| Avengers | |
|---|---|
 Logo of the Avengers | |
| Universe | Marvel Cinematic Universe |
| First appearance | The Avengers (2012) |
| Based on | |
| Adapted by | |
| In-universe information | |
| Type | Superhero |
| Founder | Nick Fury |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Fate | Assembling as of 2027 |
| Address |
|
| Location | Primarily Earth, some actions throughout the galaxy[a] |
| Leader |
|
| Key people | Team roster |
| Purpose | To defend Earth from imminent global threats.[b] |
| Affiliations | S.H.I.E.L.D.,Stark Industries,Asgardians,Wakandans,Masters of the Mystic Arts,Guardians of the Galaxy |
| Enemies | Loki Laufeyson,Chitauri,Hydra,Ultron,Crossbones,Thaddeus Ross,Helmut Zemo,Children of Thanos,Thanos |
TheAvengers are a team ofsuperheroes and theprotagonists of theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)media franchise, based onthe eponymous team fromMarvel Comics created byStan Lee andJack Kirby in 1963. Founded byS.H.I.E.L.D. directorNick Fury, the team is a United States–based organization composed primarily ofsuperpowered andgifted individuals, described as "Earth's Mightiest Heroes", who are committed to the world's protection from a variety of threats.
The Avengers are depicted as operating in the state ofNew York: originally from theAvengers Tower inMidtown Manhattan and subsequently in theAvengers Compound inUpstate New York. Arranged as an ensemble of core MCU characters originally consisting ofTony Stark / Iron Man,Steve Rogers / Captain America,Thor Odinson,Bruce Banner / Hulk,Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, andClint Barton / Hawkeye, it later expands to include 16 total members.
Regarded as an important part of the franchise, they are central to the MCU's first 23 films, collectively known asthe Infinity Saga. Avengers teams fromalternate universes were depicted in subsequent MCU properties acrossthe Multiverse Saga, including appearances in theDisney+ animated seriesWhat If...? (2021–2024) andDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). A new incarnation of the Avengers is set to return inAvengers: Doomsday (2026) andAvengers: Secret Wars (2027). Both films will be part of the MCU'sPhase Six, concluding the Multiverse Saga.
Following the formation ofMarvel Studios as an independent film studio byAvi Arad, the head of Marvel's film division, producerKevin Feige envisioned creating ashared cinematic universe to introduce the Avengers, similar to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's comic books in the 1960s. Once Feige became studio chief in 2007 and formed his creative team, his strategy involved creating individual films for each major character inPhase One, beginning withIron Man (2008) and concluding withThe Avengers (2012). Casting for the original six members occurred from 2006 to 2010, beginning withRobert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and concluding withMark Ruffalo replacingEdward Norton as the Hulk by 2010. Successive MCU installments introduced new members, with actors from other MCU films reprising their roles. Following the financial and critical success ofThe Avengers, a sequel,Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), was subsequently developed, withAaron Taylor-Johnson andElizabeth Olsen joining asPietro andWanda Maximoff, respectively.Captain America: Civil War (2016) was influenced by the "Civil War" comic storyline, depicting the breakup of the Avengers and introducingTom Holland asPeter Parker / Spider-Man.Avengers: Infinity War (2018) andAvengers: Endgame (2019) concluded the Infinity Saga and depicted their disbandment. The filmCaptain America: Brave New World (2025) depicts the team restarting under the leadership ofAnthony Mackie'sSam Wilson / Captain America, while the filmThunderbolts* (2025) sees members of theThunderbolts team form a separate faction dubbed the "New Avengers".
The fourAvengers films are currently thethird highest-grossing superhero franchise and thesixth highest-grossing film franchise of all time, grossing more thanUS$7.7 billion. The Avengers have received praise as a group from critics, particularly for their dynamic together, withEndgame receiving praise from critics as a conclusion for that iteration of the team. Due to their successful introduction, other film studios decided to create their own shared superhero universes, notablyDC Entertainment andWarner Bros. Pictures, which announced plans to releasea film for theJustice League.Avengers Campus, a series of attractions at variousDisney Parks, opened in June 2021 atDisney California Adventure, while an immersive family dining experience called "Avengers: Quantum Encounter" debuted at the Worlds of Marvel restaurant in theDisney Wish cruise ship in July 2022.
The Avengers' story in the MCU takes place in theEarth-616 universe.[c] The fictional biography below includes events that happened to the team from more than one Earth-616 timeline, as well as events that occurred in alternate universes.
In 1995,S.H.I.E.L.D. directorNick Fury creates theAvengers Initiative, envisioning it as a group of heroes working to respond to planetary threats, following the appearance ofCarol Danvers and naming it after herU.S. Air Force callsign, "Avenger".[1][2] Years later, Fury assesses various individuals for it, includingTony Stark[3] andSteve Rogers.[4] Stark's membership is declined after a negative report by S.H.I.E.L.D. agentNatasha Romanoff.[5] TheWorld Security Council wantedEmil Blonsky to join, but rejected it after Stark detersThaddeus Ross from the idea, hiringBruce Banner instead.[6]
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In 2012, theAsgardianLoki teleports to theJoint Dark Energy Mission Facility on Earth, where he steals theTesseract and brainwashesClint Barton and Dr.Erik Selvig usinghis scepter. Subsequently, Fury recruits Stark and Banner to locate the Tesseract. Rogers, Romanoff, and Stark apprehend Loki, but are disrupted by Thor's arrival. This leads to confrontations between the group, exacerbated by the revelation that S.H.I.E.L.D. is using the Tesseract to createweapons of mass destruction. Barton attacks theHelicarrier, causing Banner to transform into the Hulk and cause damage. After Loki kills S.H.I.E.L.D. agentPhil Coulson, the team unites to avenge him, with Romanoff freeing Barton from the scepter's control. Rogers then recruits Barton to the team as a new member. The Avengers confront Loki, who opens awormhole using the Tesseract and begins an invasion with hisChitauri army, starting a battle.[8] Stark introduces the team to Loki by referring to them as "Earth's Mightiest Heroes".[9] Eventually, the World Security Council launches a nuclear missile towards Manhattan, but Stark intercepts and flies it through the wormhole, destroying theChitauri mother ship and stopping the invasion. Romanoff closes the portal with the scepter and the team apprehends Loki, who is taken back to Asgard.[8]
Three years after the Battle of New York,Hydra uses Loki's scepter following theirinfiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D.[10][11] The Avengers locate it inSokovia, where they recover it and encounter twin superhuman Hydra test subjects,Wanda andPietro Maximoff. Barton is wounded and Rogers captures Hydra leaderWolfgang von Strucker while Stark retrieves the scepter, despite being subjected tohallucinations by Wanda's telepathy. Stark and Banner unilaterally decide to use the scepter to create theUltron Program, a sentientartificial intelligence (AI) peacekeeping force. However,Ultron resolves to eradicate humanity.[12]
