Marvel superheroes assembled on the Hollywood red carpet on Monday night for the premiere of the much-anticipated blockbuster "The Avengers: Age of Ultron".
Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow) and Chris Evans (Captain America) drew loud cheers from fans outside the Dolby Theater.
The expected cinema hit is the sequel to 2012's "The Avengers", the fastest film to pass the US$1 billion mark in box office takings.
The plot sees Tony Stark try to jumpstart a peacekeeping program. When things go wrong, the superheroes — Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Hawkeye and Black Widow — have to stop villain Ultron's destructive plans.
"Sometimes it feels crazy with all the different people and all the different back stories," Evans said, when asked about the multitude of superheroes on set. "As long as Marvel though can keep everything aligned, I'm happy."
Wax figures of the superheroes were on display at the premiere, which was also attended by Avengers co-creator and the film's executive producer Stan Lee.
The movie, released in the United States on May 1, also stars Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen. Like the first film, it is directed by Joss Whedon, creator of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV and comic book franchise.
