Avengers

Fictional team biography

The Avengers' story in the MCU takes place in the Earth-616 universe. 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.

The Avengers Initiative

In 1995, S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury creates the Avengers Initiative, envisioning it as a group of heroes working to respond to planetary threats, following the appearance of Carol Danvers and naming it after her U.S. Air Force callsign, "Avenger". Years later, Fury assesses various individuals for it, including Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. Stark's membership is declined after a negative report by S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Natasha Romanoff. The World Security Council wanted Emil Blonsky to join, but rejected it after Stark deters Thaddeus Ross from the idea, hiring Bruce Banner instead.

The first assembly

In 2012, the Asgardian Loki teleports to the Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility on Earth, where he steals the Tesseract and brainwashes Clint Barton and Dr. Erik Selvig using his 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 create weapons of mass destruction. Barton attacks the Helicarrier, causing Banner to transform into the Hulk and cause damage. After Loki kills S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil 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 a wormhole using the Tesseract and begins an invasion with his Chitauri army, starting a battle. Stark introduces the team to Loki by referring to them as "Earth's Mightiest Heroes". Eventually, the World Security Council launches a nuclear missile towards Manhattan, but Stark intercepts and flies it through the wormhole, destroying the Chitauri mother ship and stopping the invasion. Romanoff closes the portal with the scepter and the team apprehends Loki, who is taken back to Asgard.

Fighting Hydra and Ultron

Three years after the Battle of New York, Hydra uses Loki's scepter following their infiltration of S.H.I.E.L.D. The Avengers locate it in Sokovia, where they recover it and encounter twin superhuman Hydra test subjects, Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. Barton is wounded and Rogers captures Hydra leader Wolfgang von Strucker while Stark retrieves the scepter, despite being subjected to hallucinations by Wanda's telepathy. Stark and Banner unilaterally decide to use the scepter to create the Ultron Program, a sentient artificial intelligence (AI) peacekeeping force. However, Ultron resolves to eradicate humanity.

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 his Hulkbuster armor. After reconvening at Barton's farmhouse, Rogers, Barton, and Romanoff retrieve a new vibranium body created by Ultron. Stark and Banner use it to create Vision, a sentient and benevolent being powered from the Stark's J.A.R.V.I.S. program, Mjolnir, and the Mind Stone. Ultron tries to use Sokovia as a meteor to cause an extinction event. The Avengers, joined by James Rhodes and the Maximoffs, defeat Ultron's sentries and evacuate civilians. Pietro sacrifices himself to save Barton, 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 the Avengers Compound in Upstate New York.

Civil War

Months after the Battle of Sokovia, the Avengers' new facility becomes targeted in a heist, with a skirmish between Wilson and Scott Lang. In 2016, Rogers, Romanoff, Maximoff, and Wilson defend a research lab in Lagos from Brock Rumlow. They successfully stop Rumlow and his crew of mercenaries, but Maximoff's usage of telekinesis to try to save civilians kills Wakandan diplomats. Thus, United States Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross presents the Sokovia 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 of authoritarianism.

After Bucky Barnes is accused of killing Wakandan King T'Chaka, Rogers and Wilson protect him from an arrest warrant, causing them to clash with Stark, Rhodes, Romanoff, and T'Challa, son of T'Chaka who was killed in Lagos. After Barnes is detained, Helmut Zemo activates Barnes' Winter Soldier persona using the Winter Soldier Book, although Barnes later recovers and reveals Zemo's interest in the Winter 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 the Leipzig/Halle Airport; Rogers, Wilson, Barton, Maximoff, Barnes and Lang clash with Stark, Rhodes, Romanoff, Vision, T'Challa and new recruit Peter Parker.

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 the Raft 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. In the fight, Rogers disables Stark's armor and Barnes' cybernetic arm is destroyed. Rogers then abandons his shield. Meanwhile, T'Challa apprehends Zemo, realizing him to be T'Chaka's killer. Rogers later frees his teammates from the Raft, becoming fugitives. Barton and Lang agree to be under house arrest to be with their families. Although officially reduced to just Stark, Vision, and Rhodes, the Avengers continue operating. Stark offers to hire Parker after he defeats Adrian Toomes. However, Parker declines, choosing to remain as Spider-Man, but promises to assist the Avengers if needed. 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 by Happy Hogan, who rejects him, and returns to his own universe.