In Africa, the Avengers fight Ultron, now allied with the Maximoffs. Wanda induces telekinetic hallucinations, triggering Banner's transformation into the Hulk before Barton stops her, while Stark stops Hulk's rampage with hisHulkbuster armor. After reconvening at Barton's farmhouse, Rogers, Barton, and Romanoff retrieve a newvibranium body created by Ultron. Stark and Banner use it to createVision, a sentient and benevolent being powered from the Stark'sJ.A.R.V.I.S. program,Mjolnir, and theMind Stone.[12][13] Ultron tries to use Sokovia as a meteor to cause anextinction event. The Avengers, joined byJames Rhodes and the Maximoffs, defeatUltron's sentries and evacuate civilians. Pietro sacrifices himself to save Barton,[14] while Stark and Thor destroy Sokovia, and Vision fully terminates Ultron to avert the event. In the aftermath, Stark and Barton retire, Banner disappears, and Thor decides to find the Infinity Stones, while Rhodes,Sam Wilson, Wanda, and the Vision join the team. The Avengers relocate their primary headquarters to theAvengers Compound in Upstate New York.[12]
Months after the Battle of Sokovia, the Avengers' new facility becomes targeted in a heist, with a skirmish between Wilson andScott Lang.[15][16] In 2016, Rogers, Romanoff, Maximoff, and Wilson defend a research lab in Lagos fromBrock Rumlow. They successfully stop Rumlow and his crew of mercenaries, but Maximoff's usage of telekinesis to try to save civilians killsWakandan diplomats. Thus,United States Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross presents theSokovia Accords,United Nations (U.N.) legislation intended to regulate superhumans' activities. The Avengers are divided: Stark, Rhodes, Vision, and Romanoff support it, while Rogers and Wilson object due to fears ofauthoritarianism.[17]
AfterBucky Barnes is accused of killing Wakandan KingT'Chaka, Rogers and Wilson protect him from an arrest warrant, causing them to clash with Stark, Rhodes, Romanoff, andT'Challa, son of T'Chaka who was killed in Lagos. After Barnes is detained,Helmut Zemo activates Barnes' Winter Soldier persona using theWinter Soldier Book, although Barnes later recovers and reveals Zemo's interest in theWinter Soldier Program. To aid them, Wilson and Rogers recruit Lang and Barton, then take Maximoff out of confinement at the Avengers Compound. The divided Avengers meet and fight at theLeipzig/Halle Airport; Rogers, Wilson, Barton, Maximoff, Barnes and Lang clash with Stark, Rhodes, Romanoff, Vision, T'Challa and new recruitPeter Parker.[17][18]
Rogers and Barnes escape with Romanoff's help, traveling to the Hydra Siberian Facility to stop Zemo from reactivating the Winter Soldier Program. Their teammates are imprisoned in theRaft and Rhodes' legs are paralyzed after accidentally being struck by Vision's blast. Stark joins Rogers and Barnes after realizing Barnes' innocence, but fights them after Zemo reveals Barnes'assassination of Stark's parents.[19] In the fight, Rogers disablesStark's armor and Barnes'cybernetic arm is destroyed. Rogers then abandonshis shield. Meanwhile, T'Challa apprehends Zemo, realizing him to be T'Chaka's killer.[17] Rogers later frees his teammates from the Raft, becoming fugitives.[20] Barton and Lang agree to be underhouse arrest to be with their families.[21] Although officially reduced to just Stark, Vision, and Rhodes, the Avengers continue operating. Stark offers to hire Parker after he defeatsAdrian Toomes. However, Parker declines, choosing to remain as Spider-Man, but promises to assist the Avengers if needed.[22] In 2018,Wade Wilson / Deadpool travels from his universe,Earth-10005, to Earth-616 / the "Sacred Timeline" hoping to join the Avengers and give his life added meaning. He is interviewed byHappy Hogan, who rejects him, and returns to his own universe.[23]
In 2018, the Avengers come into conflict withThanos andhis children, who seek the six Infinity Stones to erase half of the universe's life. Thanos hijacks a spaceship containing Asgardian refugees, killing Loki and subduing Thor.[24][25][26] Thanos defeats Hulk, who is transported to Earth byHeimdall to informStephen Strange, the keeper of theTime Stone, of Thanos' arrival. Banner, Strange, andWong, joined by Stark and Parker, confront two of his children in Greenwich Village. With Banner unable to transform to aid in the fight, Strange is captured and taken to their spaceship, while Banner warns Rogers of Thanos' intention to acquire Vision's Mind Stone.[21] Stark and Parker pursue Strange and board the spaceship, where Stark officially anoints Parker as an Avenger. They go toTitan to confront Thanos, allying with theGuardians of the Galaxy along the way. The two teams temporarily restrain Thanos in an ensuing battle to take hisInfinity Gauntlet off, now with four Stones. However,Peter Quill hits Thanos after learning he killedGamora, freeing and allowing Thanos to incapacitate the group. With Thanos preparing to kill Stark, Strange surrenders the Time Stone to save his life.[21]
Meanwhile, Maximoff and Vision, now in a relationship and hiding out inEdinburgh, are ambushed by two more of Thanos' children, resulting in Vision getting wounded. Rogers, Romanoff, and Wilson arrive and help. Returning to the Avengers Compound, they meet Rhodes and Banner to discuss Thanos. Vision proposes to be destroyed to prevent Thanos from acquiring the Mind Stone, but Maximoff refuses and the team travels to Wakanda, whereShuri begins an operation to safely remove the Stone. The Wakandan army, their allies, and Barnes aid the Avengers to repel an invasion by Thanos' children. Thor arrives on the battlefield alongsideRocket andGroot through theBifrost after forging his newStormbreaker axe onNidavellir. Shuri is ambushed, stopping the operation, but the Avengers eventually kill Thanos' children. When Thanos arrives, the Avengers delay him while Maximoff kills Vision to destroy the Mind Stone. Maximoff is successful, but Thanos uses the Time Stone to undo her actions and retrieve the Stone, killing Vision again. With a full Gauntlet, Thanos initiatesthe Blip.[27] Wilson, Barnes, Maximoff, Strange, Parker, T'Challa, Groot, Quill,Drax, andMantis are blipped, leaving Stark andNebula stranded on Titan while Thanos escapes.[21] Fury andMaria Hill are blipped as they try to find the Avengers, but Fury manages to contact Danvers.[21] Barton's family also are blipped, causing him to become the vengeful vigilanteRonin and murder criminals.[28] Lang gets trapped in theQuantum Realm while harvesting energy, asHank Pym,Hope, andJanet van Dyne get blipped prior to extracting him.[29]
Three weeks later, the Avengers reunite after Stark and Nebula are rescued by Danvers. The Avengers find Thanos' location, where Rogers, Romanoff, Banner, Thor, Danvers, Rhodes, Rocket, and Nebula ambush him. Thanos reveals he destroyed the Stones, prompting Thor to decapitate him.[28]
By 2023, Romanoff becomes the leader of the Avengers, officially recruiting Danvers, Rocket, and Nebula to the team. The Avengers collaborate withOkoye to mitigate the Blip's damage. Rogers becomes a grief counselor, Stark lives with his wifePepper Potts and daughterMorgan, Thor becomes an overweight alcoholic afflicted withdepression, while Banner integrates his intelligence within the Hulk's body. Lang escapes the Quantum Realm and visits Rogers and Romanoff at the Compound, proposing to use the Quantum Realm fortime travel to undo the Blip. They visit Stark and Banner to discuss it, but Stark rejects it while Banner's tests with Pym'sQuantum Tunnel fail. Stark eventually helps them, providingPym Particles for time traveling. Banner and Rocket travel toNew Asgard, Norway, to recruit Thor, while Romanoff recruits Barton in Tokyo. They all reconvene and form a plan to conduct a time-traveling operation to retrieve each Stone from the best years and locations.[28][32]
