The Avengers featured one of the most talented rosters in the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and more than ten years later, the movie’s cast has gone on to be part of some amazing projects. Among the many people responsible for the success of the MCU over the years is casting director Sarah Halley Finn, who has assembled the cast of pretty much every MCU project since 2008’s Iron Man — including The Avengers’s.
As one of the best MCU movies, 2012’s The Avengers also features one of the most talented ensembles among all entries in the shared universe. The film has a much tighter roster than future Avengers movies in the MCU; however, every player made their screen time count. The cast of The Avengers would go on to lead the MCU for years, with the star-studded ensemble finding success both in and out of Marvel.
11. Robert Downey Jr.
Tony Stark/Iron Man
Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man is the most important character in the MCU. His role was crucial to The Avengers, with Iron Man almost dying in order to close the portal that allowed the Chitauri army to arrive on Earth and save New York from a nuclear missile. Years later, Avengers: Endgame‘s ending would connect to that moment from The Avengers, with RDJ’s Iron Man finally dying as he sacrificed himself to turn Thanos and his army to dust.
After an eventful journey in the MCU that lasted more than a decade, Downey Jr. decided to branch out with his projects after playing Tony Stark. While that journey has included duds like Dolitlle, it recently gave RDJ his biggest non-MCU victory, as the actor won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2024 for his role as Lewis Strauss in director Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer. RDJ recently played multiple antagonist roles in The Sympathizer, with the actor not having any confirmed upcoming projects.
10. Chris Evans
Steve Rogers/Captain America
Chris Evans’ Captain America became one of the faces of the MCU alongside RDJ’s Iron Man. The Avengers was the first movie to really lay the ground for that, with Evans’ Steve Rogers having plenty of scene-stealing moments, as well as a great rivalry-turned-friendship with Iron Man. That relationship would continue to be explored beyond The Avengers, deeply impacting the MCU. Avengers: Endgame saw Captain America stay in the past and live his days out with Peggy Carter.
Beyond his work in the MCU, Evans played major roles in a few action movies, like The Gray Man and Ghosted. The actor also lent his voice to one of the most famous animated characters of all time, Buzz Lightyear — albeit a different version — in Pixar’s Lightyear. Evans’ biggest post-MCU role is as the main villain in the murder mystery film Knives Out. Evans’ upcoming roles include the 2024 Dwayne Johnson action duo The Red One and the undated films Honey Don’t! — directed by Ethan Coen — and rom-com Materialists opposite Dakota Johnson and Pedro Pascal.
9. Scarlett Johansson
Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow
Scarlett Johansson makes up the last of the members of the original Avengers cast to have already left the MCU. Johansson’s role as Black Widow was only starting in The Avengers, with the character’s first and only MCU solo project taking years to come, with 2021’s Black Widow film being released after Natasha had already died in Avengers: Endgame. The Avengers showed how Black Widow had the potential to be a formidable team player as she opened herself to others.
Following Natasha’s death, Johansson has been thriving outside of the MCU. Johansson has had plenty of award-worthy roles in recent years, and the actress hopes to continue that run of form with her upcoming projects, as well as delve into new franchises. Johansson’s upcoming movies are Fly Me to the Moon — a space race-set rom-com opposite Channing Tatum — and the animated Transformers One with her The Avengers co-star Chris Hemsworth, as well as Eleanor the Great, which makes her directorial debut. Johansson is also in talks to play one of the leads in the next Jurassic World movie.
8. Chris Hemsworth
Thor Odinson
Chris Hemsworth’s Thor is a special case in the MCU. The Avengers showed how fun of a dynamic Hemsworth’s otherworldly character could have with the other Earth-based Avengers. The movie featured a key connection between Thor and the villain the Avengers faced, as it was none other than Loki, Thor’s brother. Years after the movie, Hemsworth remains active in the MCU. After a lackluster fourth solo film, Hemsworth is likely to return for Marvel’s Thor 5 in the near future.
While the actor could still have a few MCU years under his belt, Hemsworth has begun to diversify his acting credits. The actor played the main villain, Dementus, in the recently released Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. Hemsworth’s upcoming movies include the lead voice role of Optimus Prime in Transformers One, the spy thriller tentatively called Project X — directed by Matthew Vaughn — and Extraction 3, bringing his action hero Tyler Rake back to Netflix.
7. Mark Ruffalo
Bruce Banner/The Hulk
Different from the rest of the movie’s heroes, 2012’s The Avengers marked the MCU debut of Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk. That is because The Incredible Hulk star Edward Norton and Marvel Studios decided to part ways over creative differences. Ruffalo’s Hulk was at his most destructive in the movie, setting up a full circle moment when the future Smart Hulk would come to the Battle of New York thanks to time travel and feel embarrassed by watching his younger self.
While Ruffalo’s motion capture duties make it easy for him to continue as the Hulk for years to come, with a story set up to do so, the actor remains busy outside the MCU. Besides future Hulk appearances, Ruffalo’s upcoming projects include Parasite director Bong Joon-ho’s Mickey 17, as well as the series Hal & Harper opposite Riverdale‘s Lili Reinhart and an untitled crime drama series at HBO created by Mare of Easttown‘s Brad Ingelsby.
6. Jeremy Renner
Clint Barton/Hawkeye
Like Johansson’s Black Widow, Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye was the only other hero in The Avengers not to have a solo MCU project before the movie’s release. The 2012 film featured Hawkeye going up against the Avengers for a large portion of its runtime, as the character was brainwashed by Loki early on. Future MCU movies would let Hawkeye shine alongside other heroes, with Renner’s Clint Barton getting his own series in Disney+’s Hawkeye in 2021.
While Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop is bound to replace Renner’s Hawkeye in the future, the duo could still have a few MCU projects together. However, Renner’s life-threatening snowplow accident should delay any such plans. After breaking several bones, Renner has scaled back his work output as he recovers, with the actor’s only confirmed project being the release of season 3 of his Mayor of Kingstown series, where he plays the lead role of Mike McClusky.
5. Tom Hiddleston
Loki
Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is one of the most popular characters in the MCU. Loki has had quite the journey over the years, with the character serving as the main villain in The Avengers. While Earth’s Mightiest Heroes thwarted his plans to conquer the planet and Thor left at the end of the movie to get him to an Asgardian prison, Loki’s MCU future would reserve a road of redemption for the character before a tragic death.
After Hiddleston starred in the only multi-season live-action Marvel Studios series so far, Disney+’s Loki, he can leave the MCU behind with Loki as the protector of the multiverse if he wants to do so. Hiddleston’s upcoming projects include the horror sensation director Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck, as well as a series of projects in limbo, like the TV series White Stork and The White Darkness, as well as the movies Hard Boiled and James Ivory’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s Richard II. Hiddleston will also return for two new seasons of the spy series The Night Manager.
4. Samuel L. Jackson
Nick Fury
Samuel L. Jackson is one of the most famous actors to ever be part of the MCU. Jackson’s Nick Fury was way more active in the franchise when The Avengers was released, as the then-director of SHIELD played a key role in assembling the team of heroes. After his role in getting the Avengers together, Nick Fury would remain a fixture of the MCU to this day, even starring in his own series, Disney+’s Secret Invasion.
While Jackson shows no signs of wanting to step down as Nick Fury, the MCU star continues to be active outside the Marvel Studios shared universe. Jackson’s upcoming projects include the movie adaptation of the play The Piano Lesson, the western film Unholy Trinity opposite Pierce Brosnan, the post-apocalyptic Afterburn, and the miniseries Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, set on the night of Muhammad Ali’s 1970 return to boxing.
3. Clark Gregg
Phil Coulson
Clark Gregg’s Phil Coulson was one of the most exciting supporting characters at the start of the MCU. Coulson ended up being the character to unite the team in 2012’s The Avengers. After his death, Nick Fury used the tragic event to rally the troops and transform the Avengers into a well-oiled superhero team. While it has yet to be confirmed as MCU canon, Gregg went on to play Phil Coulson for seven seasons of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
2. Cobie Smulders
Maria Hill
Finally, Cobie Smulders’ Maria Hill is the final main cast member of 2012’s The Avengers. The actress never really got her chance to shine in the MCU, though her roles in The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier gave Hill her biggest movie appearances. The Avengers established how great of a team Maria Hill and Nick Fury were, which is why them getting estranged more than a decade later in Secret Invasion was hard to watch.
With Maria Hill dying in Secret Invasion‘s first episode, Smulders’ MCU journey is likely over. Smulders’ upcoming movie roles include the rom-com Cupid & Me, which presumably stars her as a hopeless romantic who has a real cupid for a matchmaker, and the thriller Sharp Corner, which focuses on a man who obsesses over saving the lives of car accident victims on the sharp corner right in front of his home.
1. Where Are The Other Notable The Avengers Cast Members
Both In The MCU And Not
Gwyneth Paltrow – Pepper Potts: Paltrow’s Pepper Potts was one of the MCU’s most important romantic interests. Pepper encouraged Tony Stark to join the Avengers and helped him redesign Stark Tower into Avengers Tower. With Iron Man dead, Pepper’s MCU story ended with her raising Morgan Stark, her and Tony’s daughter. Paltrow voiced Daphne in 2023’s American Horror Stories and runs her wellness brand Goop.
Stellan Skarsgård – Erik Selvig: Skarsgård’s character was an interesting player at the start of the Infinity Saga. Selvig was mind-controlled by Loki to use his studies of the Tesseract in favor of the God of Mischief. Since leaving the MCU, Skarsgård has appeared in a slew of high-level projects, like the Dune movie franchise and the TV series Chernobyl and Andor .
Paul Bettany – J.A.R.V.I.S. (voice): Bettany continues in the MCU to this day. The actor voiced Iron Man’s AI J.A.R.V.I.S. in The Avengers and other projects, later returning as Vision in multiple MCU movies and series. After co-starring in WandaVision , Bettany’s Vision is set to lead a solo series on Disney+ in 2026.
Damion Poitier – Thanos: Before Josh Brolin was ultimately cast as Thanos, Poitier would do the motion capture for the first version of the Mad Titan in the MCU. Poitier would later return to superhero projects with a bigger role as the villain Goldface in Grant Gustin’s The Flash series.
Stan Lee – Cameo: Stan Lee is one of the most famous creators in comic book history. He became famous outside of comics for his cameos in all Marvel Studios films until Avengers: Endgame . Stan Lee died on November 12, 2018.
With such a solid ensemble, it is difficult to see any other actors in those roles. Marvel Studios was successful in its casting for the Avengers, building a solid foundation that would make the MCU the most popular film franchise in Hollywood. While other Avengers movies might have surpassed the original in quality, The Avengers will remain as one of the most important movies in MCU history.
