Avengers: Endgame holds a litany of records, and there is one in particular that the MCU will never break. The penultimate movie of the Infinity Saga drew a line beneath more than a decade’s worth of interconnected stories and earned the accolade of becoming the highest-grossing Marvel movie. Its financial success is no surprise given that it marked the culmination of these stories, especially those of MCU royalty like Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and Chris Evans’ Captain America. Yet the sheer amount of star power within the movie can’t be overlooked.
Another of Avengers: Endgame‘s accolades is that it features the most Oscar-winning actors of any MCU movie. This was most recently bolstered by Robert Downey Jr.’s win, adding to a list of six other Oscar winners in the movie. While every MCU movie apart from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 counts at least one Oscar-winning actor among its cast, the MCU will find it exceptionally difficult to exceed the seven that appear in Avengers: Endgame‘s cast of characters.
Avengers: Endgame Actor | Academy Award Category | Movie | Year Won |
---|---|---|---|
Robert Downey Jr. | Best Supporting Actor | Oppenheimer | 2024 |
Brie Larson | Best Actress | Room | 2016 |
Tilda Swinton | Best Supporting Actress | Michael Clayton | 2007 |
Gwyneth Paltrow | Best Actress | Shakespeare in Love | 1999 |
Marissa Tomei | Best Supporting Actress | My Cousin Vinny | 1993 |
William Hurt | Best Actor | Kiss of the Spider Woman | 1985 |
Michael Douglas | Best Picture/Best Actor | One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest/Wall Street | 1976/1988 |
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Why The MCU Won’t Break Endgame’s Oscars Cast Record
Avengers: Endgame Was The Final Appearance For Many Stars
Avengers: Endgame‘s decorated cast mostly comprises characters and actors who have left the MCU. After removing the characters that have died since Avengers: Endgame, four remain, which is equal to the amount of Oscar winners that appear in Thor: Ragnarok. This makes it more unlikely that an upcoming movie will feature as many Oscar winners as Avengers: Endgame. While the Multiverse Saga’s two Avengers movies may come close with an ensemble cast, characters like Pepper Potts and Hank Pym are less likely to make an appearance than erstwhile main players and current MCU protagonists.
Endgame Actor | Character | Current Status |
---|---|---|
Robert Downey Jr. | Tony Stark/Iron Man | Deceased |
Brie Larson | Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel | Active |
Tilda Swinton | The Ancient One | Deceased |
Gwyneth Paltrow | Pepper Potts | Uncertain |
Marissa Tomei | Aunt May | Deceased |
William Hurt | Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross | Active (Recast) |
Michael Douglas | Hank Pym | Active |
Padding out its cast with Oscar winners is also lower on Marvel’s list of priorities than scoring box office smashes in the wake of a suboptimal 2023. MCU’s recent history has suggested this even more so, as Brie Larson’s Oscar did not shield The Marvels from its record-breaking flop. Furthermore, the list of actors who starred in Avengers: Endgame that may go on to win Oscars can only grow, widening the gulf between it and a future star-studded MCU installment.
Why Endgame Deserves To Keep Its MCU Oscars Record
Avengers: Endgame is one of the greatest Marvel movies ever made for a reason. Though it didn’t receive its own Oscar win for Best Visual Effects, the fact that so many actors recognized by the Academy filled out its cast is a win in its own right, helping to prove its credibility even if some participants are prouder of their involvement than others. It also stands as a monument to the characters that helped build the MCU up to the climactic moment that spelled the end of an era.
Marvel has a track record of casting lesser-known actors in blockbuster movies, with the entire Avengers cast being a standout example of this. While stars like Iman Vellani and Hailee Steinfeld continue to prove that Marvel has a knack for rooting out talent, it is no secret that the Multiverse Saga has not had the same cultural impact as the Infinity Saga. Avengers: Endgame being so rife with Oscar-winning talent is a testament to the quality of that era.
Avengers: Endgame
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The penultimate chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Endgame, marks the finale of the first three phases of the MCU and acts as part two of Avengers: Infinity War. With Earth’s Mightiest Heroes failing to stop Thanos from wiping out half of all existence, the heroes discover one final chance to make things right. Journeying back through space and time, the surviving Avengers attempt to stop Thanos before all is lost.
- Director
-
Joe Russo
, Anthony Russo - Release Date
-
April 26, 2019
- Cast
-
Chris Hemsworth
, Anthony Mackie
, Paul Rudd
, Robert Downey Jr.
, Scarlett Johansson
, Mark Ruffalo
, Evangeline Lilly
, Sebastian Stan
, Josh Brolin
, Elizabeth Olsen
, Tom Holland
, Don Cheadle
, Samuel L. Jackson
, Bradley Cooper
, Karen Gillan
, Brie Larson
, Paul Bettany
, Chris Evans
, Jeremy Renner
, Chadwick Boseman
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