Summary
While the studio is far from infallible, it is safe to say that Marvel Studios' casting decisions rarely miss the mark in theMCU- and everyAvengersactor has a compelling story behind how they were cast. Since it began in 2008 withIron Man, the MCU is now the biggest franchise in cinematic history, becoming a powerhouse that would inspire the modern phenomenon of cinematic universes. The actors that make up its central characters are largely to thank for its success, and it is now hard to imagine any other actor portraying thecurrent lineup of Avengers.
The Avengerswas the first team-up movie to debut the earliest iteration of the titular team, and it landed with a flourish. The writing was on the wall since then, andfour Avengers movieslater, the team grew substantially before the heart-wrenching departure of three of its founding members leftthe Avengers' MCU futurein a questionable state. After having left such a lasting impact on the MCU and superhero movies in general, here is how each core Avenger landed their iconic roles.
Every Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie Ranked Worst To Best
Over 17 years and 35 movies, the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies have redefined blockbuster cinema. But how do all the films stack up?
Debuted In Iron Man (2008)
Although he didn’t star in a blockbuster, Robert Downey Jr.’s pre-MCU career comprises a litany of critical and financial successes. His biggest roles before landing the career-defining Tony Stark gig included Charlie Chaplin inChaplin, Harry Lockhart inKiss Kiss, Bang Bang, and Paul Avery inZodiac, which was released the year beforeIron Manin 2007. The role that would launch the MCU in earnest, however, was nearly never to be if not for the zeal of two Marvel Studios figures in particular.
Although Tony Stark is ostensibly dead, Robert Downey Jr. could still reprise the role as a variant in the Multiverse Saga.
RDJ’s spotty history remained a sticking point for much of Marvel Studios' top brass when Director John Favreau first floated his name.Favreau’s belief in Downey Jr. was rooted in the similarities he could see in his life experience and that of Tony Stark, telling Texas radio station100.3 Jack FMthat he had to fight to get his preferred casting over the line. Then Marvel Studios COO, David Maisel, mirrored this sentiment and helped push for Robert Downey Jr. by convincing the board that he was the perfect candidate - a belief that is now considered a foregone conclusion.
Iron Man
Cast
Iron Man is the first film in the long-running Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark, who becomes Iron Man after he is kidnapped and discovers terrorists are using weapons developed by Stark Industries. Gwyneth Paltrow stars as Tony’s love interest Pepper Potts alongside Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan and Jeff Bridges as the villainous Obadiah Stane.
11We All Have Chris Evans' Mother To Thank For The MCU’s First Captain America
Debuted In Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Chris Evans was something of a comic book movie veteran when he was cast as Steve Rogers, having starred as Johnny Storm/the Human Torch inFantastic FourandFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surferin 2005 and 2007 respectively. He also starred as Lucas in 2010’sScott Pilgrim vs. The World, which was an adaptation of theScott Pilgrimgraphic novel series. Despite his experience (or perhaps because of it),Evans nearly turned down the offer of Captain Americaentirely.
Wyatt Russell, Sebastian Stan, and Chris Pratt all auditioned for Captain America before landing their roles as John Walker, Bucky Barnes, and Peter Quill, respectively.
His prescient concern that adopting the role of the MCU’s Captain America would catapult him into superstardom was twinned with the notion that he would lose control over his career after being tied to a multi-movie deal. Thankfully,Evans' mother, Lisa Evans, convinced him that taking the role would set him up for life as an actor(viaEsquire). Marvel Studios' tenacity in pursuing Evans for the role paid dividends asCaptain America’s MCU legacyremains one of the most iconic.
Captain America: The First Avenger
Captain America: The First Avenger follows Steve Rogers, a frail man from Brooklyn transformed into the super-soldier Captain America during World War II. As he aids the war effort, Rogers confronts Red Skull, who seeks world domination through a powerful device for a nefarious organization.
10Marvel Studios Nearly Missed Out On Chris Hemsworth As Thor
Debuted In Thor (2011)
Of the MCU’s Big Three, Chris Hemsworth was the least well-known by the time he was cast as Thor. Having starred in nearly 200 episodes ofHome and Away, he was certainly a recognizable face among Australian audiences but had yet to fully break into Hollywood. This would change after his agent convinced newly minted Marvel Studios boss, Kevin Feige, to renege on the studio’s initial rejection and take another stab with Hemsworth as Thor.
Chris Pratt also said that he auditioned forThor, with the second rejection making him feel like he would never try for a Marvel movie role again.
