As is customary for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s been revealed that U.K. fans will get to see Joss Whedon’s eagerly-anticipated Avengers: Age of Ultron a week earlier than our friends across the Pond, with Marvel announcing that the sequel will open in the U.K. and Ireland on April 24th 2015 (as opposed to its U.S. date of May 1st).

Meanwhile, with filming on Age of Ultron currently taking place in the U.K., director Joss Whedon has offered up a few words about shooting in the country, telling Empire that: “The number of different looks and textures and moods we’re getting from the British locations is stupid awesome. Because this, palette-wise, is very different. I’m trying to make a different film. Because why would you make one movie twice? That seems weird.”

Whedon also spoke about the roster expansion for The Avengers sequel, as well as the new villain, stating: “I fiercely dislike the idea of just throwing in more people for the sake of doing that, but last time I had all of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes versus one British character actor, and I needed more conflict… I’m having a blast with Ultron. He’s not a creature of logic – he’s a robot who’s genuinely disturbed. We’re finding out what makes him menacing and at the same time endearing and funny and strange and unexpected, and everything a robot never is.”

Avengers: Age of Ultron sees Marvel veterans Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Chris Evans (Captain America), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Mark Ruffalo (The Incredible Hulk), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Don Cheadle (War Machine), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury) and Paul Bettany (JARVIS / The Vision) joined in the cast by new additions Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass 2) as Quicksilver, Elizabeth Olsen (Oldboy) as the Scarlet Witch, James Spader (The Blacklist) as Ultron and Thomas Kretschmann (Dracula) as Baron Strucker.