The Blip

In 2018, the Avengers come into conflict with Thanos and his 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. Thanos defeats Hulk, who is transported to Earth by Heimdall to inform Stephen Strange, the keeper of the Time Stone, of Thanos' arrival. Banner, Strange, and Wong, 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. Stark and Parker pursue Strange and board the spaceship, where Stark officially anoints Parker as an Avenger. They go to Titan to confront Thanos, allying with the Guardians of the Galaxy along the way. The two teams temporarily restrain Thanos in an ensuing battle to take his Infinity Gauntlet off, now with four Stones. However, Peter Quill hits Thanos after learning he killed Gamora, freeing and allowing Thanos to incapacitate the group. With Thanos preparing to kill Stark, Strange surrenders the Time Stone to save his life.

Meanwhile, Maximoff and Vision, now in a relationship and hiding out in Edinburgh, 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, where Shuri 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 alongside Rocket and Groot through the Bifrost after forging his new Stormbreaker axe on Nidavellir. 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 initiates the Blip. Wilson, Barnes, Maximoff, Strange, Parker, T'Challa, Groot, Quill, Drax, and Mantis are blipped, leaving Stark and Nebula stranded on Titan while Thanos escapes. Fury and Maria Hill are blipped as they try to find the Avengers, but Fury manages to contact Danvers. Barton's family also are blipped, causing him to become the vengeful vigilante Ronin and murder criminals. Lang gets trapped in the Quantum Realm while harvesting energy, as Hank Pym, Hope, and Janet van Dyne get blipped prior to extracting him.

Reversing the Blip

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.

By 2023, Romanoff becomes the leader of the Avengers, officially recruiting Danvers, Rocket, and Nebula to the team. The Avengers collaborate with Okoye to mitigate the Blip's damage. Rogers becomes a grief counselor, Stark lives with his wife Pepper Potts and daughter Morgan, Thor becomes an overweight alcoholic afflicted with depression, 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 for time travel to undo the Blip. They visit Stark and Banner to discuss it, but Stark rejects it while Banner's tests with Pym's Quantum Tunnel fail. Stark eventually helps them, with the group using Pym Particles for time traveling. Banner and Rocket travel to New 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.

Banner, Rogers, Stark, and Lang travel to New York City in 2012: Banner gets the Time Stone from the Ancient One after revealing Strange's surrendering of it, Rogers finds the Mind Stone in Loki's scepter, while Stark and Lang fail to get the Space Stone, but Stark and Rogers get it by going back to Camp Leigh in 1970. Thor and Rocket retrieve the Reality Stone from Asgard in 2013, while Rhodes and Nebula retrieve the Power Stone from Morag 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 the Soul Stone after Romanoff sacrifices herself on Vormir.

Reuniting in 2023, the Avengers place the Stones into the newly made Nano 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, allowing the 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. After the battle, Fury sends Skrulls to collect blood samples on the battlefield, including some of the Avengers, combining them into one concoction known as the Harvest.

Disbandment

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 with Peggy Carter. Rogers returns as an old man with a new shield and grants it and the title of Captain America to Wilson. Thor appoints Valkyrie as the new ruler of New Asgard and goes to space with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Maximoff goes to Florida and sees that Vision is in S.W.O.R.D. custody at their headquarters. She then travels to Westview, 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 a Hex trapping the town in a sitcom called WandaVision and creating twin boys and another Vision. She learns she is the mythical Scarlet Witch and embraces her powers as such. Vision is reactivated by S.W.O.R.D., through remnants of Maximoff's magic on a drone, and sports an all white appearance.

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. Also in 2024, Banner and Danvers answer Wong's hologram call and meet Xu Shang-Chi. They discuss the origins of the ten rings and discover that the rings are acting as a beacon to something. Later that year, Banner aids his cousin Jennifer Walters after she receives his abilities following a blood cross-contamination in a car accident. Maximoff, having been in self-imposed isolation, becomes corrupted by the Darkhold and comes into conflict with Strange and Wong. However, she ultimately breaks out of the corruption and destroys the Darkhold 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 meets Kate Bishop and her golden retriever, Lucky. He takes her in as his protégé and they become Barton's extended family.

