It has been nearly two decades since the birth of the cinematic MCU, and although it has evolved and progressed in many ways, I still can’t move on from the group that started it all–the original Avengers. In 2008, the first Iron Man movie was released, and it was the spark of a team that I don’t think the world of cinema will ever be able to recreate. It doesn’t matter how many years pass; I think we all will be forever grateful for them, and I wanted to take a moment and reflect on what it was that made these initial movies so life-changing.
First and foremost… Robert Downey Jr.
Before the beginning of what we now consider the MCU, there had been several amazing superhero movies, and some of them were technically Marvel. A few examples include the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy, the original X-Men films, as well as the original Fantastic Four movies. I can’t lie, these are the movies that introduced me to superheroes as a child and made me realize I was, in fact, a superhero nerd. But in 2008, I went to my small hometown theatre and watched Robert Downey Jr. stand on a stage as Tony Stark and announce ‘I am Iron Man’ to the world–suddenly all of the other superheroes before him no longer mattered. Iron Man was the heart of what soon became the Avengers initiative, which was first hinted at in the ending credits of this first film when Samual L. Jackson(Nick Fury) casually mentions the idea to Tony.
Even then, I had no idea what it would become; I just knew that I was completely invested. Prior to this, a spiderweb of movies that all connected and played off of one another was something that had never been done–and if it had, it wasn’t successful. But a few notable producers, directors, and writers proved that it was possible. The first being Kevin Feige, he was a producer for most of the films and pretty much the mastermind behind the shared world concept; even today, as the President of Marvel Studios, he is still pulling some of the strings. Two directors who teamed up with Kevin include Joss Whedon, who directed and helped write the script for the 2012 Avengers film, and Jon Favreau, who directed the first two Iron Man films.
All three build the unbreakable structure for the MCU, but I have to say, my favorite is Jon Favreau. Jon, who most would recognize for his role as Tony’s bestie, Happy, was the one primarily responsible for casting Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. Others behind the scenes were hesitant to cast Robert at first because of his unsteady past, and he was seen as too much of a gamble. But Jon pushed because he saw the correlation between Downey’s life and Tony’s–both of whom grew up in the spotlight and weren’t always seen in a positive light, but were capable of the most epic redemption arc of all time. Without that casting–I don’t think the MCU would have become anything close to what it is–it needed the heart, it needed Tony…and Robert Downey Jr. is and will always be Iron Man.
But, it wasn’t just Iron Man that was cast perfectly–it was everyone
But alas, a body is more than a heart, and the MCU still needed to add a few limbs. The first of which was the Incredible Hulk, a character that was introduced in his own movie a few months after the release of Iron Man. Bruce Banner, AKA the Hulk, was originally played by Edward Norton, but after the standalone Incredible Hulk Film, Banner was recast to be portrayed by Mark Ruffalo in the first Avengers movie. I’m not hating on Norton by any means, but this recasting for me was a chef’s kiss for the character (although I might have been a little biased after Ruffalo’s endearing performance in 13 Going on 30). Ruffalo truly took on the role of Banner and embodied everything it was meant to be. In the comics, Bruce was just a regular guy, well… a genius, but a regular Joe Shmoe-type genius who ended up becoming this terrifying green beast. His goal is primarily to keep calm and keep the Hulk from coming out–and Ruffalo brought the perfect blend of chill, likable guy, with an undertone of brooding “I’m always angry” type of energy to the table.
Bruce’s introduction was succeeded by a third avenger in Iron Man 2–Black Widow. Ironically enough, Black Widow, or Natasha Romanoff, ended up being a kinda sorta love interest for the Hulk as the movies progressed; likely because Natasha contrasts so well with Banner’s relaxed nature, being that she is an ex-spy/assassin. Casting Scarlett Johansson for this part was genius because she has this confidence that not many other actresses can achieve with such ease, not to mention, she was committed enough to train so that she could do most of her own stunts.
Two more Avengers followed, each one being introduced with the release of a movie of their own shortly after Iron Man 2. Adding to the already stacked cast list, Marvel gave us two of the most handsome Chris’ in Hollywood, Chris Evans as Captain America and Chris Hemsworth as Thor. At first, Chris Evans was a questionable pick for the honorable underdog turned superhero patriot, mostly because he had played vastly different roles before that, such as the confident Human Torch in the initial Fantastic Four movies. But obviously, Marvel really knew what they were doing back then because I don’t think anyone in the entire world could have brought Steve Rogers to life in the way that Evans did.
When it comes to Thor, Hemsworth obviously had the muscular figure that fit the role of a God from another planet, but was he able to bring the character to life? Um…absolutely! He started off showing the more serious, royal leader side of Thor, but in a charming, unimposing way, which really worked. As the character evolved, Hemsworth managed to transform this hugely powerful character into someone who was lovable and humorous at the same time. Displaying this side of Thor allowed him to really mesh well with the Avengers, who all have their own subtle charm and humor, even though he was pretty much an all-powerful alien God.
The final addition to the core Avengers team didn’t get a movie of his own(but did get a Disney+ show recently) is our favorite rogue, Hawkeye. Clint Barton, played by Jeremy Renner, was initially introduced in the first Avengers movie when Loki hijacked his mind. Throughout the movie, he is a strong side character, but in the climax of the movie, he joins the core squad in taking down the alien monsters that attack New York. Throughout the other Avengers films, we learn that he is actually just a family guy trying to do the right thing and help save the world. Renner was able to embody a character that wasn’t as flashy as some of the others but was necessary in a world with so much chaos.
Marvel was able to combine all of these characters’ stories and create one amazing shared world
As mentioned earlier, the MCU did something that no one had ever been successful in doing–they created several in-depth characters, each having their own stories across many different movies, and then they weaved them all together into one epic plot. As someone who enjoys writing stories, I understand how difficult it can be to manage several different character arcs at once, especially as stories progress and develop. To do that, but instead of it being one world with one main plot, it is several plots across different worlds, each working towards their own unique end, but also involved in the ultimate cohesive end goal–is literally astonishing and honestly…there must have been some real-world magic involved.
Add the fact that all of these individual characters were perfect and lovable in every way possible, but also had chemistry that felt truly authentic–it was a recipe for quite possibly the most epic cinematic team that may ever exist. Which is why, even though Marvel has continued the shared world concept and added many amazing characters–without the heart and body…it just doesn’t feel the same.
The hardest part is accepting that there isn’t really a way for them to return. Black Widow sacrificed herself, and her death looked pretty final. Captain America went back in time and might still be alive, but is a bit on the elderly side, so not exactly in fighting condition. Although Ant-Man did use his van to turn into a baby once, I have a secret hope that Cap’s return is plausible. As for Iron Man, his death was truly a beautiful conclusion to his character, but I still despise that it happened and want Tony back. It seems that Marvel has something up their sleeve by casting Downey as Dr. Doom, but I have a feeling it won’t tie back to Tony at all. But…you never know. A multiverse opens doors for pretty much anything, so I am counting the days until the release of the Avengers: Doomsday next December in hopes that we might get to revisit this team one last time.
Either way, even if the original Avengers never return to the big screen, I will always be thankful that I was around to watch them change the world of cinema forever.