Banner, Rogers, Stark, and Lang travel to New York City in 2012: Banner gets the Time Stone from theAncient One after revealing Strange's surrendering of it, Rogers finds the Mind Stone in Loki's scepter, while Stark and Lang fail to get theSpace Stone, but Stark and Rogers get it by going back to 1970. Thor and Rocket retrieve theReality Stone from Asgard in 2013, while Rhodes and Nebula retrieve thePower Stone fromMorag in 2014. There, 2014-Thanos learns of the Blip and the Avengers' plan to undo it, so he kidnaps 2023-Nebula and replaces her with 2014-Nebula to sabotage the operation. Barton gets theSoul Stone after Romanoff sacrifices herself onVormir.[28][33]
Reuniting in 2023, the Avengers place the Stones into the newly madeNano Gauntlet. Then, Banner snaps with the gauntlet on, undoing the Blip. Meanwhile, 2014-Nebula transports 2014-Thanos,his warship, and 2014-Gamora to 2023, destroying the Avengers Compound. 2023-Nebula kills 2014-Nebula after failing to convince her to betray Thanos. Thanos overpowers Stark, Thor, and Rogers and directs his army to obtain the Stones, intent on creating a new "grateful" universe. Strange creates portals, allowingthe restored Avengers and their allies to arrive to fight Thanos and his army. Maximoff overpowers Thanos and almost kills him, forcing him to call for his warship to fire missiles onto the ground. Danvers arrives and destroys the warship, but he knocks her out in a confrontation using the Power Stone and seizes the Nano Gauntlet. Stark confronts Thanos and steals the Stones from the Gauntlet with his armor, snapping his fingers to disintegrate Thanos and his army, but the radiation kills Stark.[28][34] After the battle, Fury sendsSkrulls to collect blood samples on the battlefield, including some of the Avengers, combining them into one concoction known as the Harvest.[35][36]
The Avengers and their allies attend Stark's funeral at Stark's house. Afterwards, they disband. Rogers travels back into the Quantum Realm to return the Stones to their respective timelines and then travels back to his own timeline in the past to live withPeggy Carter.[37] Rogers returns as an old man with a new shield and grants it and the title of Captain America to Wilson.[38] Thor appointsValkyrie as the new ruler of New Asgard and goes to space with the Guardians of the Galaxy.[28][39] Maximoff goes to Florida and sees that Vision is inS.W.O.R.D. custody at their headquarters. She then travels toWestview, New Jersey and in her grief over the trauma she endured throughout her life, recently with the loss of Vision and her home, the Avengers Compound, creates aHex trapping the town in asitcom calledWandaVision and creating twin boys and another Vision. She learns she is the mythical Scarlet Witch and embraces her powers as such.[40] Vision is reactivated by S.W.O.R.D., through remnants of Maximoff's magic on a drone, and sports an all white appearance.[41]
Wilson returns to help out in the United States Air Force. In 2024, with Barnes' reassurance, Wilson takes up the mantle of Captain America. He gives his Falcon wings and mantle to his Air Force friend,Joaquin Torres.[42] Also in 2024, Banner and Danvers answer Wong's hologram call and meetXu Shang-Chi. They discuss the origins of theten rings and discover that the rings are acting as a beacon to something.[43] Later that year, Banner aids his cousinJennifer Walters after she receives his abilities following a blood cross-contamination in a car accident.[44] Maximoff, having been in self-imposed isolation, becomes corrupted by theDarkhold and comes into conflict with Strange and Wong. However, she ultimately breaks out of the corruption and destroys theDarkhold Castle, along with every Darkhold copy. Barton returns to live with his family at their farm in Iowa. In December 2024, Barton and his children go to New York City before Christmas to see a Broadway musical about Rogers' legacy. While there, he meetsKate Bishop and hergolden retriever,Lucky. He takes her in as his protégé and they become Barton's extended family.[45][46]
In 2025, the first annual "AvengerCon" is held atCamp Lehigh to honor the Avengers.[47][48] Lang becomes a celebrity while spending time with his daughter and the Pym family, starts theBig Me Little Me podcast, and writes his bestselling memoirLook Out for the Little Guy. Banner travels toSakaar to bring his son,Skaar, to Earth.[49][50][51] In 2026, Lang, his daughterCassie, Hope, Pym, and Janet are transported into the Quantum Realm where they encounterKang the Conqueror, who forces Lang to help him escape. They successfully defeat Kang and return home. However, theCouncil of Kangs, overseeing themultiverse outside of space and time, notes that Earth-616's Avengers are becoming more aware of the multiverse and must be stopped.[52][53]
In 2027, Wilson is asked by the newPresident of the United States, Thaddeus Ross, to restart the Avengers. Wilson is initially reluctant to do so because of Ross's involvement in the Sokovia Accords, which not only caused the original team to be divided and disbanded but also partially led to the Blip, and any governing oversight of the team would cause interference with their duties. However, Wilson ultimately accepts his responsibilities as Captain America and acknowledges that the world needs the Avengers to return. He chooses Torres, the new Falcon, as his first recruit to join the new team.[54] Later that year,ContessaValentina Allegra de Fontaine, director of theCentral Intelligence Agency (CIA), publicly rebrands theThunderbolts team—consisting ofYelena Belova,John Walker / U.S. Agent, Ava Starr / Ghost,Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian, and Barnes—as the New Avengers during a manipulated press conference, with Belova serving as the leader. Fourteen months later, in 2028, Wilson sues the team for copyright infringement for the name "New Avengers" after reinstating the original team.[55]
Other versions of the Avengers are depicted within the context of the MCU multiverse, such as inAvengers: Endgame (2019) and the animated seriesWhat If...? (2021–2024).
In an alternate 2012, Rogers, Stark, Banner, Thor, Barton, and Romanoff assemble in the Battle of New York. After subduing Loki at Stark Tower, Thor puts a device over Loki's mouth after he mocks Rogers. Romanoff and Barton give the Scepter toBrock Rumlow and other agents. Stark and Thor take Loki on the elevator to the first floor, telling Banner he has to take the stairs as he would not fit. Rogers meets his Earth-616 counterpart and mistakes him for being Loki, inciting a duel, which ends with him hearing that Barnes is alive and getting knocked out by the Scepter. Stark and Thor are approached byAlexander Pierce on the first floor, who asks for Loki to be handed over, but Stark suffers a cardiac arrest, causing him to drop the briefcase, releasing the Tesseract. Thor uses Mjolnir to save him. Banner arrives angrily, unknowingly knocking into Earth-616 Stark on his way out of the building. Soon after, Thor turns around and is unable to find Loki.