In 2025, the first annual "AvengerCon" is held at Camp Lehigh to honor the Avengers. Lang becomes a celebrity while spending time with his daughter and the Pym family, starts the Big Me Little Me podcast, and writes his bestselling memoir Look Out for the Little Guy. Banner travels to Sakaar to bring his son, Skaar, to Earth. In 2026, Lang, his daughter Cassie, Hope, Pym, and Janet are transported into the Quantum Realm where they encounter Kang the Conqueror, who forces Lang to help him escape. They successfully defeat Kang and return home. However, the Council of Kangs, overseeing the multiverse outside of space and time, notes that Earth-616's Avengers are becoming more aware of the multiverse and must be stopped.

Restarting

In 2027, Wilson is asked by the new President 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. Later that year, Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), publicly rebrands the Thunderbolts team—consisting of Yelena 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. Banner becomes a professor of quantum mechanics in New York and meets Parker. Fourteen months later, in 2028, Wilson sues the team for copyright infringement for the name "New Avengers" after reinstating the original team.

Alternate versions

Other versions of the Avengers are depicted within the context of the MCU multiverse, such as in Avengers: Endgame (2019) and the animated series What 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 to Brock 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 by Alexander 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. Rogers, Danvers, and Fury later battle Loki and his Asgardian army aboard a Helicarrier. During the fight, the Watcher brings in a variant of Romanoff, and she incapacitates Loki with his scepter.

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.

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 of Arnim Zola's consciousness into Ultron's hivemind, but Barton sacrifices himself in vain as the upload fails when Ultron enters the multiverse.

Team roster

Other characters

Many characters have been affiliated with the Avengers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe:

S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury is the creator of the Avengers and assists them numerous times.

S.H.I.E.L.D. assists the Avengers in the Battle of New York. S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson contributes to the Avengers' creation. Fury described him as being as much of an Avenger as the superheroes. Even after its collapse, agents like Maria Hill fight alongside the Avengers in the Battle of Sokovia.

During the events of Age of Ultron, Wanda's brother Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver fights in the Battle of Sokovia; and Erik Selvig and Helen Cho begin working for the Avengers.

T'Challa / Black Panther and Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier / White Wolf fight alongside the Avengers during the Avengers Civil War, the Battle of Wakanda, and the battle at the Avengers Compound.

Individuals such as Ayo, Drax, Groot, Mantis, M'Baku, Shuri, Peter Quill / Star-Lord, Dr. Stephen Strange, and Wong with the rest of the Wakandan army fight alongside the Avengers during the Infinity War and the battle at the Avengers Compound.

Okoye fights alongside the Avengers during the Battle of Wakanda and the battle at the Avengers Compound. She also collaborates with them to mitigate the Blip's damage.

Individuals such as Howard the Duck, Korg, Kraglin Obfonteri, Miek, Pepper Potts, Valkyrie, Hope van Dyne / Wasp, Gamora, the Masters of the Mystic Arts, the Ravagers, and the rest of the Asgardian army fight alongside the Avengers in the battle at the Avengers Compound.

Members of the Thunderbolts team form a separate faction dubbed the "New Avengers" consisting of Bucky Barnes, Yelena Belova / Black Widow, Bob Reynolds / Sentry, Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian, Ava Starr / Ghost, and John Walker / U.S. Agent.

Concept and creation

Initial castings

Samuel L. Jackson makes his debut in a cameo appearance as Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., in a post-credits scene in Iron Man. Jackson's face was previously used as the model for the Ultimate Marvel imprint version of Nick Fury. Jackson confirmed that he had been in discussions to reprise the role of Fury from Iron 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". In February 2009, Jackson and Marvel came to terms, and he was signed to play the character in up to nine films.

Director Jon Favreau planned to cast a newcomer in the title role in Iron Man (2008), as "those movies don't require an expensive star; Iron Man's the star, the superhero is the star. The success of X-Men (2000) and Spider-Man (2002) without being star-driven pieces reassures [executives] that the film does have an upside commercially". However, before the screenplay was prepared, he had approached Sam Rockwell to play the part. Rockwell had interest, but Favreau changed his decision after the screen test of Robert Downey Jr. In September 2006, Downey was cast in the role. Favreau chose Downey, a fan of the comic, 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". 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. Downey earned $500,000 for the role. Marvel entered into early talks with Emily Blunt to play Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, though she was unable to take the role due to a previous commitment to star in Gulliver's Travels (2010). In February 2009, Scarlett Johansson signed on for the role. Her deal included options for multiple films, including potentially The Avengers. Prior to her casting, Johansson had also researched other Marvel characters she could play, including the Blonde Phantom and the Wasp.