Several now-big names had auditioned including Charlie Hunnam and Alexander Skarsgard, with Daniel Craig being outright offered the role before he turned it down.Hemsworth was rejected before he could even do a screentest but was given a second chance by Feigebefore blowing the filmmakers away with his aptitude for the role. He now boasts the most solo movies of any MCU character as well as10 total appearances across the MCU, a number which is likely to increase with the release ofThor 5.
Thor
Thor, released in 2011, introduces Chris Hemsworth as the titular Norse god. Banished to Earth by his father Odin, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins, Thor must live among humans and learn humility. As he adapts to his new circumstances, a threat from Asgard, led by his brother Loki, endangers Earth.
9Mark Ruffalo Was The First Choice For Hulk
Debuted In The Avengers (2012)
Mark Ruffalo recently gained a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which is no surprise given his decorated acting career is rife with Academy Award contenders. Ruffalo joined the MCU in 2012 after starring inMargaret,Date Night, andShutter Islandin the preceding two years. His casting, meanwhile, was especially notable as he came aboard the MCU roster as a recast Bruce Banner, a character that was one of the first to debut in the MCU in 2008’sThe Incredible Hulk, but portrayed by Edward Norton at the time.
Mark Ruffalo’s casting, therefore, came off of the back of some behind-the-scenes reconfiguration, as Norton parted ways with the MCU due to creative differences. Interestingly, Ruffalo wasThe Incredible HulkDirector Louis Leterrier’s first choice to portray the Jade Giant, thoughit was reported that he was sidelined for not being famous enough at the time with a history of making more intellectual films. His second shot at the role would be one ofthe MCU’s best casting decisions, though whether he’ll get to create his own solo movie is looking decidedly uncertain.
8Emily Blunt’s Schedule Opened The Door For Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow
Debuted In Iron Man 2 (2010)
Scarlett Johansson was a big name by the time she was cast in the MCU, having starred inLost In Translation,The Island, andThe Prestige, to name just a few Hollywood hits. It is fair to say though that Black Widow was the role that made her globally recognizable, in a similar state of affairs to herThe Avengersco-star, Mark Ruffalo. Despite her fame and talent, however, Johansson was initially sidelined in favor of another Hollywood A-Lister.
Emily Blunt was Marvel Studios' first pick to portray Natasha Romanoff inIron Man 2, but the actress turned it down due to scheduling concerns. Johansson would later tellParadethat being the second pick would help her develop Natasha Romanoff’s character, whose lack of super-powers weirdly make her stand out among an Avengers lineup that includes a green giant with limitless strength and a cosmic god. Like many Avengers, her role would help define her career before rounding it out with a prequel solo movie following one of the most heart-wrenching deaths in the MCU.
7Samuel L. Jackson Preempted His Nick Fury Casting
Samuel L. Jackson is one of the most prolific actors in Hollywood, let alone in the MCU. His involvement began when the MCU itself did, as he appeared in the post-credits scene ofIron Manto inform Tony Stark of the Avengers Initiative before debuting in earnest inIron Man 2. His biggest pre-MCU roles are in some of Hollywood’s most iconic movies, includingPulp Fiction’s Jules,Jurassic Park’s Arnold, and the Star Wars franchise’s Mace Windu. His superstar status is something of an outlier in the MCU, which had a habit of casting lesser-known actors in its earliest days.
The decision to cast him was set in stone after Marvel decided to re-model Nick Fury to resemble the famous actor in Marvel Comics' Ultimate Universe.
The decision to cast Jackson was set in stone after Marvel decided to re-model Nick Fury to resemble the famous actor in Marvel Comics' Ultimate Universe. As a Marvel Comics reader,Jackson noticed this and proceeded to wrangle a promise out of Marvel to cast him as the live-action Nick Fury should the character ever make it to the big screen. He did, of course, and Marvel made good on its promise. Jackson’s Fury has now appeared in more MCU productions than any other character, even playing a central role in its most recent movie,The Marvels.
Nick Fury’s Complete MCU Timeline Explained
Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury has been a staple of the MCU since its start with Iron Man. Here’s a breakdown of Nick Fury’s complete MCU backstory.
Jeremy Renner had a respectable career in Hollywood before debuting as Hawkeye in 2011’sThor. His most famous movies include28 Weeks Later,The Town, andHurt Locker, and he received Academy Award nominations for the latter two. His MCU debut was in 2011’sThor- though it was uncredited at the time - before he would make a splash in 2012’sThe Avengersand receive serious character development inAvengers: Age of Ultron.