In an alternate 2011, a vengeful Hank Pym eliminates the Avengers' candidates: Stark, Thor, Barton, Banner, and Romanoff. After Pym is defeated, Loki proceeds to invade Earth. Meanwhile, Fury prepares to recreate the team after Rogers is discovered in the Arctic and Danvers responds to his call.[56] Rogers, Danvers, and Fury later battle Loki and his Asgardian army aboard a Helicarrier. During the fight, theWatcher brings in a variant of Romanoff, and she incapacitates Loki with his scepter.[57]
In an alternate 2018, a quantum virus is released, turning people into zombies. Rogers, Stark, T'Challa, Romanoff, and Barton respond to an outbreak in San Francisco and are infected as well. Banner and Parker survive, and with other allies, find Vision and Maximoff, with Vision taking care of an infected Maximoff. Vision sacrifices himself to provide the Mind Stone to find a cure, while Banner stays behind to stall Maximoff, allowing Parker, T'Challa, and Lang to escape to Wakanda, where an infected Thanos awaits with the other Infinity Stones.[58]
In an alternate 2015, Ultron successfully implants himself into Vision's body and exterminates the Avengers, except for Barton and Romanoff. Years later, Ultron begins a campaign of destruction across the universe after obtaining the Infinity Stones, while Barton and Romanoff fight Ultron's sentries. They attempt to shut down Ultron and eventually prepare to upload an analog copy ofArnim Zola's consciousness into Ultron's hivemind, but Barton sacrifices himself in vain as the upload fails when Ultron enters the multiverse.[59]
In an alternate 1988,Howard Stark and Peggy Carter form a response team composed of Hank Pym,Bill Foster, T'Chaka,Wendy Lawson, and Bucky Barnes to subdue a young Peter Quill underEgo's influence. With Thor's help, the team successfully defeats Ego and frees Quill from his control, while Pym adopts Quill. As a fully-formed team, Pym, Foster, Lawson, T'Chaka, and Thor agree to continue working together.[60][61]
In an alternate universe on Christmas Eve, Stark and Rogers dress up as Santa Claus and an elf, respectively, at a shopping mall, while Barton and Banner try to maintain crowds at an Avengers toy action store. Elsewhere, Romanoff intercepts a former HYDRA agent at a Christmas ballet. They gather together and arrive at the Avengers Tower for the annual Christmas party, but defend it from the Freak, until Darcy Lewis reveals he is Happy Hogan and thatJustin Hammer infiltrated the Tower. As they prepare to party, Thor arrives outside late.[62]
In an alternate 2012, the Avengers, composed of Carter, Stark, Thor, Romanoff, Barton, and the Wasp, subdue Loki's Chitauri invasion in New York.[63][64] Captain Carter gets transported to 1602 in a new universe by the Scarlet Witch,[63] and agrees to help her and Sir Nicholas Fury after learning about an impendingincursion. Later, a tear opens up, with Carter saving Loki but not QueenHela, resulting in her being hunted down by Sir Harold "Happy" Hogan and the Royal Yellowjackets under the new King Thor's orders. Carter locates Tony Stark to get his help in retrieving Thor's Scepter. She finds Loki's carriage and meets Rogers Hood, Bucky Barnes, and Scott Lang. After Carter frees Bruce Banner, everyone meets with Stark, who shows them the device he created to help. They all disguise themselves to enter Thor's courtroom and a fight occurs. Carter takes the Scepter and uses the Time Stone inside Stark's device, exposing a time-displaced Rogers, who inadvertently created the temporal anomaly during a battle with Thanos. She is forced to say goodbye to him and sends him back to his universe, averting the incursion.[65][66]
In an alternate 2014, after Bruce Banner attempted to cure himself from his Hulk condition by bombarding himself with Gamma radiation and accidentally created a monstrous creature known as the "Apex", the Avengers-Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff, Thor, Clint Barton-attempted to battle the Apex and its army with ginormous mechs, but were outnumbered and killed. The surviving heroes—consisting ofSam Wilson,Monica Rambeau, Bucky Barnes,Marc Spector,Alexei Shostakov,Melina Vostokoff,Shang-Chi andNakia—eventually repel the monsters for the next ten years. In the present day, the new Avengers continue their struggle against the returning Apex and its army, while unlocking their mechs' capability to combine into a bigger and more powerful mech using the "Mighty Avenger Protocol" built by Banner.
In an alternate 2012, the original six Avengers were joined by Alexei Shostakov during the Battle of New York.
A version of the Avengers existed onEarth-838 wherePeggy Carter / Captain Carter became the first member.[67][68] In an alternate 2018, the Avengers and Thanos are killed during the Battle of Wakanda whenGlenn Talbot / Graviton, attempting to draw up enoughgravitonium to help the Avengers defeat Thanos, accidentally causes the planet to explode.[69][70] In several alternate universes, the Avengers were killed by Kang, who successfully conquered their respective universes.[52]
Many characters have been affiliated with the Avengers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe:
Samuel L. Jackson makes his debut in acameo appearance as Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., in apost-credits scene inIron Man.[77] Jackson's face was previously used as the model for theUltimate Marvel imprintversion of Nick Fury.[78] Jackson confirmed that he had been in discussions to reprise the role of Fury fromIron Man's post-credits scene in the film's sequel, but that contract disputes were making a deal difficult. Jackson stated, "There was a huge kind of negotiation that broke down. I don't know. Maybe I won't be Nick Fury".[79] In February 2009, Jackson and Marvel came to terms, and he was signed to play the character in up to nine films.[80]
DirectorJon Favreau planned to cast a newcomer in the title role inIron Man (2008), as "those movies don't require an expensive star; Iron Man's the star, the superhero is the star. The success ofX-Men (2000) andSpider-Man (2002) without being star-driven pieces reassures [executives] that the film does have an upside commercially".[82] However, before the screenplay was prepared, he had approachedSam Rockwell to play the part. Rockwell had interest, but Favreau changed his decision after the screen test ofRobert Downey Jr.[83] In September 2006, Downey was cast in the role.[84] Favreau chose Downey, a fan of the comic,[85] because he felt the actor's past made him an appropriate choice for the part, explaining "The best and worst moments of Robert's life have been in the public eye. He had to find an inner balance to overcome obstacles that went far beyond his career. That's Tony Stark".[85] Favreau faced opposition from Marvel in casting Downey, but advocated for his casting, saying that "It was my job as a director to show that it was the best choice creatively.[86] Downey earned $500,000 for the role.[87] Marvel entered into early talks withEmily Blunt to play Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow,[88] though she was unable to take the role due to a previous commitment to star inGulliver's Travels (2010).[89] In February 2009,Scarlett Johansson signed on for the role. Her deal included options for multiple films, including potentiallyThe Avengers.[90] Prior to her casting, Johansson had also researched other Marvel characters she could play, including theBlonde Phantom and theWasp.[91]
In October 2008,Daniel Craig was offered the role of Thor, but ultimately turned it down, citing his commitments to theJames Bond franchise.[92] In February 2009, a casting call went out looking for actors with certain physical attributes to audition for the role of Thor.[93] That May,Chris Hemsworth was in negotiations to portray the title role after a back-and-forth process in which he was refused early on, then given a second chance to read for the part. Hemsworth's brother,Liam, also auditioned, but was rejected byMarvel Studios headKevin Feige.[94] That month,Tom Hiddleston was cast as Loki, the brother of Thor, and later the main villain ofThe Avengers. He originally auditioned for the role of Thor.[95][96]Kevin McKidd was also considered for the role.[97] The casting process forThe Avengers continued into much of 2010, with the addition ofJeremy Renner.[98]