In October 2008, Daniel Craig was offered the role of Thor, but ultimately turned it down, citing his commitments to the James Bond franchise. In February 2009, a casting call went out looking for actors with certain physical attributes to audition for the role of Thor. 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 by Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige. That month, Tom Hiddleston was cast as Loki, the brother of Thor, and later the main villain of The Avengers. He originally auditioned for the role of Thor. Kevin McKidd was also considered for the role. The casting process for The Avengers continued into much of 2010, with the addition of Jeremy Renner.

Background and development

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 creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had done with their comic books in the early 1960s. Ideas for a film based on the Avengers began in 2003, with Avi Arad, the CEO of Marvel Studios, first announcing plans to develop the film in April 2005. This followed Marvel Enterprises declaring independence by allying with Merrill Lynch to produce a slate of films that would be distributed by Paramount Pictures. Marvel discussed their plans in a brief presentation to Wall Street analysts; the studio intended to release films for each main character to establish their identities and familiarize audiences with them before a crossover film. Screenwriter Zak Penn, who wrote The Incredible Hulk (2008), which introduced Bruce Banner / Hulk, became attached to the film in 2006 and was hired by Marvel Studios to write The Avengers in June 2007. In the wake of the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike, Marvel negotiated with the Writers Guild of America to ensure that it could create films based on its comic book counterparts, including Captain America, Ant-Man and the Avengers. After the successful release of Iron Man in May, which introduced Tony Stark / Iron Man, the company set a July 2011 release date for The Avengers. 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.

In October 2008, two major prospects occurred for Marvel Studios: Favreau was brought in as an executive producer for the film, and the company signed a long-term lease with Raleigh Studios to produce three additional big-budget films alongside The Avengers at their Manhattan Beach, California complex. The films were Iron Man 2 (2010), introducing Romanoff, Thor introducing Thor and a cameo appearance of Barton, and Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), introducing Rogers. 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". In March 2009, Marvel announced that the film's release date had been pushed back to May 4, 2012, almost a full year later.

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". 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. The film had always intended to use Loki as its villain, but Penn noted that early discussion had considered using Red Skull.

Differences from the comics

While the name "Avengers" and the depiction of Loki as the first antagonist is derived more from the mainstream Marvel 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 the multiverse that is published by Marvel Comics. The original lineup of the Avengers included Hank Pym and the Wasp instead of Captain America, Black Widow and Hawkeye. The Ultimates introduced the same lineup of The Avengers with the Earth-616's version and the addition of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, both of whom later appeared in Age of Ultron. The characters Nebula, Rocket Raccoon and Joaquin Torres do not feature as Avengers members in the comics, differing from the film adaptations, while Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Ghost, and the U.S. Agent are also not members of the New Avengers in the comics.

Reception

Critics praised the team's introduction as the main highlight of The Avengers. A. O. Scott of The New York Times felt the chemistry of the characters was the best part of the film. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment 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". Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal opined that the depiction of them quarreling among themselves comically was the most fun part as depicted in the original film. The team once again mostly received praise in the sequel with critics praising the original cast reprising the role in Age of Ultron. Scott Foundas of Variety felt that the actors now "wear these roles as comfortably as second skins". He noted the Fantastic Four and Justice League as teams that can only hope to follow in the footsteps regarding the portrayal of the characters. Conversely, Scott Mendelson of Forbes disliked the concept that some of the Avengers (Tony Stark and Bruce Banner) were behind the creation of the antagonist of the film (Ultron).

The depiction of the Avengers being divided in a Civil War as shown in Captain America: Civil War was praised by critics such as Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian and Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times. However, Nicholas Barber of the BBC was more critical of the depiction, opining that their allegiance didn't make sense. Additionally, Stephen Whitty of the New York Daily News was critical of the expansion of many heroes taking sides. The film was referred to as "Avengers 2.5" by commentators and fans, given the ensemble nature of the cast resembled that of the Avengers films, and the fact that the film no longer felt centered around Captain America. Feige responded by saying "What's fun about Civil 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".

In 2018, around the time that Infinity War came out, film director James Cameron started a new term called "Avengers fatigue" that circulated online. Cameron told IndieWire that despite being a fan of the films, he feared that they had dominated the film genre, and that he hoped that people were getting tired of it so other stories could be told. This resulted in some criticism and backlash online regarding Cameron. The fourth Avengers film, Avengers: Endgame, was praised as a proper conclusion for the superhero team.

