On Thursday, actors charged with the responsibility of bringing beloved Marvel Studios characters to the big screen will walk the red carpet of the world premiere of Avengers: Endgame. For some, the journey to the "grand conclusion," as the studio put it, began almost a decade ago with their first premiere.
Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man
The inaugural movie in the Marvel series was Iron Man featuring Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, who later becomes the titular hero. It was directed by Jon Favreau and premiered in May 2008 in the United States and made about $98.6 million in the opening weekend, according to IMDB.
Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts
Pepper Potts, portrayed by actor Gwyneth Paltrow, also joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008. As Tony Stark's girlfriend and the executive of Stark Industries, Potts plays a recurring role in Iron Man's story. However, after Avengers: Endgame, she told Variety she'll be retiring the part.
"I'm a bit old to be in a suit and all that at this point," Paltrow told Variety. "I feel very lucky that I did it, because I actually got talked into it. I was friends with Jon Favreau. It was such a wonderful experience making the first Iron Man and then to watch how important it has become to the fans."
Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow
In Iron Man 2, the third film in the Marvel series, fans got their first look at Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow. Premiering in 2010, she was the lone female figure among the male heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A talented spy and assassin, fans speculated Black Widow would get her own film in 2020 because the studio has an "untitled film" slated to be released.
Iron Man 2 exceeded the box office sales of its predecessor and IMDB reported it made about $128.1 million in its opening weekend in the United States.
Chris Hemsworth as Thor
In 2011, Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth) left Asgard to fulfill his destiny of becoming one of Earth's greatest defenders. Debuting in America in May, the film made about $65.7 million in its opening weekend, according to IMDB.
Chris Evans as Captain America
Chris Evans brought the character of Captain America to the big screen for the first time in 2011. The film, Captain America: The First Avenger, told the story of rejected military soldier, Steve Rogers, transforming into Captain America and attempting to destroy a warmonger and terrorist organization. In its opening weekend in the United States, it made about $65 million, as reported by IMDB.
Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk
Technically, the character of The Hulk first debuted in 2008 in the second Marvel film, The Incredible Hulk. However, Edward Norton, the actor who originally played The Hulk, was replaced with Mark Ruffalo, who first portrayed the character in 2012's The Avengers.
Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye
An expert marksman and fighter portrayed by actor Jeremy Renner, Hawkeye was responsible for bringing Black Widow to the Avengers side. First seen in The Avengers, the film, which also included Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and Black Widow made over $207 million in its opening weekend in the United States, as reported by IMDB.
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