In March 2010, it was reported thatChris Evans was cast as Steve Rogers / Captain America.[99]Ryan Phillippe andJohn Krasinski were also considered for the role.[100] In April 2010,Sebastian Stan, who had been mentioned in media accounts as a possibility for the title role, was cast as Barnes.[101]Mark Ruffalo was cast as Bruce Banner / Hulk by July 2010[102] to replaceEdward Norton, who played the role inThe Incredible Hulk.[103] "Our decision is definitely not one based on monetary factors, but instead rooted in the need for an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborative spirit of our other talented cast members" stated Feige.[104] In response, Norton's agent Brian Swardstrom decried Feige's statement, calling it "purposefully misleading" and an "inappropriate attempt to paint our client in a negative light".[105] In October 2014, Norton claimed it was his own decision never to play Hulk again because he "wanted more diversity" with his career, and did not want to be associated with only one character.[106]
| Film | U.S. release date | Director | Screenwriter(s) | Producer(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Avengers | May 4, 2012 (2012-05-04) | Joss Whedon[107][108] | Kevin Feige | Released | |
| Avengers: Age of Ultron | May 1, 2015 (2015-05-01) | ||||
| Avengers: Infinity War | April 27, 2018 (2018-04-27) | Anthony and Joe Russo[109][110] | Christopher Markus &Stephen McFeely[111] | ||
| Avengers: Endgame | April 26, 2019 (2019-04-26) | ||||
| Avengers: Doomsday | December 18, 2026 (2026-12-18) | Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely[110] | Kevin Feige, Anthony Russo, and Joe Russo | Post-production[112] | |
| Avengers: Secret Wars | December 17, 2027 (2027-12-17) | In development[112] | |||
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In the mid-2000s, Feige realized that Marvel still owned the rights to the core members of the Avengers. Feige, a self-professed "fanboy", envisioned creating a shared universe just as creatorsStan Lee andJack Kirby had done with their comic books in the early 1960s.[113] Ideas for a film based on theAvengers began in 2003,[114] withAvi Arad, the CEO of Marvel Studios, first announcing plans to develop the film in April 2005. This followed Marvel Enterprises declaring independence by allying withMerrill Lynch to produce a slate of films that would be distributed byParamount Pictures.[115] Marvel discussed their plans in a brief presentation toWall Street analysts; the studio intended to release films for each main character to establish their identities and familiarize audiences with them before acrossover film.[116][117] ScreenwriterZak Penn, who wroteThe Incredible Hulk (2008), which introduced Bruce Banner / Hulk, became attached to the film in 2006 and was hired by Marvel Studios to writeThe Avengers in June 2007.[118] In the wake of the2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, Marvel negotiated with theWriters Guild of America to ensure that it could create films based on its comic book counterparts, including Captain America,Ant-Man and the Avengers.[119] After the successful release ofIron Man in May, which introduced Tony Stark / Iron Man, the company set a July 2011 release date forThe Avengers.[120] In September 2008, Marvel Studios reached an agreement with Paramount—an extension of a previous partnership—which gave the company distribution rights for five future Marvel films.[121]
In October 2008, two major prospects occurred for Marvel Studios: Favreau was brought in as an executive producer for the film,[122] and the company signed a long-term lease with Raleigh Studios to produce three additional big-budget films alongsideThe Avengers at theirManhattan Beach, California complex. The films wereIron Man 2 (2010), introducing Romanoff,Thor introducing Thor and a cameo appearance of Barton, andCaptain America: The First Avenger (2011), introducing Rogers.[123] Favreau stated that he would not direct the film, but would "definitely have input and a say". Favreau expressed concerns about combining characters such as Iron Man and Thor, noting Iron Man's character was based around technology, while the inclusion of Thor would require the introduction of supernatural elements, which he said would require "a lot of thoughtfulness to make that all work and not blow the reality that we've created".[124] In March 2009, Marvel announced that the film's release date had been pushed back to May 4, 2012, almost a full year later.[125]
In July 2009, Penn talked about the crossover process, desiring to "kind of shuttle between the different movies" while emulating the structure of comic books to ensure the films were connected. He also wanted to use animatics wherever possible to help visualize the film and used the same board so that the team was "working off the same visual ideas".[126] At first, Penn tried to reduce Thor's role in the script because he had doubts about the character's ability to succeed on film, but changed his mind once Hemsworth was cast.[127] The film had always intended to use Loki as its villain, but Penn noted that early discussion had considered usingRed Skull.[128]
In January 2010, Feige was asked if it would be difficult to meld the fantasy ofThor with the high-tech science fiction inIron Man andThe Avengers. He rejected the notion and said the creative team would hew closer to the interpretation ofThor by comic book writers Kirby, Lee,Walt Simonson, andJ. Michael Straczynski, rather than focus on Thor as depicted in Norse mythology, while additionally affirming theThor film would help familiarize audiences with the character.[129] In March, it was reported that Penn had completed the first draft of the script, and that Marvel editor-in-chiefJoe Quesada andAvengers comic-book writerBrian Michael Bendis had received copies.[130] In July,Joss Whedon signed on to direct and replace Penn as the film's writer.[131] On his desire to take on the film, he explained that the core of the movie was about "finding yourself from community" and the togetherness derived from a group that ultimately doesn't belong together.[132]
When Whedon received Penn's draft, he told Feige he felt the studio did not "have anything" and they should "pretend this draft never happened".[133] Part of Whedon's issue was the lack of character connections in Penn's draft, which necessitated Whedon to begin "at square one".[114] Whedon went on to write a five-page treatment of his plan for the film, and created the tagline "Avengers: Some Assembly Required", a humorous play on the "Avengers Assemble" slogan from the comic books. Marvel quickly began working to hire Whedon to write and direct, only mandating that Loki be the antagonist, a battle featuring the Avengers and villains take place, and the film to be completed prior to its May 2012 release.[133] Whedon said the script went through several "insane iterations of what might be", and he explained there was a point when it was not certain Johansson would star in the film, so he wrote pages featuring the Wasp,[114] and wantedZooey Deschanel to play the character.[134] He also was "worried that one British character actor [Hiddleston] was not enough to take on Earth's mightiest heroes, and that we'd feel like we were rooting for the overdog", thus choosing to addEzekiel Stane,Obadiah Stane's son, into a new draft. Once all of the actors were "locked in place the movie stayed on mission". Whedon noted that the characters used do not have the same issue, unlike theX-Men. He felt "these guys just don't belong together" before modeling their interactions based on the filmThe Dirty Dozen (1967). Whedon also referencedDr. Strangelove (1964),The Abyss (1989),His Girl Friday (1940), andBlack Hawk Down (2001). Whedon would ultimately share final screenplay credit with Penn, though Whedon noted he "fought" for sole credit and was "very upset about it". Penn felt the two "could have collaborated more, but that was not his choice. He wanted to do it his way, and I respect that".[114]
In May 2012, after the successful release of the firstAvengers film,Disney CEOBob Iger announced a sequel was in development.[135] Most of the film's cast members were under contract to potentially appear in the sequel; however, Robert Downey Jr. was not, as his four-picture deal with Marvel expired afterIron Man 3 (2013).[136] By May 2013, Downey had entered negotiations to extend his contract with Marvel Studios and reprise his role as Iron Man in the film.[137] A month later, Downey signed on to return for the then-untitledAvengers sequel, as well as a thirdAvengers film.[138]
