Official trailer for ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ is here

LOS ANGELES — Marvel and Disney’s first trailer for “The Avengers: Age of Ultron” arrived Thursday night after being leaked online earlier in the day.

The clip, which features never-before-seen footage including scenes with the villainous Ultron (James Spader), was expected to debut during next week’s “Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD” on ABC. Some shots were introduced at San Diego Comic-Con, but a majority of the two-minute trailer is brand new footage.

Marvel acknowledged the leak via a meta Tweet:

Dammit, Hydra.— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) October 22, 2014

The first “Avengers” film, directed by Joss Whedon, is the third highest-grossing film of all-time after earning a colossal $1.5 billion in 2012.

Marvel’s superhero sequel features original cast members Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth, as well as newcomers Aaron Johnson (“Kick Ass”) and Elizabeth Olsen who play Quicksilver and The Scarlet Witch in the tentpole.

“The Avengers: Age of Ultron” hits theaters May 1, 2015.

The action-packed teaser is expected to play in theaters in front of Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar.”