The role nearly went toSupernaturalstar, Jensen Ackles, after he was rejected for the role of Captain America. After turning down the second opportunity (citingSupernaturalscheduling concerns), the role was then offered to Renner. Coincidentally, Renner stated in an interview withVarietythat he harbored a similar reticence to Chris Evans, expressing concern over signing on for multiple movies. Yet instead of fearing loss of control, Renner was more concerned about “wearing tights” into his 50s.
5Iman Vellani Began Acting Professionally With Ms Marvel
Debuted In Ms. Marvel (2022)
Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan is the MCU’s freshest face, with the 21-year-old actor having no prior professional acting experience to her name before landing the role. Nevertheless, she had all the credentials required to fulfill the role of the excitable Young Avenger, from her Pakistani heritage to her zealous appreciation for the Avengers. After winning a Saturn and Critics Choice Super Award for each of her two live-action appearances in the MCU, it is safe to say that she has already made an indelible mark.
Vellani auditioned for the role after being made aware of a casting call by her Aunt, who received it through a WhatsApp forward chain (viaElite Daily). She expressed her skepticism over what she saw as an unorthodox casting method but forged ahead regardless, landing the role after winning Ms. Marvel casting directors over with her self-tape and interview. Vellani’s appreciation for Marvel Comics and the MCU was so great that it won her over to studio bosses instantly, a sentiment that carried over to Marvel audiences.
Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel is an action-superhero TV series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The show follows Iman Vellani, a 16-year-old high school student in New Jersey who is a huge fan of superheroes and has difficulty fitting in at school. When Iman is gifted a mysterious bangle from her grandfather, she discovers it allows her to utilize cosmic energy and construct what she can imagine. Now an accidental superhero, Iman will try to rise to the challenge and make a name for herself as Ms. Marvel.
4Tom Holland’s Athleticism Cemented His Spider-Man Casting
Debuted In Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Although the 28-year-old Tom Holland now portrays a Peter Parker who has reluctantly entered full-fledged adulthood, he entered the MCU in a similar capacity to Iman Vellani. The adolescent made a name for himself in 2012’sThe Impossibleand caught the eye of Marvel higher-ups. Holland auditioned for the role inCaptain America: Civil Wargoing up against hundreds of other hopefuls that included Asa Butterfield and Timothée Chalamet.
Holland’s youthful energy and boundless charisma were a huge plus for Marvel Studios' head casting director, Sarah Halley Finn, buthis background as a dancer and a gymnast definitively pushed him over the line for the Russo brothers. If not for Holland showing off these skills during his audition (reportedly pulling off a backflip), then the iconic Spider-Man actor may have looked decidedly different. Stan Lee even gave his stamp of approval to Holland, noting that the lithe actor was the “Exact age and height” that he pictured when creating him for Marvel Comics.
Captain America: Civil War
Captain America: Civil War focuses on the aftermath of Age of Ultron as international governments legislate to regulate superhuman activity. This divides the Avengers, forming opposing factions led by Iron Man and Captain America, culminating in a significant conflict between former allies.
3Benedict Cumberbatch Initially Rejected Doctor Strange
Debuted In Doctor Strange (2016)
Arriving in MCU Phase 3 in his self-titled movie, the highly successful MCU was better positioned to hire a famous face for the central role. Benedict Cumberbatch was already a big name in Hollywood in 2016, making waves as Sherlock Holmes in the belovedSherlockseries, Alan Turing inThe Imitation Game, and as the voice of Smaug in Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy. When production got underway forDoctor Strange, Cumberbatch was the preferred choice for Director Scott Derrickson.
Yet Cumberbatch initially had to turn the role down due to scheduling concerns withSherlock.Following that, a number of other Hollywood A-listers were approached including Tom Hardy and Ryan Gosling, though the actor that came closest was Joaquin Phoenix before he suddenly pulled out of the deal citing that he felt too restricted. Thankfully,Phoenix’s exit prompted Marvel Studios to move scheduling around Cumberbatch’s other commitments, cementing him in the role after being re-approached.
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange follows the journey of a brilliant yet arrogant surgeon, portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch, whose career is derailed. He finds redemption under the tutelage of a mystical sorcerer, learning to harness mystical powers to protect the world from dark forces. Released in 2016, the film expands Marvel’s cinematic universe into the realm of mysticism.