At the 2012San Diego Comic-Con, Whedon was unsure about directing.[139] However, in August 2012, Iger announced that Whedon would return to write and direct.[140] Later in the month, Disney set a May 1, 2015, release date.[141] At the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con, Whedon announced the film would be subtitledAge of Ultron.[142] Despite the subtitle, the film is not based on the comic book miniseriesAge of Ultron (2013). Feige explained that they simply liked the title but the plot was taken from various Avengers story arcs.[143] At the Hollywood premiere ofIron Man 3, Whedon said that he had completed a draft of the script, started thestoryboard process, and met with actors. Whedon included a "brother/sister act" from the comic books,[144] later revealed to be Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch.[145][146] His rationale for their inclusion was that "their powers are very visually interesting", with problems; those powers are superspeed, and spells and telekinesis, respectively,[147] though cautioned he was not throwing in more characters for the sake of doing that.[148] Whedon stated that the twins, who do not approve of the Avengers, allowed him to add more conflict, noting "the Avengers are like a world power, and not everybody's on board with the Avengers coming in and starting fights, even in the name of justice".[149] As Marvel Studios shared the film rights to Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch with20th Century Fox, they had to avoid contradicting elements from Fox'sX-Men films, Whedon introduced the two characters into the MCU completely based on his terms for the first time, allowing him to connect their origin stories and avoid the concept ofmutants.[149] Whedon enjoyed the storytelling opportunities from introducing a character with telepathic powers, explaining "it meant we could spend a little time inside the Avengers' heads—either their past or their impressions of what's going on, or their fears, or all of the above".[149] Whedon added that Ultron's origin would differ from the comics, with Hank Pym not being involved in Ultron's creation. Whedon disclosed thatEdgar Wright was using the character first in his filmAnt-Man (2015), then in development. He also thought that Ultron needed to be conceived through the Avengers and since they already had Tony Stark and Bruce Banner on the team; it would not make sense to bring in a third scientist.[150]
Casting continued into August 2013, with the announcement thatJames Spader would play the villain of the film, Ultron.[151] That November Marvel confirmed thatElizabeth Olsen andAaron Taylor-Johnson would play the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, respectively.[152] Taylor-Johnson had been in negotiations since as early as June,[153][154][155] while Olsen's potential involvement was first reported in August.[156][157] By the end of the year, Mark Ruffalo,[158] Chris Evans,[159] Samuel L. Jackson,[160] Chris Hemsworth,[161] Scarlett Johansson,[162] Jeremy Renner,[163] andCobie Smulders[164] were confirmed to be reprising their roles from the first film, andDon Cheadle, who portrayed James Rhodes in theIron Man films, was joining.[165] In the early months of 2014,Paul Bettany, who voiced J.A.R.V.I.S. in previous MCU films, was cast as the Vision.[13] Whedon noted the differences between the characters, explaining that "They're very disparate characters. The joy of the Avengers is they really don't belong in the same room. It's not like the X-Men, who are all tortured by the same thing and have similar costumes".[166]
Feige revealed that Captain Marvel, who headlined herown MCU film in 2019, appeared in an early draft of the screenplay, but was removed since the character was not yet cast, saying, "We didn't want to introduce her fully formed flying in a costume before you knew who she was or how she came to be".[1] Whedon shot visual effects plates for Captain Marvel to fly into Avengers Headquarters at the end of the film; those shots were instead repurposed for Wanda Maximoff.[167] Feige also revealed that an early draft had Hulk's Quinjet detected near Saturn at the end of the film, but it was decided to keep it Earth-based and leave his fate ambiguous to dispel rumors that a film based on the "Planet Hulk" storyline was in development, which Marvel Studios had no plans to adapt at the time. Marvel later adapted elements of "Planet Hulk" inThor: Ragnarok (2017), where Hulkretroactively landed in Sakaar after the events ofAge of Ultron.[168]
In March 2014,Anthony and Joe Russo confirmed that they had signed on to return as directors for a third Captain America film, with Evans as Captain America, Feige as producer, andChristopher Markus and Stephen McFeely as screenwriters.[169][170] Markus and McFeely had been working on the screenplay since late 2013,[171] while the Russo brothers began work in February 2014.[172][173] In April 2014, Marvel announced a release date of May 6, 2016.[174] In July, Markus and McFeely stated that they were midway through a first draft for the film, on which principal photography was expected to begin in April 2015.[175]
By October, Robert Downey Jr. had entered final negotiations to reprise his role as Stark in the film. Downey was added for the film to adapt the 2006–07 "Civil War" comic book storyline written byMark Millar, which pitted Iron Man against Captain America.[176] At the end of the month, it was confirmed that Sebastian Stan would return as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier.[177] A few days later, Marvel revealed that the film would be titledCaptain America: Civil War, confirming Downey's appearance and announcing thatChadwick Boseman would appear in the film as T'Challa / Black Panther ahead of his ownsolo film.[178][179] In November,Daniel Brühl joined the cast as Helmut Zemo, whileAnthony Mackie was confirmed to return as Sam Wilson / Falcon.[180][181] Following the November 2014hacking of Sony Pictures' computers, emails betweenSony Pictures Entertainment co-chairmanAmy Pascal and presidentDoug Belgrad were released stating that Marvel wanted to includeSpider-Man, whose film rights are licensed to Sony, but talks between the studios were believed to have been terminated.[182] However, by February 2015, the studiosreached a licensing deal for the use of Spider-Man in an MCU film,[183] indicated the character would appear inCivil War.[184][185] The Russos stated they werelobbying for months to include the character in the film.[186] In January 2015, the Russo brothers confirmed that Johansson would reprise her role in the film.[187] Two months later, Renner was confirmed to be reprising his role.[188] Additionally, Olsen revealed she would also reprise her role in the film.[189] Feige also revealed that Hope van Dyne was in an original draft of the film, after receiving the Wasp costume at the end ofAnt-Man, but was cut because "there are so many characters inCivil War that we didn't want to do her a disservice," saying Marvel was "saving" the character for a better environment to reveal van Dyne in the Wasp costume for the first time and see "her dynamic with Scott [Lang] in a way it could play out".[190]
Anthony Russo stated that adapting the "Civil War" storyline was not always the intended storyline and direction for the film when the brothers initially signed on to return as directors.[191] Markus expanded on this, saying the original concept for a third Captain America film "never got to draft", with Feige at some point telling the writing team to begin adapting "Civil War" around their original ideas. McFeely also added that, despite the shift in direction for the film, "The central theme, even the way Zemo is operating, are from that [early] iteration".[192] McFeely said that the idea of basing a film on "Civil War" had "been on and off the table for a while" at Marvel Studios, explaining, "it's a challenge to do it and make sure that all the characters that we've established, and everyone's established in the MCU are serviced and sound correct. Because there's a difference between the characters in "Civil War", which was written in 2006, 2007. The MCU doesn't exist [when it was written]. There isn't a Robert Downey Jr. or Chris Evans who has helped create the character[s] so we need to make sure that that template gets adjusted".[193] Joe Russo added that the "essence" of "Civil War" was used, such as "the concept of registration" and the notion that heroes need to be either supervised being applicable. Anthony Russo further went on to comment that superhero registration could become a political issue, wanting to avoid that and instead "figure out very personal reasons why everyone's relationship to this idea of registration is going to become complicated", particularly by focusing on Steve and Bucky's.[194]
