While the studio is far from infallible, it is safe to say that Marvel Studios’ casting decisions rarely miss the mark in the MCU – and every Avengers actor has a compelling story behind how they were cast. Since it began in 2008 with Iron 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 the current lineup of Avengers.

The Avengers was 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, and four Avengers movies later, the team grew substantially before the heart-wrenching departure of three of its founding members left the Avengers’ MCU future in 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.

12

MCU Higher-Ups Had To Fight For Robert Downey Jr. As Iron Man

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 in Chaplin, Harry Lockhart in Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, and Paul Avery in Zodiac, which was released the year before Iron Man in 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.

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 station 100.3 Jack FM that 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.

11

We 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 in Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer in 2005 and 2007 respectively. He also starred as Lucas in 2010’s Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, which was an adaptation of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series. Despite his experience (or perhaps because of it), Evans nearly turned down the offer of Captain America entirely.

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 (via Esquire). Marvel Studios’ tenacity in pursuing Evans for the role paid dividends as Captain America’s MCU legacy remains one of the most iconic.

10

Marvel 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 of Home 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.

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 Feige before blowing the filmmakers away with his aptitude for the role. He now boasts the most solo movies of any MCU character as well as 10 total appearances across the MCU, a number which is likely to increase with the release of Thor 5.

9

Mark 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 in Margaret, Date Night, and Shutter Island in 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’s The 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 was The Incredible Hulk Director Louis Leterrier’s first choice to portray the Jade Giant, though it 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 of the MCU’s best casting decisions, though whether he’ll get to create his own solo movie is looking decidedly uncertain.

8

Emily 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 in Lost In Translation, The Island, and The 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 her The Avengers co-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 in Iron Man 2, but the actress turned it down due to scheduling concerns. Johansson would later tell Parade that 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.

7

Samuel L. Jackson Preempted His Nick Fury Casting

Debuted In Iron Man (2008)

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 of Iron Man to inform Tony Stark of the Avengers Initiative before debuting in earnest in Iron Man 2. His biggest pre-MCU roles are in some of Hollywood’s most iconic movies, including Pulp 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 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.

6

Jeremy Renner Had Certain Reservations About Hawkeye

Debuted In Thor (2011)

Jeremy Renner had a respectable career in Hollywood before debuting as Hawkeye in 2011’s Thor. His most famous movies include 28 Weeks Later, The Town, and Hurt Locker, and he received Academy Award nominations for the latter two. His MCU debut was in 2011’s Thor – though it was uncredited at the time – before he would make a splash in 2012’s The Avengers and receive serious character development in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

The role nearly went to Supernatural star, Jensen Ackles, after he was rejected for the role of Captain America. After turning down the second opportunity (citing Supernatural scheduling concerns), the role was then offered to Renner. Coincidentally, Renner stated in an interview with Variety that 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.

5

Iman 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 (via Elite 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.

4

Tom 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’s The Impossible and caught the eye of Marvel higher-ups. Holland auditioned for the role in Captain America: Civil War going 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, but his 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.

3

Benedict 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 beloved Sherlock series, Alan Turing in The Imitation Game, and as the voice of Smaug in Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy. When production got underway for Doctor Strange, Cumberbatch was the preferred choice for Director Scott Derrickson.

Yet Cumberbatch initially had to turn the role down due to scheduling concerns with Sherlock. 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.

2

Marvel Bosses Unanimously Agreed On Chadwick Boseman For Black Panther

Debuted In Captain America: Civil War (2016)

The late Chadwick Boseman was a tour de force in Hollywood before being expertly cast in Captain America: Civil War. His roles as Jackie Robinson in 42 and as James Brown in Get on Up cemented the level of gravitas the young actor could bring to the MCU and one of its most important characters. Despite being experienced in more “serious” roles, however, Boseman made several efforts to get his foot in the door with Marvel movies.

Boseman read for a role in Iron Man 3 and Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, which was the moment that put him on Marvel Studios’ radar – and Sarah Halley Finn’s in particular. When it came time to cast Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War, the choice was clear and Boseman was immediately offered the role. After cementing his indelible legacy in the MCU with four appearances, Boseman’s tragic passing left it to Letitia Wright’s Shuri to carry the torch.

1

Paul Rudd Was In Talks For Ant-Man In The MCU’s Earliest Days

Debuted In Ant-Man (2015)

Paul Rudd made a name for himself as an extremely likable comedy actor in Hollywood before landing his iconic role in the MCU. He starred as Mike Hannigan in Friends, David in The 40 Year-Old Virgin, and Brian Fantana in Anchorman, to name just a few of his most iconic pre-MCU roles. Suffice it to say, Rudd was sufficiently famous before Scott Lang would push him into worldwide superstardom.

Despite Ant-Man closing out MCU Phase 2, however, Rudd was in talks for the role in the franchise’s earliest days, stating in an interview with Men’s Health that his agent set up a meeting with Feige before Marvel was even part of Disney. In 2013, two years before Ant-Man was released but in its earliest stages of development, Rudd was the frontrunner for the role alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt before landing the role later that same year. His casting came out of left field for many, including himself, but it is now hard to see anyone else as the hilarious Avenger.

Sources: 100.3 Jack FM/Esquire/Parade/Variety/Elite Daily/Men’s Health