Disney has released the official plot details for the much-anticipated sequel to 2012’s THE AVENGERS, and to say that things are going to get a bit hairy for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes is an understatement.

When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.

Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell-bent on human extinction.

Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes The Vision.

Joss Whedon, who co-wrote and directed the first film, also returns for AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON. Whedon previously described AGE OF ULTRON as a much darker film than its predecessor, citing THE GODFATHER II and STAR WARS EPISODE V: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK as inspiration. The film is slated for release on May 1, 2015.