Executives atMarvel Entertainment balked at the idea of Captain America and Iron Man coming to blows at the end of the film and wanted the Avengers to unite to fight Zemo and the super-soldiers at the Hydra base in Siberia instead. The Russos were not happy with this idea, with Joe Russo saying, "There's nothing interesting about that film. We're not here to make that movie. We're not interested in telling another superhero story". Feige supported the Russos, who were going to leave the film if the changes were mandated on them.[195] This promptedWalt Disney Studios headAlan F. Horn to back the Russos with making the film as originally intended and lead to Marvel Studios to be placed from Marvel Entertainment into Walt Disney Studios in 2015.[196]
Thanos, a villain who covets the Infinity Stones, was introduced to the MCU in a brief appearance at the end ofThe Avengers. Many fans subsequently expected Thanos to be the antagonist ofAge of Ultron.[197] However, Joss Whedon explained that the character would not be the primary antagonist until a later film due to his power, opting to save him for "the big finale".[198] Thanos appears at the end ofAge of Ultron in another brief appearance, shown with the Infinity Gauntlet, a glove designed to hold theInfinity Stones.[199]
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In July 2014, Feige said there were "some notions" as to where Marvel would want to take a thirdAvengers film, and the studio was aiming for three years betweenAge of Ultron in 2015 and a sequel.[200] In October 2014, Marvel announced a two-part sequel toAge of Ultron titledAvengers: Infinity War.Part 1 was scheduled to be released on May 4, 2018, andPart 2 was scheduled for May 3, 2019.[178][201] Whedon was "very doubtful" that he would be involved with the two films by January 2015.[202]
The Russo brothers reached a deal by April 2015 to direct both parts ofAvengers: Infinity War, after previously directing the MCU filmsCaptain America: The Winter Soldier andCaptain America: Civil War.[203][204] A month later, Markus and McFeely had signed on to also return from theCaptain America films, writing the screenplays for both parts.[205] McFeely later recalled that the pair had started negotiating to write the two films without ever actually being asked to do so by Feige or Marvel.[206] Anthony Russo described the twoAvengers sequels as the culmination of all the MCU films sinceIron Man, bringing an end to some things and beginning others.[207] Marvel called this overall storyline "The Infinity Saga", comprisingPhases One,Two, andThree of the MCU.[208] In April 2016, Jon Favreau said he would executive produce the films after doing the same for the previousAvengers films and also directing the first twoIron Man films.[209] Gunn also served as executive producer on the films, working with the Russos, Marvel, and Feige to ensure theGuardians of the Galaxy characters were "well taken care of" in the films.[210][211] In March 2018, Disney moved the first film's United States release to April 27, 2018, so it would be released on the same weekend in the U.S. as in several international markets.[212][213] That December, the release of the second film was changed to April 26, 2019.[214] In July 2016, Marvel announced thatPart 1 would simply be known asAvengers: Infinity War andPart 2 would be called theUntitled Avengers film until a title was chosen.[215] By December 2018, the second film's title was revealed to beAvengers: Endgame.[214]
In June 2013, Robert Downey Jr. signed on to return as Tony Stark / Iron Man for a thirdAvengers film,[138] andJosh Brolin signed a multi-film deal the following May, to play Thanos.[216] In July 2014, Feige stated that actors from previous MCU films were under contract to return to for a thirdAvengers film,[200] with Jeremy Renner stating that September he signed on to reprise the role of Barton.[217] After the announcement ofInfinity War andEndgame, many established MCU actors were confirmed to be joining Downey and Brolin, including Hemsworth, Ruffalo, Evans, Johansson, Cheadle, Bettany, Olsen, and Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Falcon.[218]Infinity War also sees the Avengers unite with the Guardians of the Galaxy, includingKaren Gillan asNebula[219] andBradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket.[218]
Additional actors reprising their roles inInfinity War from the various MCU franchises includeBenedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange fromDoctor Strange (2016),Tom Holland as Peter Parker / Spider-Man fromSpider-Man: Homecoming (2017), and Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa / Black Panther fromCaptain America: Civil War andBlack Panther,[218] withDanai Gurira as Okoye from the latter. Sebastian Stan also appears as Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier from theCaptain America films.[220] Jackson and Smulders also reprised their roles in uncredited cameos in thepost-credits scene.[221]
Actors who returned forEndgame include: Downey, Hemsworth, Ruffalo, Evans, Johansson,[222] Cumberbatch,[223] Cheadle,[224] Holland,[225] Boseman,[226] Olsen,[227] Mackie,[228] Stan,[229] Gillan,[222] Cooper,[230] and Brolin.[231] Olsen was not contractually obliged to return due toInfinity War fulfilling her original three-film contract with Marvel, but Feige persuaded her to return inEndgame bypitching her the concept of the then-upcomingDisney+ seriesWandaVision (2021).[232] They were also joined by Renner as Barton,[222]Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne,[233]Paul Rudd as Scott Lang,[222] andBrie Larson as Carol Danvers.[234]
While the name "Avengers" and the depiction of Loki as the first antagonist is derived more from the mainstreamMarvel Universe, commonly referred to as "Earth-616", other different depictions such as the original formation of the Avengers at the hands of S.H.I.E.L.D. along with the depicted original lineup and the portrayal of the aliens known as Chitauri as main antagonists were portrayed with a similar premise as the Ultimates, a modern reimagining of the Avengers within the comic book universe within themultiverse that is published byMarvel Comics.[235] The original lineup of the Avengers includedHank Pym and the Wasp instead ofCaptain America,Black Widow andHawkeye. The Ultimates introduced the same lineup ofThe Avengers with the Earth-616's version and the addition ofScarlet Witch andQuicksilver, both of whom later appeared inAge of Ultron.[235][236] The charactersNebula,Rocket Raccoon andJoaquin Torres do not feature as Avengers members in the comics, differing from the film adaptations,[237][238] whileYelena Belova,Red Guardian,Ghost, and theU.S. Agent are also not members of theNew Avengers in the comics.[239]
Critics praised the team's introduction as the main highlight ofThe Avengers.[240][241]A. O. Scott ofThe New York Times felt the chemistry of the characters was the best part of the film.[242]Owen Gleiberman ofEntertainment Weekly commented that the best thing regarding the film "is that it also unleashes them on each other. Simply put: These freaks of goodness may be a team, but they don't like one another very much".[243]Joe Morgenstern ofThe Wall Street Journal opined that the depiction of them quarreling among themselves comically was the most fun part as depicted in the original film.[244] The team once again mostly received praise in the sequel with critics praising the original cast reprising the role inAge of Ultron.[245][246] Scott Foundas ofVariety felt that the actors now "wear these roles as comfortably as second skins". He noted theFantastic Four andJustice League as teams that can only hope to follow in the footsteps regarding the portrayal of the characters.[247] Conversely, Scott Mendelson ofForbes disliked the concept that some of the Avengers (Tony Stark and Bruce Banner) were behind the creation of the antagonist of the film (Ultron).[248]
