I wanted to do with him Whedon as an admitted fan of Ultron's has said. He's always trying to destroy the Avengers ... he's got a bee in his bonnet. He's not a happy guy which means he's an interesting guy. He's got pain. And the way that manifests is not going to be standard robot stuff. So we'll take away some of those powers because at some point everybody becomes magic and I already have someone (a new character Scarlet Witch) who's a witch.

We trust Whedon knows what he's doing this is the same guy who wrote and directed the third highest grossing film of all time 2012's The Avengers.

The Avengers Age of Ultron will debut on May 1 2015. In the meantime Spader will be on the small screen as well The three time Emmy winner stars in NBC's The Blacklist which premieres September 23.

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