Themes and analysis

According to film critic Peter 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". Also while reviewing the original Avengers films, Roger Ebert compared the original six lineup of the Avengers as uniquely different much like the assortment of dog breeds that consists of champions of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. He noted that both examples "are completely different" but "yet they're all champions". Anthony Lane of The New Yorker explained that the superhero group was reminiscent to the supergroup Traveling Wilburys in music pop-culture. Callie Ahlgrim of Insider 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.

Cultural impact

Before the MCU built up to the Avengers, shared film universes were virtually unheard of in Hollywood according to Tom Russo of Boston.com, with few exceptions like Alien vs. Predator (2004). Since the release of The 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, notably DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures. Warner Bros. announced their plans to release a Justice League film following a legal victory over Joe Shuster's estate for the rights to Superman. The planned film would unite DC Comics superheroes such as Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. The company was expected to take the opposite approach to Marvel, releasing individual films for the characters after they have appeared in a team-up film.

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. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) was Fox's first step towards expanding their stable of Marvel properties and creating this universe, ahead of the release of a Fantastic Four reboot film the next year. In November 2013, Sony Pictures Entertainment Co-chairman Amy Pascal announced that the studio intended to expand their universe created within Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man series, with spin-off adventures for supporting characters, in an attempt to replicate Marvel and Disney's model. The next month, Sony announced Venom and Sinister Six films, both set in the Amazing Spider-Man universe. With this announcement, IGN stated that the spin-offs are "the latest example of what we can refer to as "the Avengers effect" in Hollywood, as studios work to build interlocking movie universes".

The team was the inspiration behind the documentary series Marvel's Avengers: Building A Cinematic Universe in 2012. Another documentary series was created in 2014 titled Marvel Studios: Assembling a Universe. An online exhibition called Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. based on the team is currently located in Las Vegas, Xi'an, and São Paulo, with a planned upcoming one in Dallas. Avengers Campus, a series of attractions at various Disney Parks, is inspired by the MCU's Avengers, although it is an alternate version of the team. The first of these Campuses opened on June 4, 2021, at Disney California Adventure. In March 2018, the Walt Disney Company announced a new Avengers Campus for Disneyland 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. In July 2021, the immersive family dining experience "Avengers: Quantum Encounter" at the Worlds of Marvel restaurant on the Disney Wish cruise ship was announced, which debuted when the cruise began voyages on July 14, 2022. The experience takes place during dinner with interactive elements and a full CGI recreation of the Wish's upper decks.

Box-office performance

The Avengers franchise is the third highest-grossing superhero franchise and the sixth highest-grossing film franchise of all-time at the worldwide box office, grossing over US$7.7 billion. Endgame is currently the second highest-grossing film of all time, only behind Avatar (2009). Endgame became the number one film in July 2019, surpassing Avatar, however, Avatar was re-released in China in March 2021, reclaiming its top spot.

Future

The Avengers are set to return in two additional films, Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027). Both films will be part of the MCU's Phase Six, concluding the Multiverse Saga.

In other media

Literature

The book Wakanda Files: A Technological Exploration of the Avengers and Beyond (2020) focuses on the Avengers heroes from Shuri's perspective. Marvel Comics published Dan Abnett's Avengers: Everybody Wants To Rule The World (2015) as a tie-in to Avengers: Age of Ultron. The lineup in the book includes Iron Man, Captain America, the Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch, and the Vision.

Video games and virtual reality

Lego Marvel's Avengers (2016) was released for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Macintosh, and Microsoft Windows. The story mainly focuses on the plots of The Avengers and Age of Ultron, but also includes individual levels for Captain America: The First Avenger, Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World (2013), and Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). Marvel's Avengers features multiple MCU suit skins inspired from the Iron Spider armor from Infinity War, while 2018's Spider-Man also features the Iron Spider armor.

In October 2019, Marvel Studios and ILMxLAB announced the virtual reality experience Avengers: Damage Control. It was available for a limited time starting in mid-October 2019 at select Void VR locations until the end of the year. ESPN and Marvel collaborated to create an alternate presentation that featured the Avengers among other Marvel superheroes entitled NBA Special Edition Presented by State Farm: Marvel's Arena of Heroes during the NBA playoff of the Golden State Warriors and the New Orleans Pelicans in May 2021.