The depiction of the Avengers being divided in a Civil War as shown inCaptain America: Civil War was praised by critics such asPeter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian andRichard Roeper of theChicago Sun-Times.[249][250] However, Nicholas Barber of theBBC was more critical of the depiction, opining that their allegiance didn't make sense.[251] Additionally, Stephen Whitty of theNew YorkDaily News was critical of the expansion of many heroes taking sides.[252] The film was referred to as "Avengers 2.5" by commentators and fans, given the ensemble nature of the cast resembled that of theAvengers films, and the fact that the film no longer felt centered around Captain America.[253][254][255][256] Feige responded by saying "What's fun aboutCivil War though is, as you know from the comics, it's a very simple story. And it really has to be, to accommodate that many players".[257]
In 2018, around the time thatInfinity War came out, film directorJames Cameron started a new term called "Avengers fatigue" that circulated online.[258][259] Cameron toldIndieWire that despite being a fan of the films, he feared that they had dominated thefilm genre, and that he hoped that people were getting tired of it so other stories could be told.[260] This resulted in some criticism and backlash online regarding Cameron.[261][262][263] The fourth Avengers film,Avengers: Endgame, was praised as a proper conclusion for the superhero team.[264][265]
According to film criticPeter Travers,The Avengers director Joss Whedon "sees the Avengers as the ultimate dysfunctional family. Their powers have estranged them from the normal world. As a result, they're lonely, cranky, emotional fuck-ups, which the actors have a ball playing".[266] Also while reviewing the originalAvengers films,Roger Ebert compared the original six lineup of the Avengers as uniquely different much like the assortment ofdog breeds that consists of champions of theWestminster Kennel Club Dog Show. He noted that both examples "are completely different" but "yet they're all champions".[267]Anthony Lane ofThe New Yorker explained that the superhero group was reminiscent to the supergroupTraveling Wilburys in music pop-culture.[268] Callie Ahlgrim ofInsider Inc. described the Avengers as "the most ambitious superpowered team in cinematic history" when doing a rank down of most powerful Avengers within the MCU.[269]
Before the MCU built up to the Avengers, shared film universes were virtually unheard of in Hollywood according to Tom Russo ofBoston.com, with few exceptions likeAlien vs. Predator (2004).[113][270] Since the release ofThe Avengers, the shared universe model created by Marvel Studios has begun to be replicated by other film studios that held rights to other comic book characters, notablyDC Entertainment andWarner Bros. Pictures. Warner Bros. announced their plans to release aJustice League film following a legal victory overJoe Shuster's estate for the rights toSuperman. The planned film would uniteDC Comics superheroes such asBatman, Superman, andWonder Woman. The company was expected to take the opposite approach to Marvel, releasing individual films for the characters after they have appeared in ateam-up film.[271][272]
In November 2012, 20th Century Fox announced plans to create their own shared universe, consisting of Marvel properties that it holds the rights to including the Fantastic Four and X-Men, with the hiring of Mark Millar as supervising producer.[273]X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) was Fox's first step towards expanding their stable of Marvel properties and creating this universe,[274] ahead of the release of aFantastic Four reboot film the next year.[275] In November 2013, Sony Pictures Entertainment Co-chairman Amy Pascal announced that the studio intended to expand their universe created withinMarc Webb'sThe Amazing Spider-Man series, with spin-off adventures for supporting characters, in an attempt to replicate Marvel and Disney's model.[274] The next month, Sony announcedVenom andSinister Six films, both set in theAmazing Spider-Man universe. With this announcement,IGN stated that the spin-offs are "the latest example of what we can refer to as "theAvengers effect" in Hollywood, as studios work to build interlocking movie universes".[276]
The team was the inspiration behind the documentary seriesMarvel's Avengers: Building A Cinematic Universe in 2012.[277] Another documentary series was created in 2014 titledMarvel Studios: Assembling a Universe.[278] Anonline exhibition calledAvengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. based on the team is currently located in Las Vegas,Xi'an, andSão Paulo, with a planned upcoming one in Dallas.[279]Avengers Campus, a series of attractions at variousDisney Parks, is inspired by the MCU's Avengers, although it is an alternate version of the team.[280] The first of these Campuses opened on June 4, 2021, atDisney California Adventure.[281] In March 2018, the Walt Disney Company announced a new Avengers Campus forDisneyland Paris' Walt Disney Studios Park. The area includes a reimagined attraction where riders team up with Iron Man and other Avengers on a "hyper-kinetic adventure", and opened on July 20, 2022.[282][283] In July 2021, the immersive family dining experience "Avengers: Quantum Encounter" at the Worlds of Marvel restaurant on theDisney Wish cruise ship was announced, which debuted when the cruise began voyages on July 14, 2022.[284][285] The experience takes place during dinner with interactive elements and a full CGI recreation of theWish's upper decks.[286]
| Film | Box office gross | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| The Avengers | $1,518,815,515 | [287] |
| Age of Ultron | $1,402,809,540 | [288] |
| Infinity War | $2,048,359,754 | [289] |
| Endgame | $2,797,501,328 | [290] |
| Total | $7,767,486,137 |
TheAvengers franchise is thethird highest-grossing superhero franchise and thesixth highest-grossing film franchise of all-time at the worldwide box office, grossing overUS$7.7 billion.[291]Endgame is currently the second highest-grossing film of all time, only behindAvatar (2009).[292]Endgame became the number one film in July 2019, surpassingAvatar,[293] however,Avatar was re-released in China in March 2021, reclaiming its top spot.[294][295]
The Avengers are set to return in two additional films,Avengers: Doomsday (2026) andAvengers: Secret Wars (2027). Both films will be part of the MCU'sPhase Six, concludingthe Multiverse Saga.[110]
The bookWakanda Files: A Technological Exploration of the Avengers and Beyond (2020) focuses on the Avengers heroes from Shuri's perspective.[296][297] Marvel Comics publishedDan Abnett'sAvengers: Everybody Wants To Rule The World (2015) as a tie-in toAvengers: Age of Ultron. The lineup in the book includes Iron Man, Captain America, theHulk,Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch, and theVision.[298]
Lego Marvel's Avengers (2016) was released forPlayStation 4,PlayStation 3,PlayStation Vita,Nintendo 3DS,Wii U,Xbox One,Xbox 360,Macintosh, andMicrosoft Windows. The story mainly focuses on the plots ofThe Avengers andAge of Ultron, but also includes individual levels forCaptain America: The First Avenger,Iron Man 3,Thor: The Dark World (2013), andCaptain America: The Winter Soldier (2014).Marvel's Avengers features multiple MCUsuit skins inspired from theIron Spider armor fromInfinity War,[299] while 2018'sSpider-Man also features the Iron Spider armor.[300]
In October 2019, Marvel Studios andILMxLAB announced thevirtual reality experienceAvengers: Damage Control. It was available for a limited time starting in mid-October 2019 at selectVoid VR locations until the end of the year.[301][302][303]ESPN and Marvel collaborated to create an alternate presentation that featured the Avengers among other Marvel superheroes entitledNBA Special Edition Presented by State Farm: Marvel's Arena of Heroes during theNBA playoff of theGolden State Warriors and theNew Orleans Pelicans in May 2021.[304][305]
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