The Marvel cinematic universe is one that everyone would love to be a part of. A place where heroes and gods come together to bring peace and order to a chaotic world.

Ever since “Iron Man” came out in 2008, fans have united to lift every Marvel film to box office success. With 11 movies to date, there have been hits and misses, but fans know what they are getting into when they buy their ticket.

With “Avengers: Age of Ultron” finally hitting theaters, fans are once again coming together in crowds to see it first. The wait — for the most part —was worth it.

Joss Whedon is back to write and direct, and he has a lot to live up to. “The Avengers” was a massive hit garnering a lot of praise, and went on to become the third-highest grossing film ever. Though “Age of Ultron” brings the same high energy, it had its ups and downs.

The film begins right in the middle of the action with the Avengers fighting in a very choreographed way into a secret Hydra base to retrieve Loki’s missing scepter. Here, in this secret lair, the audience gets their second look at Marvel’s newest characters.

Pietro and Wanda Maximoff, who were last seen in “Captain America: Winter Soldier,” are played by Aaron Taylor Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen. They are Hydra’s own enhanced experiments who have a history with Tony Stark himself.

These twins have special powers that serve as a bit of fresh air. “Age of Ultron” gives birth to a couple of other new characters and also gives some backstory to a certain bow-and-arrow assassin. This backstory is one of the highlights, slowing down the otherwise action-filled movie and giving our team time to relax.

What makes a comic book movie or any movie is the villain. In “The Avengers,” audiences had Loki, Thor’s brother, to deal with. In “Age of Ultron,” fans got an artificial intelligence that goes by the name of Ultron and is voiced by the ever-so-cool James Spader.

Stark’s side project, Ultron is a powerful computer system that would protect the world from alien invasion. Instead of doing good, Ultron wants the opposite. He’s like Pinocchio. His desire is to be real, not to mention destroy the world along the way.

He quotes the song: “I had strings, but now I’m free. There are no strings on me.” This threat started off like a good idea but slowly, with his wacky lines and weird machine facial expressions, Ultron ends up sort of tacky. This is especially true in the climactic ending, where not only are the Avengers fighting Ultron but an army of Ultrons in a never-ending fight scene that goes on and on and on.

What worked

Hawkeye’s backstory. Here is a character we’ve only seen fighting side by side with the other Avengers. In “Age of Ultron,” audiences get to see a new light to Clint Barton, watching him interact with his wife. There is also a funny scene during an afterparty where the Avengers take turns to see who’s worthy of Thor’s hammer. Another highlight that demanded more time.

Epic fail

The action was too much. It seemed more like a Michael Bay film than anything else. The destruction and chaos that the Avengers cause is hilarious. Who pays to rebuild these cities? Also, the romance between the Hulk and Black Widow was unnecessary. If given more time in another film, it would have worked. But here, it just seemed out of place.

Note to Marvel: Give these characters a standalone film.

As far as midnight showings go, “Age of Ultron” was the best. Crowds of fans gathered around in their costumes and Marvel T-shirts to watch the movie they’ve been waiting for. The mood felt almost like hanging out with hundreds close friends and having a movie night.

And as the credits begin to roll, no one dared to leave because a true Marvel fan never leaves until the last credits leave the screen. True fans sit uncomfortably in their seats, waiting, anticipating that extra scene that they all know is coming.

This extra scene almost always builds the story along for the next Marvel movie. Spoiler alert: There is a scene mid-credits. No, this writer won’t spill. Just know, the audience exploded in applause. Those who stuck around hoping for a second surprise only got this instead.

“The Avengers will return”… and they will.

Erin Vierra can be reached at [email protected] or @gingersmurf85 on Twitter.