With the 2014 summer season coming to its midway point, it is time to look at one of next year's biggest blockbusters.

"The Avengers: Age of Ultron" is by far one of the most anticipated films of next year, as it reunites the Marvel superheroes from the 2012 blockbuster and also adds new heroes to the mix.

The following is a list of the facts that we already know about the upcoming Marvel film:

1.    Joss Whedon Returns

 Many times after a huge Hollywood film, directors choose to move on from franchises in order to concentrate on personal or smaller projects. Sometimes, other directors even move on to other franchises. Whedon did take a break from the Hollywood film in order to direct the critically-acclaimed "Much Ado About Nothing." He also took some time to write the indie feature "In Your Eyes" which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. However, the director returned to the series because the first installment was such a huge success. The fact that he is on board should not only add continuity to the franchise but also give it the strong direction that has become Whedon's trademark.

2.  Golden Trailer Nominee

Believe it or not, "Age of Ultron" was already nominated for an award.

The film was nominated for Best Motion / Title Graphics for the first teaser Marvel released. The Gold Trailer Awards are done to honor the creative people who make movie trailers, and the best examples of their unique art and also celebrates feature film previews. However, the film lost to "Transcendence," which was nominated for two awards in this category.

3.   Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver Confirmed

This seems like old news, but after the end sequence in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," it is confirmed that these two important characters will be featured in the new film. However, there are no current details about what roles they will play in this movie; will they be heroes or villains? In their history in Marvel, they have played both, the brother-sister pair either siding with supervillain father Magneto against the X-Men or fighting alongside Captain America, Iron Man and Thor as members of The Avengers.

The only thing that is certain is that they are locked up in Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker's underneath lab. It is also well known that Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson will play the new characters.

4.   The Original Avengers are Back; A New Iron Man May Be Cast

Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Chris Hemsworth are back in the cast reprising their roles. Even though there were some reported troubles regarding salaries before production started, Marvel was able to resolve the issues. The most publicized debate was over Downey Jr. who expressed an interest in moving on from the role of Iron Man. He is back for at least one more go, but his future as Tony Stark thereafter remains a mystery.

5.   May 1 Release Date 

Marvel will officially kick off the summer season, as it did in 2012. The May 1 slot is always tricky because there are still schools and colleges in session and therefore, there is not much time for parents or moviegoers to see it. However, the first film opened with $207 million in its first weekend and did not get affected by the aforementioned results. As a result, Marvel can expect yet another big hit.

6.   Marvel is Betting Big With $250 Million Budget

It is no secret that blockbusters are expensive. However, this new film is shaping up to be one of the most expensive franchise films ever made. According to IMDB, the film will cost $250 million, which is about $30 million more than the original 2012 film.

7.   No Loki, but New Villains Onboard

Before the movie even started pre-production, there were rumors that Tom Hiddleston would reprise his role as the villainous Loki. However, shortly after the release of "Thor: The Dark World," Hiddleston said he was not be part of the production. The news disappointed many fans as Loki has become a fan and critical darling since his introduction in the first "Thor" movie; he was arguably the only thing redeemable about the "Thor" sequel. Luckily, Marvel has introduced a new villain Ultron, played by James Spader; Baron Wolfgang von Strucker will also play an antagonistic part in "Avengers: Age of Ultron."