Avengers: Age of Ultron is only two weeks away (and if you’re heading to our Ultimate Marvel Marathon, only a few days away!), and with the premiere of Joss Whedon’s intense, high-stakes Avengers sequel, we have to ask: is the Marvel Cinematic Universe going down a dark path? The addition of Netflix’s grittier, violent Daredevil series and the dramatic nature of Age of Ultron might not seem like much, but when you compare them to the first few films in the series — the comparatively colorful and fun Iron Man and Thor, for example — Age of Ultron seems downright dire.

But is this necessarily a bad thing? After all, often times the more you dive into comic book lore, the darker things get. Luckily, we secured Level 10 S.H.I.E.L.D. clearance for our man Dan Casey at the Age of Ultron Los Angeles press day! He went straight to the source and asked the Avengers team themselves what they thought of the changing MCU.

Are you happy with the direction Marvel is headed? What’s been your favorite MCU film to date? Let us know in the comments below!